What Is Advent All About?
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Good morning and welcome to Dishman Baptist Church. I hope all of you had a week focused on thankfulness and the grace of God. Please take your Bibles and open them with me to Psalm 33, Psalm 33.
Every year we take a break from whatever book we are in and spend time looking at the aspects of the Advent season - hope, love, joy, peace, faith - as we focus our minds in on not only the impending celebration or commemoration of Christ’s birth but also looking ahead to His glorious appearance when He returns to take His people home. This year we’re going to be focusing in on these elements of our Christian walk as they are presented to us through the Psalms.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous ones; praise from the upright is beautiful.
Praise the Lord with the lyre; make music to him with a ten-stringed harp.
Sing a new song to him; play skillfully on the strings, with a joyful shout.
For the word of the Lord is right, and all his work is trustworthy.
He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the Lord’s unfailing love.
The heavens were made by the word of the Lord, and all the stars, by the breath of his mouth.
He gathers the water of the sea into a heap; he puts the depths into storehouses.
Let the whole earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
For he spoke, and it came into being; he commanded, and it came into existence.
The Lord frustrates the counsel of the nations; he thwarts the plans of the peoples.
The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart from generation to generation.
Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord— the people he has chosen to be his own possession!
The Lord looks down from heaven; he observes everyone.
He gazes on all the inhabitants of the earth from his dwelling place.
He forms the hearts of them all; he considers all their works.
A king is not saved by a large army; a warrior will not be rescued by great strength.
The horse is a false hope for safety; it provides no escape by its great power.
But look, the Lord keeps his eye on those who fear him— those who depend on his faithful love
to rescue them from death and to keep them alive in famine.
We wait for the Lord; he is our help and shield.
For our hearts rejoice in him because we trust in his holy name.
May your faithful love rest on us, Lord, for we put our hope in you.
Starts off with a Call to worship
5 Imperatives - Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous ones
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones; shout for joy, all you upright in heart.
Hallelujah! How good it is to sing to our God, for praise is pleasant and lovely.
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Praise from the upright is beautiful - notice it doesn’t mention skill, or melodious - Ken Maynor
The only qualification for worshipping the Lord is being upright in character
300 Quotations for Preachers from the Puritans (All Should Participate in Public Worship)
In public worship all should join. The little strings go to make up a concert, as well as the great. Though you have but little grace, yet God’s worship would not be complete without you.THOMAS GOODWIN
Praise the Lord with the lyre, make music with the ten stringed harp, play skillfully on the strings
First mention of musical instruments in the Psalter
The only area where skill is requisite
Sing a new song to Him
We have a struggle in the church with worship
Either there is no theological thought and it’s all emotions and smoke and lights
There’s too much theological thought and there’s no emotion
We need to find a middle ground
My personal example - at the NWBC meetings and thinking about the songs - I wish they would have said it this way not that way
We need to examine the way we worship
Yes I know worship is more than just singing on Sunday morning
Whatever you do, do it from the heart, as something done for the Lord and not for people,
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.
But the question is - if you aren’t willing to worship on Sunday mornings do you really worship the rest of the week?
Do we worship with abandon or with conditions?
We need to examine the way we worship
Having given the command to worship the Psalmist now gives us four proofs, or reasons, as to why God is worthy of our worship and ultimately of placing our hope in Him - proof through the Word, proof through creation, proof through providence and proof through individuals.
Proof through the Word
Proof through the Word
The Word of the Lord is right and all His work is trustworthy
We live in a day and age where this is not an acceptable statement
There is not absolute truth and so God’s Word cannot be right
300 Quotations for Preachers from the Puritans (God’s Word Is Truth)
Common reason tells us that we must first have a general proof that Scripture is God’s word, and argue thence, to the verity of the parts, and not begin with a particular proof of each part. It seems that you would argue thus: This and that text of Scripture are true, therefore they are God’s word: but reason tells you, you should argue thus: This is God’s word, therefore it is true.RICHARD BAXTER
Not only a description of what the Lord says - but also what He does.
Our God is not simply one who speaks and then leaves things alone - He is a God of action and all His work is trustworthy
He never fails and His work is always 100%
Attention to detail - something I struggle with
Every detail in God’s work is perfect - nothing escapes His attention
Description of God’s character
He loves righteousness
For the Lord is righteous; he loves righteous deeds. The upright will see his face.
It will be said about me, ‘Righteousness and strength are found only in the Lord.’ ” All who are enraged against him will come to him and be put to shame.
The defining characteristic of God is His holiness - the angels around the throne call out “Holy, Holy, Holy”
And justice - true justice not the modern version of the word
Justice calls for action - justice cannot happen through inaction
God’s righteousness and justice as attributes taken alone are very frightening
God’s love of righteousness and justice are balanced by His unfailing love
300 Quotations and Prayers for Christmas (God Reconciled Justice and Mercy in Christ)
To join and knit two attributes seeming contrary, justice and mercy; to reconcile man by reconciling justice and mercy, and by such an excellent way that God should become man, Emmanuel, this was a great wisdom—to reconcile justice and mercy by such a person as should satisfy justice and give way to mercy, that is, by Christ. God will lose none of His attributes. His justice must be satisfied, that His mercy might be manifested. The wisdom of God found out that way. It is a plot the angels study in.RICHARD SIBBES
The Word of the Lord reveals His attributes of righteousness, justice, mercy and love to us. It is through these attributes that He works His might works of creation, providence and individuals.
Proof through Creation
Proof through Creation
The Lord spoke and the universe raced into existence. It is creation that is vividly displayed in C.S. Lewis’ The Magician’s Nephew where the main characters drop into a world of nothingness but as they are there they hear a voice singing and stars appear, then mountains and the whole world is revealed through the singing of a Lion. Genesis 1 tells the story of our own creation as God speaks and the universe leaps into existence ex nihilo. This is fiat creation - from nothing.
Nothing we think we have created since has come to be the same way.
MeatEater Mule Deer explanation
Mankind has never created anything out of nothing
Creation is a testimony to God’s existence and to the veracity of His Word and the trustworthiness of His works
300 Quotations for Preachers from the Modern Church (Creation Shines God’s Glory)
Through every star, through every grass-blade, and most through every living soul, the glory of a present God still beams.THOMAS CARLYLE
The Psalmist shifts his view here from the macro-creation of the universe to the micro-creation of God choosing for Himself a people.
He does this by a demonstration of God’s power over His creation to help His people
Verse 7 is a direct reference to the events at the Red Sea
The water heaped up at the blast from your nostrils; the currents stood firm like a dam. The watery depths congealed in the heart of the sea.
In redeeming His people from Egypt and keeping His covenant promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob the Lord reveals His control over creation
This should elicit a response from the people of the earth
No Fear of God anymore
We don’t fear Him - and by fear I don’t mean quake (although that is what the nations did after the Red Sea…even after the Israelites had wandered through the wilderness for 40 years, Rahab still confesses to the spies that their nation is afraid of their God)
For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings you completely destroyed across the Jordan.
When we heard this, we lost heart, and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on earth below.
We don’t even respect God anymore - and this command in this Psalm is not merely for the nation of Israel or for the church now
300 Quotations for Preachers from the Modern Church (Fear God over the World)
Will you let the fear of a false world, that has no love for you, keep you from the fear of that God, who has only created you that He may love and bless you to all eternity?WILLIAM LAW
Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
It is for all nations…let the whole earth, let all the inhabitants
This also points to the universal nature of the Lord’s plans from the beginning…all nations are to stand in awe of Him
The source of this awe is creation…the very place we live
We have this twisted though - we worship creation to the exclusion of God
They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served what has been created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever. Amen.
But what is written here - He spoke and it came into being
He commanded and it came into existence.
Our drive home from Nampa - through Hell’s Canyon
What beauty and we think it just spontaneously came into being?
What joy He must have gotten as He formed each fold of the land, each color of the sunset
What is created is meant to point us to God and to lead us to worship Him. But the Psalmist is not done and he narrows our view even further.
Proof through Providence
Proof through Providence
Isn’t it amazing how often we forget our place - and think we’re in control?
We make these grand plans…401K’s and retirement plans, we work for years trying to put away a nice tidy bundle of money for our retirement or for an inheritance for our kids and then we get shut down by a virus or a diagnosis
Nations make plans and the Lord thwarts them
What a contrast the Psalmist makes here - the futility of man’s plans versus the sureness of God’s design
Where creation rests upon the divine Word, history rests upon divine plans and action
Our plans and schemes are all subject to divine restraint
But who can stop the Lord’s plans from coming to pass?
The Lord does whatever he pleases in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all the depths.
The lesson of Job
But he is unchangeable; who can oppose him? He does what he desires.
Also speaks to His unchangeable nature - His plans do not change from generation to generation
He is the same yesterday, today and forever - this is a great comfort to us
Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord
America may have been founded on Christian principles but America was never God’s nation - yet we flourished for years because of the foundation. So this is not a promise for us.
It is a promise that we can look to as the church - not in the same way that Israel could look at it - but we are God’s chosen people now, as we’ve been studying in Ephesians a third creation of people if you will - and because of that we have nothing to fear
300 Quotations for Preachers from the Modern Church (Security in God’s Faithfulness)
If the Lord be with us, we have no cause of fear. His eye is upon us, his arm over us, his ear open to our prayer; his grace sufficient, his promise unchangeable. Under his protection, though the path of duty should lie through fire and water, we may cheerfully and confidently pursue it.JOHN NEWTON
We have nothing to fear because we are under His tender care and His vision. The Psalmist says that the Lord looks down from Heaven, observing everyone. There is nothing that takes place that escapes His notice. He not only watches over all people, He creates them. He intricately weaves their personhood together - designing each to the exact specifications which He determined for them.
And He also considers our works. This is where God’s righteousness and justice are most prominent. All our works are evil from birth. The human heart is bent toward sin.
The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable—who can understand it?
And there is no where to hide from the One who observes all people and considers all our works. No army is big enough. No warrior is strong enough - Hercules even cannot contend with the living God. The horse was the primary means of transportation and a key to warfare and prosecuting an effective campaign. Yet not even a horse, a tank or any other weapon will protect us from God’s righteous justice if we are found outside His will.
Proof through Individuals
Proof through Individuals
But there is hope. The Lord not only sees those who flout Him, He sees those who fear Him as well. This is the final proof of God’s faithfulness, our reason for hope and the truth of His Word that the author offers. The Lord keeps His eye on those who fear Him, those who depend on His faithful love.
We are often cognizant of this during times of trial - when we struggle it is easiest to see God’s care for us. Maybe not in the moment, but looking back we recognize it. But what about in the good times. Charles Spurgeon told this story “You have heard, perhaps, of a Puritan who met his son, each one of them traveling some ten or twelve miles to meet the other. The son said to his father, “Father, I am thankful to God for a very remarkable providence that I have had on my journey here. My horse has stumbled three times with me, and yet I am unhurt.”
The Puritan replied, “My dear son, I have to thank God for an equally remarkable providence on my way to you, for my horse did not once stumble all the way.”
If we happen to be in an accident by railway we feel so grateful that our limbs are not broken. But should we not be thankful when there is no accident? Is not that the better thing of the two? If you were to fall into poverty, and someone were to restore you to your former position in trade, you would be very grateful. Should you not be grateful that you have not fallen into poverty? Bless God for his unknown benefits. Extol him for favors that you do not see, always giving thanks to God for all things.”
When we are fully dependent on God’s love and faithfulness for all things He will provide. And even when we are struggling with being dependent of God’s love and faithfulness for all things, He will still provide. He is faithful when we are not.
It is interesting the two conditions that the writer gives here - that He will rescue them from death and keep them alive in famine. Famines were a very real danger in the arid climate of the middle east. Another famine is one that is far more dangerous and more prevalent in our days - a famine of the Word of God.
Look, the days are coming— this is the declaration of the Lord God— when I will send a famine through the land: not a famine of bread or a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.
This is the most dangerous condition that can exist - physical health and comfort is worthless if spiritual vitality has not been given by God. And this is the condition that exists across much of our lands today - both in America and abroad. There is a famine of the Word of God being spoken and taught.
And yet we wait for the Lord - He is our help and shield. For those who have their faith in Him, who have received spiritual life from Him, He is our constant source and provider.
Justification of Hope
Justification of Hope
God’s Word has been proven right and His works are trustworthy. We have seen this demonstrated through Creation, through the contrast of the futility of man’s plans and the firmness of God’s and the interest that He takes in each individual. Because of this we can have hope. The hope of the Israelites was the Advent of the Messiah - the first advent that we know happened and that we are commemorating this season. What we can trust in is the hope of the second advent - that Christ will return just as He promised.
That we can wait on the Lord who is our help and shield, that while we wait our hearts can rejoice in Him because He has proven Himself trustworthy. Because His faithful love rests on us we can have hope that what He has promised will come to pass.
300 Quotations for Preachers from the Puritans (Waiting for God’s Providence)
I will charge my soul to believe and to wait for Him, and will follow His providence, and not go before it, nor stay behind it.SAMUEL RUTHERFORD