WEBVTT 00:00:00.100 --> 00:00:01.700 We're going to jump into Psalm 25. 00:00:01.720 --> 00:00:03.650 We're in a new series together called Revive. 00:00:04.520 --> 00:00:11.700 And if I'm just being frank up front, why we're in this series together, we're in a time of year here in Utah where you 00:00:11.700 --> 00:00:13.790 just get sick of winter and you get a little rambunctious. 00:00:14.200 --> 00:00:15.800 And sometimes this time of year can be a little depressing. 00:00:16.600 --> 00:00:19.260 I don't know if you're like me, but I love the snow. 00:00:19.760 --> 00:00:23.420 There are just some years that come and the snow drops and after one time I'm like, go here, we're good. 00:00:23.420 --> 00:00:23.780 Where is spring? 00:00:24.280 --> 00:00:27.400 I like being outside too. 00:00:28.260 --> 00:00:33.240 If I could just get the snow and let it be like 70 outside, that would be the perfect world for me. 00:00:33.600 --> 00:00:39.900 But you get to this time of year and sometimes it can get you in a bad place or maybe even over the holidays. 00:00:40.740 --> 00:00:47.740 You go through that time of year and you've just gone through a rough patch and holidays have this time of reminding us of loss a lot 00:00:47.740 --> 00:00:48.370 of times. 00:00:48.860 --> 00:00:51.380 And how do you respond in those moments? 00:00:51.400 --> 00:00:58.280 You know, when you think about God's word, God's word certainly gives us this declaration of truth of who God is and even who we are in light of him. 00:00:59.320 --> 00:01:05.940 But you know, when it comes to the truth, there's oftentimes what we know to be true and then there's the way that we feel. 00:01:07.080 --> 00:01:12.600 Like there's the truth that God proclaims, but then you're left with the question, okay, but what does that mean with the world in which I live in? 00:01:13.300 --> 00:01:19.100 And trying to figure out how to bridge that gap between what God says and how you feel. 00:01:19.140 --> 00:01:22.040 Now, certainly God gives us truth. 00:01:22.240 --> 00:01:26.550 Your mind, God gave you a mind and God wants you to think in truth in terms of truth. 00:01:27.060 --> 00:01:30.840 But God is more than an intellectual exercise for us. 00:01:31.340 --> 00:01:33.500 God wants to transform our lives. 00:01:34.120 --> 00:01:39.960 And so it's important for us to understand not just the truth that God declares, but the way that impacts us with where we are. 00:01:40.660 --> 00:01:47.720 And the book that I think does this beautifully and helping us intersect where we are in light of who God is the book of 00:01:47.720 --> 00:01:48.320 Psalms. 00:01:48.760 --> 00:01:55.840 The uniqueness of the book of Psalms is that Psalms, while all the other books declared us who God is and what we need to know about 00:01:55.840 --> 00:01:59.360 God, the book of Psalms is more man's response back to the Lord. 00:02:00.020 --> 00:02:04.560 All the other books are giving us either this narrative or this declarative of God's identity. 00:02:04.560 --> 00:02:09.120 The book of Psalms is man's response in light of the beauty of who God is. 00:02:09.840 --> 00:02:14.510 It's that way of intersecting the truth of God with where we are in this world. 00:02:14.960 --> 00:02:22.080 When you read the book of Psalms, what you find is Psalms is made up of 150 songs that respond in worship to life 00:02:22.080 --> 00:02:22.520 circumstances. 00:02:23.980 --> 00:02:26.820 There's categorically different songs written. 00:02:26.840 --> 00:02:30.090 There's psalms of praise, which we saw last week. 00:02:30.500 --> 00:02:37.620 We looked at Psalm 33:1, it tells us to sing for joy and what it means for us to have joy in the Lord and how 00:02:37.620 --> 00:02:38.920 to find our joy. 00:02:38.920 --> 00:02:40.590 And joy is bigger than just circumstance. 00:02:41.160 --> 00:02:42.700 Because circumstances fleeting. 00:02:43.040 --> 00:02:45.100 But God wants us to experience joy in him. 00:02:45.480 --> 00:02:46.980 So there's the psalms of praise. 00:02:47.520 --> 00:02:49.800 There's psalms of royalty. 00:02:49.800 --> 00:02:53.320 There's psalms of trust, there's psalms of him, there's psalms of wisdom. 00:02:53.320 --> 00:02:59.280 There's psalms that are given for special circumstances, which Israel would use to celebrate during things like Passover. 00:02:59.300 --> 00:03:01.920 They would sing the Hallel, which is Psalm one 13 to one 18. 00:03:02.400 --> 00:03:06.100 Together Jesus sang those psalms on the night of his betrayal. 00:03:07.960 --> 00:03:12.380 When you think about these Psalms categorically, the most popular are the Psalms of praise. 00:03:12.400 --> 00:03:16.160 But second to that, is this category of Psalms called Psalms of lament. 00:03:17.120 --> 00:03:23.240 And this week we're going to look at the second most popular category of songs, the Psalms of lament. 00:03:24.300 --> 00:03:29.340 A lament expresses deep sorrow in troubling circumstances. 00:03:30.840 --> 00:03:37.720 Psalm 25 is a lament teaching us how to worship in hardship. 00:03:39.540 --> 00:03:46.890 What this Psalm does is it pictures life as a journey and it recognizes in that journey, really we're not intended to make it alone. 00:03:48.040 --> 00:03:55.060 And so you'll see if you go through this Psalm that the way the author expresses this, which I think is David going through some hardship, that he 00:03:55.060 --> 00:03:57.640 refers to the way of God four times. 00:03:57.700 --> 00:04:01.400 In verses four, eight, nine, 12. 00:04:01.400 --> 00:04:02.280 The path of God and in verse 10. 00:04:02.280 --> 00:04:09.160 Or crying out to God for wisdom in verse four and five, recognizing that in this circumstance he finds himself, which is difficult. 00:04:09.620 --> 00:04:16.660 What he's seeking on this journey is the wisdom of God following after the path of God or the way God His response 00:04:16.660 --> 00:04:17.220 in worship. 00:04:18.680 --> 00:04:20.120 There's reasoning behind this. 00:04:20.120 --> 00:04:24.740 You see peppered throughout this Psalm that surrounded around him are his enemies, verse two. 00:04:24.740 --> 00:04:26.440 People that hate him, verse 19. 00:04:26.880 --> 00:04:29.420 Traps they've set before him, verse 15. 00:04:29.860 --> 00:04:34.240 And their desire for his failure in shame, verse two, verse three, verse 30. 00:04:36.140 --> 00:04:43.260 When you get to verse 16 of the Psalm, which is where I'm going to pick up, he finally gives us this statement in 00:04:43.260 --> 00:04:46.080 light of his circumstance, of his state of being. 00:04:47.520 --> 00:04:53.360 In all of this is where he finds himself, this place of honesty before the Lord. 00:04:53.780 --> 00:04:59.100 And what he says in verse 16, he says, turn to me and be gracious to me. 00:04:59.180 --> 00:05:00.460 This is his prayer before the Lord. 00:05:01.400 --> 00:05:07.840 And he says it like this, for I am lonely and afflicted. 00:05:10.020 --> 00:05:16.280 This idea of being lonely as this place of deserted or abandoned. 00:05:17.780 --> 00:05:24.200 Afflicted is not having the sustenance that he needs in order to sustain life. 00:05:26.080 --> 00:05:34.460 When you read a passage like this or a verse like this, when someone just simply exposes their hearts to where they are, I 00:05:34.460 --> 00:05:40.240 think a piece of us in our human nature, we tend to connect with things like this because we've been there. 00:05:42.300 --> 00:05:43.400 We know what this is like. 00:05:45.000 --> 00:05:46.410 Turn to me and be gracious. 00:05:46.600 --> 00:05:53.740 You're just looking for the gracious hand of God because in the midst of the circumstance, you find yourself abandoned, lonely, 00:05:53.800 --> 00:05:54.080 destitute. 00:05:55.880 --> 00:05:56.440 How do you move forward? 00:05:58.880 --> 00:06:06.960 How do you move forward when you feel like verse 16 what do you do when you feel hurt and 00:06:06.960 --> 00:06:07.400 abandoned? 00:06:09.000 --> 00:06:14.080 Now, I think our tendency as human beings, there are two pitfalls that I think that we want to avoid. 00:06:14.080 --> 00:06:15.260 I'll talk a little bit about that. 00:06:16.100 --> 00:06:22.960 And there is a tendency in the way that we often react in circumstances like this that aren't always healthy, and we're going to talk some about this. 00:06:23.340 --> 00:06:27.820 But I really want to start with what the Psalmist does because what the Psalmist does is healthy. 00:06:29.380 --> 00:06:33.190 And I want you to know when we read these first seven verses, this is not profound. 00:06:33.420 --> 00:06:34.440 This should not shock you. 00:06:34.680 --> 00:06:41.880 This is the basics of how we react in moments like this or how we should respond in moments like this. 00:06:42.380 --> 00:06:49.900 And it's not to say we don't know the basics, but before you get anywhere for which God calls you to, before we can really understand why 00:06:49.900 --> 00:06:53.520 in all things, we need to start with what we know to be true. 00:06:53.520 --> 00:06:56.200 And so the Psalmist starts out, first seven verses. 00:06:56.200 --> 00:06:58.240 I'm going to just read it to you, but I'm just going to let you know. 00:06:58.620 --> 00:06:59.520 Here's what he does. 00:07:00.420 --> 00:07:00.900 He has faith. 00:07:03.320 --> 00:07:06.780 He makes seeking after God the priority in his circumstance. 00:07:08.480 --> 00:07:11.120 And that's what he expresses in these first seven verses. 00:07:11.120 --> 00:07:13.960 He says to you, Oh Lord, I lift my soul. 00:07:14.800 --> 00:07:16.690 Oh my God, in you I trust. 00:07:16.880 --> 00:07:18.100 Do not let me be ashamed. 00:07:18.440 --> 00:07:20.880 Do not let my enemies exalt over me. 00:07:20.880 --> 00:07:23.880 Indeed none of those who wait for you will be ashamed. 00:07:23.880 --> 00:07:27.840 Those who deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed. 00:07:27.840 --> 00:07:30.280 Make me know your ways, O Lord. 00:07:30.280 --> 00:07:31.960 Teach me your paths. 00:07:31.960 --> 00:07:34.040 Lead me in your truths and teach me. 00:07:34.580 --> 00:07:36.600 For you are the God of my salvation. 00:07:37.060 --> 00:07:38.760 For you I will wait all day. 00:07:38.780 --> 00:07:44.080 Remember oh Lord your compassion and your loving kindness for they have been from of old. 00:07:44.360 --> 00:07:51.040 Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions according to your loving kindness. 00:07:52.640 --> 00:07:56.080 See, while in verse 16 the Psalmist expresses his state of being. 00:07:56.160 --> 00:08:03.180 He also acknowledges throughout this Psalm, and especially here in the beginning where he is seeking in his faith in 00:08:03.180 --> 00:08:03.800 these moments. 00:08:03.820 --> 00:08:08.820 And he's putting that faith, and you could put it in anything, but he's putting that faith in the Lord. 00:08:09.260 --> 00:08:11.590 And this Psalm is peppered through this expression. 00:08:12.140 --> 00:08:14.440 So state of being, he says, I am alone. 00:08:14.760 --> 00:08:15.610 I am destitute. 00:08:15.980 --> 00:08:20.060 But he also says, and I hear verse one lift my soul to you. 00:08:20.920 --> 00:08:22.860 I, verse two, trust. 00:08:23.800 --> 00:08:25.180 This goes on throughout the Psalm. 00:08:25.180 --> 00:08:26.760 Verse five, he waits for the Lord. 00:08:27.240 --> 00:08:29.540 Verse 15, my eyes continually on the Lord. 00:08:29.560 --> 00:08:30.900 Verse 20, I take refuge. 00:08:31.180 --> 00:08:33.419 Verse 21, I wait. 00:08:35.280 --> 00:08:38.659 His state of faith is in the Lord. 00:08:40.380 --> 00:08:47.780 One of the things that I appreciate about this Psalm and its candidness is that he acknowledges to the Lord the hardship 00:08:47.780 --> 00:08:48.600 that he faces. 00:08:48.620 --> 00:08:50.080 He's not immune to this. 00:08:50.800 --> 00:08:52.790 This is not about avoiding hardship. 00:08:52.820 --> 00:08:58.600 When you think about being alone, this is not to say and if you just follow what the Psalm says, you'll never feel that way again. 00:08:58.680 --> 00:09:00.060 That's not what the this Psalm is about. 00:09:01.260 --> 00:09:08.540 This Psalm is here to acknowledge that yes, we experienced this in our lives, but there's a way that the Lord strengthens us in those circumstance to 00:09:08.560 --> 00:09:09.880 find the goodness of who he is. 00:09:12.640 --> 00:09:19.840 When David lost everything in his kingdom 1 Samuel 30:6 says this, that he encouraged himself 00:09:19.840 --> 00:09:21.840 in the Lord his God. 00:09:24.300 --> 00:09:27.120 I think it's godly to tell God about the hardship you face. 00:09:27.160 --> 00:09:28.380 It's not a faithless act. 00:09:28.520 --> 00:09:34.900 In fact, I think it's a very faithful act because it's acknowledging the one who supplies in that circumstance is the Lord. 00:09:36.140 --> 00:09:43.180 And so just as David seeks that the goodness of God in the midst of the circumstances, as David in 1 Samuel 30:6 encouraged himself in the Lord 00:09:43.180 --> 00:09:44.760 his God. 00:09:44.800 --> 00:09:50.340 It's saying to us when you don't know what to do with your outlook, start with your up look. 00:09:52.500 --> 00:09:53.260 God, here's where I'm at. 00:09:54.620 --> 00:09:55.800 God, here's what I know about you. 00:09:57.300 --> 00:09:59.520 God, lead me in your way in this. 00:10:01.760 --> 00:10:08.700 Where you go when you feel abandoned is an indicator of what you truly believe and trust in. 00:10:10.480 --> 00:10:17.800 And the ironic thing with some people is when others abandoned us, sometimes our tendency ironically is to abandon 00:10:17.800 --> 00:10:18.380 the Lord. 00:10:20.020 --> 00:10:22.220 We face hardship or run away. 00:10:23.360 --> 00:10:27.680 Or maybe going to the Lord isn't even the first thing that we think about. 00:10:28.760 --> 00:10:34.520 Maybe we run to other people for comfort or possessions or places. 00:10:34.560 --> 00:10:42.020 But what this Psalmist is acknowledging for us, that place of beginning, that ground zero in this hardship feeling 00:10:42.020 --> 00:10:44.420 alone is to start with God. 00:10:45.960 --> 00:10:48.900 And he's saying indeed he believes the Lord to be the answer. 00:10:50.240 --> 00:10:51.410 Let me ask it to us like this. 00:10:53.740 --> 00:11:01.220 If you were to wake up tomorrow and you were the only one that was following after Jesus, 00:11:02.980 --> 00:11:05.230 would you still follow after Jesus? 00:11:08.380 --> 00:11:15.680 No doubt in the life of the Psalmist, he's probably not the only one following after Jesus, but 00:11:15.800 --> 00:11:20.630 he likely feels that way, because of the circumstances he's in. 00:11:21.200 --> 00:11:28.280 But if he were to stop following Jesus just because other people aren't following after the Lord, the question you would ask is, were you ever 00:11:28.280 --> 00:11:29.970 really following God to begin with? 00:11:31.840 --> 00:11:33.470 Why are you following him? 00:11:34.900 --> 00:11:40.770 Is it out of convenience or is it because of who he is? 00:11:41.300 --> 00:11:46.020 As you think about this, the basis that the Psalmist goes through is this thought of just simply faith. 00:11:46.200 --> 00:11:47.580 Seeking God in the circumstances. 00:11:47.700 --> 00:11:51.710 This is where it starts and no doubt elementary in its explanation, we should all know that. 00:11:52.570 --> 00:11:54.030 I'm a pastor, what am I going to say here? 00:11:54.300 --> 00:11:56.060 Trust God, trust God. 00:11:56.060 --> 00:11:58.000 But while we need to answer it now is this why? 00:11:58.860 --> 00:12:00.300 Why do we do that? 00:12:00.300 --> 00:12:07.400 I'm glad that we say that we need to know that God is sufficient for that, but let's talk a little bit deeper about why that is. 00:12:07.580 --> 00:12:10.200 And so the Psalmist continues to develop this thought in verse eight. 00:12:10.640 --> 00:12:12.800 Good and upright is the Lord. 00:12:12.860 --> 00:12:14.970 Therefore he instructs sinners in the way. 00:12:15.080 --> 00:12:19.020 He leads the humble in justice and he teaches the humble his way. 00:12:19.040 --> 00:12:26.200 All of the paths of the Lord are loving kindness and truth to those who keep his covenant and his testimonies for your namesake, oh Lord. 00:12:26.340 --> 00:12:28.280 Pardon my inequity for it is great. 00:12:28.700 --> 00:12:30.500 Who is man who fears the Lord? 00:12:30.800 --> 00:12:35.000 He will instruct him in the way he should choose. 00:12:35.260 --> 00:12:39.580 His soul will abide in prosperity and his descendants will inherit the land. 00:12:39.580 --> 00:12:41.760 The secret of the Lord is for those who fear him. 00:12:42.860 --> 00:12:48.140 And he will make them know his covenant. 00:12:49.440 --> 00:12:56.460 The Psalmist in this passage doesn't just talk about the need for faith in those adverse circumstances. 00:12:58.000 --> 00:13:05.260 I know when you go through hardship, when people abandon you, there's this place that wells up within us that wants to react 00:13:05.260 --> 00:13:07.650 to that circumstance that isn't always godly. 00:13:08.860 --> 00:13:12.100 So he talks about the need for faith. 00:13:12.220 --> 00:13:19.220 But then within the context of faith, he talks about this particular posture that we carry in our faith. 00:13:20.820 --> 00:13:27.860 It's highlighted for us in verse 12 and verse 14 he's going to highlight it a little further in verse 21 but verse 12, 14 00:13:27.860 --> 00:13:30.220 and then I'm going to look back in verse nine in just a moment. 00:13:30.720 --> 00:13:34.140 When you look in verse 12 and 14 he carries the similar thread of thought. 00:13:34.160 --> 00:13:37.200 He says, who is the man who fears the Lord? 00:13:37.620 --> 00:13:40.680 And it says in that fear that God will instruct him in the way you should choose. 00:13:41.700 --> 00:13:43.420 Now verse 14, the same thing. 00:13:43.680 --> 00:13:46.440 The secret of the Lord is for those who fear him. 00:13:47.680 --> 00:13:54.740 So he's not just saying, okay, you need to have faith, but the question is how do I know that my faith is genuine in 00:13:54.740 --> 00:13:55.600 that circumstance? 00:13:56.500 --> 00:14:01.480 And what he's saying is, here's how you know the expression of your faith is genuine in the hardship. 00:14:01.540 --> 00:14:05.060 It's based on the posture of your faith as you're going through that circumstance. 00:14:05.880 --> 00:14:07.880 And so what posture does he talk about here? 00:14:08.820 --> 00:14:15.500 It's not just as simply saying in an intellectual way, "I have faith." But it's the expression of a faith of a heart that's been transformed in the Lord. 00:14:17.420 --> 00:14:18.700 This reverence for who God is. 00:14:20.540 --> 00:14:24.180 The surrendering to Him in the midst of the circumstance. 00:14:24.180 --> 00:14:24.840 The fear of the Lord. 00:14:26.240 --> 00:14:32.600 Now in verse 14 he says something that's a little strange maybe to us, he talks about the secret of the Lord is for those who fear him. 00:14:34.240 --> 00:14:41.260 This idea of secret is not saying, if you fear God enough, he's going to tell you something He doesn't 00:14:41.420 --> 00:14:42.630 tell anyone else. 00:14:43.740 --> 00:14:46.480 We're not going like voodoo magic here. 00:14:46.600 --> 00:14:53.890 That's not what the intention of this verse is saying, Another way you could translate it is sort of this idea of friendship council. 00:14:56.080 --> 00:15:03.140 Meaning, if you want God to direct your life, there are some that God doesn't speak in their life, the way He tends to with other people because they're 00:15:03.140 --> 00:15:04.620 just not close to him in proximity. 00:15:07.120 --> 00:15:10.690 The more intimate the relationship, the more you know about the other person. 00:15:10.820 --> 00:15:12.780 The more your heart shares their heart. 00:15:14.500 --> 00:15:16.900 And what God is saying here is, you want me to guide you? 00:15:16.900 --> 00:15:18.180 You want me to direct you? 00:15:18.380 --> 00:15:21.160 What type of reverence do you have for me in this circumstance? 00:15:21.220 --> 00:15:27.700 Because I know how it goes with us as people when we face hardship and especially when someone comes against us like Psalm 25 is saying. 00:15:27.760 --> 00:15:29.760 Because welling up within us is going to say, what'd you say? 00:15:31.000 --> 00:15:33.560 I know you didn't talk about me like that! 00:15:35.020 --> 00:15:40.140 And so what God's question is where am I in relation to that circumstance? 00:15:43.080 --> 00:15:47.540 How well do I have your ear to whisper my council into you? 00:15:48.840 --> 00:15:50.400 It's not as if it's hidden from us. 00:15:50.400 --> 00:15:53.500 It's not as if you're getting this special secret no one else has access to. 00:15:56.040 --> 00:16:00.870 It's more of whether or not you're willing to listen to what God wants to say in your life in those moments. 00:16:03.160 --> 00:16:04.520 And we think about this faith posture. 00:16:05.540 --> 00:16:12.720 I know oftentimes there are verses that talk about the fear of the Lord, but one of the examples I think he also uses in connection 00:16:12.720 --> 00:16:15.420 to this thought of fearing God is in verse nine. 00:16:17.940 --> 00:16:24.980 And what he says to us is God leads the humble in justice and he teaches the humble his 00:16:24.980 --> 00:16:25.680 way. 00:16:27.820 --> 00:16:32.680 Some translations don't just use the word humble. 00:16:33.360 --> 00:16:35.790 They'll translate it as this thought of meekness. 00:16:37.640 --> 00:16:45.020 What he's say to us is the posture of your character will demonstrate if you're really walking with God, especially 00:16:45.080 --> 00:16:46.640 in hardship. 00:16:48.420 --> 00:16:49.150 Do you have faith? 00:16:50.660 --> 00:16:51.130 How do you know? 00:16:52.740 --> 00:16:54.850 Well, what's the posture of your character in the circumstance? 00:16:56.520 --> 00:17:03.660 Now, when we come to the idea of humility or meekness, I think it's important for us to know that meekness 00:17:03.660 --> 00:17:04.599 is not weakness. 00:17:05.040 --> 00:17:06.119 Don't mistake it that way. 00:17:07.339 --> 00:17:11.700 Meekness is not weakness, but rather it's power and confidence under control. 00:17:12.980 --> 00:17:18.550 Meekness carries this idea of being securely rooted in the identity that God gives you. 00:17:19.300 --> 00:17:25.040 A genuinely humble person usually tends to have two things working for them, if that humility is rooted in God. 00:17:25.099 --> 00:17:29.400 They have a correct perspective of who they are apart from Christ. 00:17:30.240 --> 00:17:33.780 And they have this correct perspective of who they are because of Christ. 00:17:34.740 --> 00:17:35.340 Does that make sense? 00:17:35.640 --> 00:17:42.040 Meaning when someone maligns you don't feel the need to fight for you because Jesus has already done that and he's one. 00:17:43.480 --> 00:17:46.800 You have an identity and it's not because of what you've given to yourself. 00:17:47.020 --> 00:17:49.080 It's because of what Christ has given to you. 00:17:50.540 --> 00:17:57.580 And so with that confidence of who you are in Jesus, you don't have to fill this need to react to the circumstances around 00:17:57.580 --> 00:17:57.780 you. 00:17:57.860 --> 00:18:03.260 But rather knowing that God is in control, you walk with this humility before him because God's got this. 00:18:06.160 --> 00:18:13.280 And so in verse 10 he says, in light of that, all the paths of the Lord are loving kindness and truth to those who keep his covenant in his 00:18:13.280 --> 00:18:13.730 testimonies. 00:18:15.680 --> 00:18:22.840 So it's a reminder to us in the place of God when we walked before him with this posture 00:18:22.840 --> 00:18:24.540 of faith expressed in meekness. 00:18:25.500 --> 00:18:29.820 That we can rest in verse 10 and this confidence that we can be trusted in the guidance of God in our lives. 00:18:32.040 --> 00:18:40.180 The psalmist is saying, it's when you face verse 16, this abandonment in your life, this 00:18:40.300 --> 00:18:42.320 destitution of the way it makes you feel. 00:18:43.360 --> 00:18:49.540 The most important thing you can do is trust God with a spirit of meekness. 00:18:51.780 --> 00:18:59.960 How we react in this moment is important because this thought of walking in faith and meekness is counterintuitive 00:18:59.960 --> 00:19:04.300 to the typical way our flesh often wants to act in those moments. 00:19:05.020 --> 00:19:06.280 But here's what the psalmist is doing. 00:19:07.920 --> 00:19:12.160 He's answering an important faith question that we all face in those types of hardships. 00:19:14.500 --> 00:19:19.500 Do I believe God is big enough to handle the battle? 00:19:22.700 --> 00:19:29.740 So oftentimes in our lives, what we want to do, our tendency when we faced that type of hardship and when you lack faith is 00:19:29.740 --> 00:19:33.980 rather than trusting God, we want to rip it out of his hands and take control the moment. 00:19:36.820 --> 00:19:40.120 Do you trust God's big enough to handle the battle? 00:19:41.860 --> 00:19:48.940 When we experience Psalm 25:16, this abandonment, our sinful nature rages 00:19:49.160 --> 00:19:49.420 within us. 00:19:51.660 --> 00:19:59.270 And rather than faith mode in our lives, I think we go through two other expressions that aren't necessarily godly. 00:19:59.660 --> 00:20:04.000 And I think that it's not faith mode, but it's fight mode or it's flight mode. 00:20:05.900 --> 00:20:13.120 Now I want you to know in saying that, I don't want to come heavy on this or be judgmental about this 00:20:13.300 --> 00:20:15.930 because I think a lot of times our reaction is based out of fear. 00:20:16.700 --> 00:20:18.240 Of things that we're going to lose. 00:20:19.240 --> 00:20:20.520 Of the way that someone made us feel. 00:20:20.520 --> 00:20:22.520 The diminishing of something that we found important. 00:20:22.720 --> 00:20:28.400 So out of fear we might react, but rather than faith, I think our human tendency is to do one of two things. 00:20:28.440 --> 00:20:29.960 We go and fight or flight. 00:20:31.220 --> 00:20:36.300 And we talk about in terms of fight mode, what I mean is we go in fight mode from the Lord. 00:20:38.240 --> 00:20:41.530 We hate what happens to us, which is not necessarily a bad thing. 00:20:41.740 --> 00:20:45.170 If sinful things happen to you, it's okay to be angry at sin. 00:20:46.860 --> 00:20:49.800 But what happens when we start hating the things that happen to us? 00:20:50.380 --> 00:20:55.160 We make ourselves responsible to make everything and everyone change. 00:20:56.240 --> 00:20:57.240 I don't like what you did. 00:20:57.420 --> 00:20:58.180 I don't like what happened. 00:20:58.860 --> 00:21:00.080 And so we go into this fight mode. 00:21:00.440 --> 00:21:01.960 To make it be different. 00:21:02.240 --> 00:21:03.510 I'm going to make the circumstance different. 00:21:03.800 --> 00:21:04.900 I'm going to make the person different. 00:21:05.460 --> 00:21:08.880 And just like they threw mud at you start throwing mud back. 00:21:10.700 --> 00:21:10.980 What happens? 00:21:12.920 --> 00:21:13.720 You get muddy too. 00:21:16.360 --> 00:21:19.320 We're no better off than the people that made us feel the way that we did. 00:21:20.380 --> 00:21:25.530 Now, let me just clarify this and say, I don't think it's wrong to approach sin. 00:21:25.820 --> 00:21:27.540 I don't think it's wrong to approach conflict. 00:21:28.540 --> 00:21:34.100 I don't even think when the Bible talks about forgiveness, what it means is you just need to sweep everything under the rug and pretend like it didn't happen. 00:21:35.520 --> 00:21:42.650 I think there's a place and a time that when things happen and we know it's not right, that in love we can approach the other person. 00:21:42.720 --> 00:21:43.620 But here's the reality. 00:21:44.100 --> 00:21:45.000 You can't change their mind. 00:21:47.020 --> 00:21:54.020 And sometimes when you know you can't change their mind, the temptation is to try to make them change 00:21:54.020 --> 00:21:54.720 their mind. 00:21:57.460 --> 00:22:00.180 And that's when we go into fight mode. 00:22:01.940 --> 00:22:08.200 You take things in your hands and you believe it's your job to change hearts. 00:22:09.400 --> 00:22:13.900 And what we're confessing in those moments is that we don't think God is big enough to handle it. 00:22:16.120 --> 00:22:23.380 Let me just encourage you, even knowing that the Bible calls us to seek restoration with people and to be forgiving. 00:22:24.380 --> 00:22:31.460 If a toxic person maligns you, if a toxic person abandons you, it's not saying you have to go back and 00:22:31.460 --> 00:22:32.620 try to be best friends with them. 00:22:36.060 --> 00:22:42.140 What the Bible encourages us to think about, and I think what the Psalmist is doing is to leave space for the Lord to do his job. 00:22:43.620 --> 00:22:44.840 It's not your job to change hearts. 00:22:45.700 --> 00:22:46.340 It's God's job. 00:22:46.580 --> 00:22:47.980 It's our job to trust him. 00:22:49.480 --> 00:22:56.360 In Romans 12, the Bible gives us this passage of scripture that I think that kind of runs along with what Psalm 25 is saying. 00:22:56.740 --> 00:23:03.760 It says this to us, if possible, so far as it depends on you, seek peace 00:23:03.820 --> 00:23:04.420 with all men. 00:23:06.200 --> 00:23:07.140 Be at peace with all men. 00:23:08.100 --> 00:23:14.170 So one of the things is acknowledging here is that it's not going to be possible to be at peace with all men because well, all men also have to make up their minds. 00:23:15.040 --> 00:23:18.420 But before the Lord, what do you display? 00:23:19.760 --> 00:23:26.060 And when Romans is saying this in chapter 12, it's on the backbone of hardship and persecution. 00:23:26.100 --> 00:23:28.370 People that are persecuting God's people. 00:23:28.500 --> 00:23:35.800 And Paul's response is, if it's possible so far as it depends on you, meaning as far as your responsibility goes, because you can't change someone else's 00:23:35.800 --> 00:23:37.820 heart, seek peace with all men. 00:23:37.880 --> 00:23:38.620 Be at peace with them. 00:23:39.060 --> 00:23:42.040 Never take your own revenge, beloved. 00:23:42.040 --> 00:23:45.000 But look at this, leave room for the wrath of God. 00:23:46.900 --> 00:23:48.780 For it is written, vengeance is mine. 00:23:48.920 --> 00:23:50.870 I will repay, says the Lord. 00:23:51.620 --> 00:23:52.420 Now let me just tell you this. 00:23:53.940 --> 00:23:56.390 I know not all circumstances require vengeance. 00:23:57.580 --> 00:24:00.170 And I know that Paul knows that in writing this letter to us. 00:24:00.640 --> 00:24:07.180 I'm not telling you when you have something bad to happen to you, that what you really need is just wish the ill will towards everyone. 00:24:07.240 --> 00:24:08.830 I don't think that's what this is saying at all. 00:24:08.980 --> 00:24:13.940 I think Christians are being harshly persecuted in this and God wants the believers to know he's got this. 00:24:14.260 --> 00:24:16.720 But he doesn't want them to stand in the way of what he has in his control. 00:24:17.160 --> 00:24:20.560 He wants them, rather than to take his job, to leave that job up to him. 00:24:21.840 --> 00:24:22.850 And so what is their responsibility? 00:24:25.200 --> 00:24:25.880 Be at peace. 00:24:27.360 --> 00:24:30.700 Be at peace and leave room for God to do what God's going to do. 00:24:30.780 --> 00:24:37.960 It's not saying necessarily that God is even saying the solution is going to be vengeance, but that if the solution needs to 00:24:37.960 --> 00:24:40.770 be vengeance, God is more than capable of carrying it out. 00:24:41.960 --> 00:24:43.680 Vengeance is mine, I will repay says the Lord. 00:24:43.760 --> 00:24:44.860 But this is what he says for us to do. 00:24:45.140 --> 00:24:52.280 But if your enemy is hungry, get this, feed him and if he's thirsty, give him a drink and so doing 00:24:52.280 --> 00:24:55.000 you reap you heap burning coals on his head. 00:24:55.920 --> 00:24:58.500 Can I tell you, this is a very gospel response and here how. 00:25:00.680 --> 00:25:02.260 We were all enemies of God at one point. 00:25:03.380 --> 00:25:04.820 Hostile to his kingdom. 00:25:09.430 --> 00:25:09.520 And Jesus never stopped loving you. 00:25:09.520 --> 00:25:10.570 And that love change you. 00:25:12.440 --> 00:25:19.440 When I was in college, I remember I got to this verse in Bible college and the professor was explaining to us the second half of this verse, because the second half of this verse has always 00:25:19.440 --> 00:25:20.160 confused me. 00:25:20.220 --> 00:25:22.820 He says, for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head. 00:25:23.000 --> 00:25:23.540 What is that? 00:25:24.590 --> 00:25:26.490 We're setting people on fire. 00:25:26.740 --> 00:25:29.240 This does not feel very Christian to me. 00:25:29.560 --> 00:25:30.490 What is this talking about? 00:25:30.560 --> 00:25:33.420 Some people will see this and be like, it'll burn them. 00:25:33.420 --> 00:25:34.200 They just won't like it. 00:25:34.340 --> 00:25:38.600 Well, I'm not doing nice things just to really put a dig into someone. 00:25:38.640 --> 00:25:39.400 That's not my point. 00:25:39.560 --> 00:25:41.020 That's not what God calls us to do. 00:25:41.060 --> 00:25:42.480 This cannot be with this verse is saying. 00:25:42.760 --> 00:25:45.340 Do something nice so that way you hurt them. 00:25:45.650 --> 00:25:47.480 I don't think this is what this verse is saying at all. 00:25:47.920 --> 00:25:55.020 I remember when the professor explained this to us and I don't think he did a very good job either, but he said this: you've got to remember in Paul's day, 00:25:55.080 --> 00:25:58.060 and even before this, because this is a quote from the Old Testament, from the book of Proverbs. 00:25:58.340 --> 00:26:02.590 He's saying, you've got to remember everyone, their lives were sustained by fire. 00:26:02.700 --> 00:26:05.680 And if you're in your home and you have to cook, you have to build a fire. 00:26:05.920 --> 00:26:07.100 And sometimes that takes forever. 00:26:07.400 --> 00:26:09.850 And if your fire goes out, what do you do? 00:26:10.220 --> 00:26:14.600 Well, you've got to go to your neighbor's house and you take a bowl and they put the coal in the bowl. 00:26:14.840 --> 00:26:19.310 And then you walk away to your house, you carry it on your head, you walk away to your house, to your fire, and you put it in. 00:26:20.320 --> 00:26:21.040 And that was his explanation. 00:26:22.540 --> 00:26:23.160 I'm like, what? 00:26:23.200 --> 00:26:24.660 Yeah, but who cares? 00:26:24.740 --> 00:26:25.780 What does that mean? 00:26:25.820 --> 00:26:28.440 He's, well, you just do another nice deed, right? 00:26:28.440 --> 00:26:31.080 You give him food, you give him a drink and you give them fire. 00:26:31.420 --> 00:26:32.540 What a nice person you are. 00:26:32.840 --> 00:26:35.200 But here's what I think this verse is actually saying. 00:26:36.860 --> 00:26:43.810 If you've got a jar of coals on your head and you don't do something with it soon, it's going to burn you. 00:26:45.180 --> 00:26:48.660 It forces you to have to respond to it. 00:26:49.000 --> 00:26:51.520 As human beings, we don't like to leave things unsettled. 00:26:52.600 --> 00:26:58.280 We need to think through how to categorize things so we can move past it or understand what it is. 00:26:58.280 --> 00:26:59.200 We do this all the time. 00:26:59.220 --> 00:27:02.590 We label things, categorize things, and it helps us to process it from our worldview. 00:27:03.160 --> 00:27:05.440 Now granted, sometimes our worldview could be crazy. 00:27:06.120 --> 00:27:10.400 But we all process it through our own worldview, whether you might think you're normal or not. 00:27:11.160 --> 00:27:19.200 And what he's saying in this passage is, look, when your enemy, who is mean to you, sees you not respond that way, but 00:27:19.200 --> 00:27:20.780 rather you still genuinely care about him. 00:27:22.140 --> 00:27:26.320 Even though you may not agree with the circumstance, even though it doesn't mean you have to be best friends. 00:27:27.340 --> 00:27:32.960 When you choose not to go there, what you inevitably do is you keep this coal in their head. 00:27:34.580 --> 00:27:38.410 And what he or she is going to have to do is figure out how to respond to them. 00:27:39.800 --> 00:27:46.900 Now their desire of categorizing how you reacted may not be a healthy response, but if you do it long enough, eventually they're going to be like, 00:27:47.300 --> 00:27:48.540 I think their love is genuine. 00:27:50.240 --> 00:27:51.780 Why would they love me? 00:27:51.990 --> 00:27:53.800 They've got to do something with it. 00:27:54.260 --> 00:27:55.180 And that's what Romans says. 00:27:55.460 --> 00:28:02.480 Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good. 00:28:04.060 --> 00:28:06.160 And so we go into fight mode, right? 00:28:07.640 --> 00:28:10.340 Which Bible's encouragement is leave room for the Lord. 00:28:10.340 --> 00:28:11.780 Don't take his place. 00:28:12.060 --> 00:28:15.000 Or we go into flight mode. 00:28:18.140 --> 00:28:20.220 You think about this idea of flight mode. 00:28:20.220 --> 00:28:28.360 It's a little bit trickier in its appearance because it can give the perception of humility, but completely lack faith. 00:28:29.660 --> 00:28:33.120 We go to this flight mode, we run and hide from the Lord. 00:28:34.440 --> 00:28:36.520 Saying, we don't believe God's big enough to work it out. 00:28:36.520 --> 00:28:38.690 And what that looks like is you never trust again. 00:28:38.740 --> 00:28:40.240 You never build relationship again. 00:28:40.520 --> 00:28:42.480 You don't want to be in a community again. 00:28:43.200 --> 00:28:44.680 You're this isolated Christian. 00:28:47.140 --> 00:28:51.460 And flight mode is the other side of the coin of fight mode. 00:28:51.520 --> 00:28:53.210 I think both of them can be done out of fear. 00:28:54.140 --> 00:29:00.950 Trying to grab back or not wanting to be hurt anymore, but you think about what that path leads to. 00:29:02.140 --> 00:29:04.480 Or you go into this flight mode and I understand you go through hardship. 00:29:04.500 --> 00:29:08.800 There is this period of time where we need to recover from circumstances that we've experienced. 00:29:10.060 --> 00:29:15.040 But what happens if you stay there as you rob yourself from allowing the Lord to work through you in community. 00:29:16.560 --> 00:29:20.080 And you rob the community of seeing Christ work in you. 00:29:21.020 --> 00:29:23.490 And you're important to the Lord and to the body? 00:29:24.860 --> 00:29:28.740 I think when we go into hiding mode, we might think good, nothing bad can happen again. 00:29:29.180 --> 00:29:35.620 But you know, either way you go into flight mood or fight mode, I think Satan wins. 00:29:37.580 --> 00:29:38.350 You go into fight mode. 00:29:38.360 --> 00:29:39.820 He certainly wins because he brings disunity. 00:29:42.680 --> 00:29:48.860 You go into flight mode, he definitely wins because he's setting you on the sidelines from doing anything that God's called you to do. 00:29:48.900 --> 00:29:49.440 Either way he wins. 00:29:51.420 --> 00:29:56.540 But then there is this other place through which we walk, which is faith in the Lord. 00:29:58.280 --> 00:30:05.280 And this is what the Psalmist says in verse 25:15, he says this, my eyes are continually toward 00:30:05.280 --> 00:30:11.620 the Lord, for he will pluck my feet out of the net. 00:30:13.780 --> 00:30:14.820 What's he saying here? 00:30:17.280 --> 00:30:24.280 He saying to us in this very beginning, the very first part of this verse, faith in 00:30:24.280 --> 00:30:25.020 meekness. 00:30:27.240 --> 00:30:27.820 Faith and meekness. 00:30:28.280 --> 00:30:30.280 My eyes continually towards the Lord. 00:30:31.300 --> 00:30:33.600 And then he says this, he's going to pluck my feet out of the net. 00:30:33.640 --> 00:30:37.400 And how in the world does the Psalmist know this? 00:30:39.640 --> 00:30:42.000 What makes him so confident that God will do this? 00:30:44.260 --> 00:30:47.220 And the answer is God's already got the victory. 00:30:50.400 --> 00:30:51.440 Do you realize that today? 00:30:53.920 --> 00:30:59.640 In everything that you're going through in this world and any hardship you ever face, Jesus has already won. 00:31:02.120 --> 00:31:03.060 You've already got the victory. 00:31:05.400 --> 00:31:07.040 Christ has won over it all. 00:31:08.580 --> 00:31:10.480 We're just waiting to see how it all plays out. 00:31:12.540 --> 00:31:13.380 Jesus has won. 00:31:15.580 --> 00:31:19.980 The reason the Psalmist confidently says this, is he's saying, look, I'm going to walk with God in this. 00:31:21.840 --> 00:31:26.500 Faith and meekness says in Jesus, I already have the victory. 00:31:27.940 --> 00:31:32.420 But I'm choosing in this moment to trust in him to see how he's going to work it all out. 00:31:34.440 --> 00:31:41.500 It may not be according to the way that you want it, but I can guarantee that what God wants for you is far better than what you could ever 00:31:41.500 --> 00:31:42.260 want for yourself. 00:31:44.640 --> 00:31:49.060 And so what the Psalmist is bringing us to is this place of recognizing, do you believe God is big enough to handle it? 00:31:49.140 --> 00:31:55.360 And if God already has the victory, he's got you in this place to see how the Lord is going to work it out. 00:31:55.660 --> 00:32:00.680 So give God the space to do what God is called to do and you trust in him in these moments. 00:32:04.140 --> 00:32:07.940 You think about this last half of this verse. 00:32:08.160 --> 00:32:15.260 I just want to give us a couple of massive gospel centric points as it reflects on this 00:32:15.260 --> 00:32:15.440 Psalm. 00:32:16.200 --> 00:32:23.440 And when you read these last parts of this last half of the Psalm or the last few verses of Psalm, verse 16, it says, turn to me and be gracious to 00:32:23.440 --> 00:32:23.600 me. 00:32:24.580 --> 00:32:28.340 For I am lonely and afflicted, the troubles of my heart are enlarged. 00:32:28.980 --> 00:32:30.420 Bring me out of my distress. 00:32:30.880 --> 00:32:34.020 Look upon my affliction and my troubles and forgive all my sins. 00:32:34.360 --> 00:32:35.480 Look upon my enemies. 00:32:35.520 --> 00:32:37.940 For they are many and they hate me with violent hatred. 00:32:38.920 --> 00:32:41.240 Guard my soul and deliver me. 00:32:41.580 --> 00:32:44.690 Do not let me be ashamed for I take refuge in you. 00:32:44.720 --> 00:32:49.000 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me for I wait for you. 00:32:49.180 --> 00:32:52.660 Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his trouble. 00:32:54.180 --> 00:32:55.890 What's this Psalmist saying? 00:32:57.600 --> 00:33:04.340 He's saying the reason we want to do verse 21 is because of verse 22. 00:33:05.380 --> 00:33:09.200 So the reason we do verse 21, let integrity and uprightness preserved me. 00:33:09.220 --> 00:33:10.200 See what the Psalmist is saying. 00:33:11.020 --> 00:33:14.810 He's going back to this idea of in faith, how do you know you're truly expressing faith? 00:33:15.040 --> 00:33:20.680 Well, it's demonstrated in the integrity of your character, meekness, humility. 00:33:21.920 --> 00:33:23.990 He's saying, okay, here's how I'm going to walk in this circumstance. 00:33:24.540 --> 00:33:31.560 I'm going to let integrity and uprightness be what I stand for because this is the place for which permits or allows God to 00:33:31.560 --> 00:33:35.840 move in my circumstance so I'm not taking his place, but the goodness of God can be made known. 00:33:36.900 --> 00:33:37.220 His light. 00:33:38.960 --> 00:33:43.720 So when you act like the world in responses to the world, where is God's good hand in that? 00:33:45.900 --> 00:33:50.910 But when you love in the midst of hate, the beauty of God has made known. 00:33:51.220 --> 00:33:53.800 Make it hard for people to hate you. 00:33:54.600 --> 00:34:00.560 What he's saying in verse 21 is don't let someone else dictate who God calls you to be. 00:34:02.720 --> 00:34:06.740 So let integrity and uprightness preserve me for I wait for you. 00:34:08.000 --> 00:34:14.040 And this is the reason why we do verse 21 is because of a verse 22 and this is where it gets gospel centric for us. 00:34:14.060 --> 00:34:16.840 He says, redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles. 00:34:19.679 --> 00:34:22.699 Now, this is a die to self moment. 00:34:22.780 --> 00:34:30.480 But let me say the most important thing in our lives isn't 00:34:30.480 --> 00:34:33.820 that God does what we want in a situation. 00:34:35.960 --> 00:34:37.100 I know that's where we want to go. 00:34:38.260 --> 00:34:39.239 They hurt me, God get them! 00:34:40.560 --> 00:34:43.790 And we want everyone else to have justice and we want to have grace. 00:34:45.760 --> 00:34:49.699 The most important thing that can happen in our lives isn't that God does what we want in a situation. 00:34:51.480 --> 00:34:57.880 The most important thing that can happen is that God does what he wants in a situation, which is the work of the gospel. 00:34:59.740 --> 00:35:05.460 And we get to verse 22 you see this idea of redemption, this idea of restoring. 00:35:07.400 --> 00:35:13.370 If we carry our agenda, we stand in the way of what God's agenda is rather than work with him. 00:35:14.700 --> 00:35:19.080 But if we trust in the victory of the Lord, it's He that brings what the moment needs. 00:35:20.940 --> 00:35:24.440 It is God who can heal things that we can't see how to heal. 00:35:25.480 --> 00:35:30.480 And it's God who brings his perfect justice in things where we can't see how to bring his perfect justice. 00:35:32.360 --> 00:35:37.650 When you think about the idea of the gospel and the thought of redemption, redemption is more just justice. 00:35:39.420 --> 00:35:40.470 And it's more than grace. 00:35:40.580 --> 00:35:42.200 It's this perfect harmony of both. 00:35:44.620 --> 00:35:50.500 Because there are some situations in our lives that we look at and we think, I don't see how God can turn this into positive in his grace. 00:35:52.200 --> 00:35:57.370 And I don't see how God can deliver His justice in these moments to make it what it needs to be. 00:35:58.960 --> 00:36:06.020 What he's saying, the idea of his redemption is God does both perfectly, and he's the one that can respond to the situation better than any of 00:36:06.040 --> 00:36:06.630 us can imagine. 00:36:08.680 --> 00:36:10.820 God can bring healing far and above our expectation. 00:36:12.860 --> 00:36:16.010 And God can bring his justice in a way that brings that healing as well. 00:36:18.120 --> 00:36:25.220 And when we walk that path with the Lord, we may not get victory the way that we think it's best, but 00:36:25.280 --> 00:36:27.180 we'll get victory the way that God sees best. 00:36:27.220 --> 00:36:31.480 And what God sees as far better than what man can ever see in his own strength. 00:36:33.440 --> 00:36:40.540 And so what he's saying in this passage for us is to let integrity and uprightness be what leads us. 00:36:42.580 --> 00:36:49.880 Now remember this whole thought of this Psalm really roots its identity in how the Psalmist expresses himself in 00:36:49.880 --> 00:36:51.520 verse 16. 00:36:52.860 --> 00:36:57.560 Be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. 00:36:59.960 --> 00:37:02.400 There are times in our lives where no doubt we can feel this way. 00:37:04.740 --> 00:37:06.620 We can feel lonely. 00:37:08.000 --> 00:37:14.500 But I want to encourage you as we reflect on the gospel, to never let the enemy allow you to believe that you're truly alone. 00:37:16.540 --> 00:37:24.000 See, while the Psalmist acknowledges in this passage that he does feel this way, I want to remind us that Jesus 00:37:24.000 --> 00:37:27.340 was the only one who was absolutely abandoned. 00:37:28.820 --> 00:37:33.280 And the reason that he was abandoned was so that you would never have to be. 00:37:34.980 --> 00:37:36.560 If you remember on the cross. 00:37:37.600 --> 00:37:42.370 When you go through these hard circumstances in life, sometimes you feel this disconnect to God, but it doesn't mean he's not there. 00:37:44.020 --> 00:37:51.280 And Mark 15, what Jesus said as he hung on the cross, he cried out to God and he said, my God, my God, why have 00:37:51.280 --> 00:37:52.630 you forsaken me? 00:37:53.300 --> 00:37:56.420 Theologians for centuries have marveled at this expression. 00:37:56.960 --> 00:38:00.360 That the Father would completely separate himself from the Son. 00:38:00.480 --> 00:38:02.120 He turns his back on the Son. 00:38:02.120 --> 00:38:07.800 The triunity of God has lived in perfect community throughout all of history, throughout all of time, eternally. 00:38:09.100 --> 00:38:11.420 Yet in these moments, somehow Father and Son separated. 00:38:12.060 --> 00:38:13.060 Jesus is abandoned. 00:38:13.460 --> 00:38:15.480 This is literally hell on earth. 00:38:16.740 --> 00:38:17.560 Jesus went through hell. 00:38:18.420 --> 00:38:22.060 When you think about heaven and hell, the thing that makes heaven heaven isn't a location. 00:38:22.340 --> 00:38:24.220 The thing that makes hell, hell isn't about location. 00:38:24.800 --> 00:38:27.120 It's about proximity in connection to God and relationship. 00:38:28.180 --> 00:38:29.640 What makes heaven heaven is Jesus's presence. 00:38:30.920 --> 00:38:34.420 His gracious presence forever, wherever he is, that's heaven. 00:38:34.580 --> 00:38:36.680 What makes hell hell is it's away from his gracious presence forever. 00:38:38.540 --> 00:38:41.660 And Jesus in experiencing this separation from the Father. 00:38:41.660 --> 00:38:42.520 That's hell on earth. 00:38:43.720 --> 00:38:44.360 Why was he abandoned? 00:38:45.680 --> 00:38:47.100 It's so that you would never have to be. 00:38:48.240 --> 00:38:54.660 That's why when you read scripture, the Bible says over 360 times, I will never leave you nor forsake you. 00:38:56.100 --> 00:38:59.690 Jesus went through this so that you would never have to go through this. 00:39:01.660 --> 00:39:03.480 God is always with you. 00:39:05.060 --> 00:39:05.820 You're never alone. 00:39:06.940 --> 00:39:09.400 What the Psalmist is acknowledging is God is for you. 00:39:10.520 --> 00:39:12.660 Give him the rightful place to work it out. 00:39:12.880 --> 00:39:20.060 Don't fight, don't hide, but have faith and meekness and recognize in Jesus you've already got the victory, 00:39:20.520 --> 00:39:22.870 but you want to see the how the hand of God works it out. 00:39:24.080 --> 00:39:30.940 And you know what this passage is saying to us in connection to Psalm 25 and as look at this in Mark 15, that God is about community. 00:39:32.500 --> 00:39:38.500 When we look at this idea of being alone, the reason our soul is gripped by this, one because we've been here and we don't like it. 00:39:38.880 --> 00:39:43.180 But two, we know that being created in God, the reason God created us was for community. 00:39:43.680 --> 00:39:44.200 Triunity. 00:39:44.200 --> 00:39:49.700 The Trinity of God has existed eternally in community and God making us in his image, He designs us for community. 00:39:49.960 --> 00:39:54.280 So let me just say this, as a gospel centric, people moving in Christ. 00:39:54.420 --> 00:39:59.470 I know sometimes when we do things for God, we like to have titles or positions as if that makes it matter. 00:39:59.720 --> 00:40:02.740 But can I just dub us on a title or position this morning? 00:40:04.880 --> 00:40:07.100 You are a kingdom community builder. 00:40:07.900 --> 00:40:08.260 Here's your title. 00:40:08.540 --> 00:40:09.360 Everyone here this morning. 00:40:10.940 --> 00:40:17.720 Because of the gospel, because of what Jesus does, because God creates us for community because Jesus reconciles us in the gospel and his hand is about redemption. 00:40:18.260 --> 00:40:21.600 What we should be about as his people, is a people of community. 00:40:23.260 --> 00:40:30.580 We should be seeking out people that desire to belong and calling people into relationship with Christ because that's where we're ultimately created 00:40:30.580 --> 00:40:31.770 to belong. 00:40:32.480 --> 00:40:33.600 And so with that comes responsibility. 00:40:35.480 --> 00:40:36.780 It's not about just putting a butt in the chair. 00:40:38.140 --> 00:40:41.960 We don't measure the success of our church by our seating capacity, but by our sending capacity. 00:40:43.000 --> 00:40:50.000 And what that means is when we go out from this world because of what God has done for us in the victory that we already have in him, we have a platform to call people into relationship 00:40:50.040 --> 00:40:51.160 with Him. 00:40:52.520 --> 00:40:53.670 Which means that people around you matter. 00:40:55.660 --> 00:41:01.780 And so when you think in terms of title, here's what you are: you're a kingdom community builder for the sake of Christ. 00:41:02.720 --> 00:41:04.820 Because that demonstrates what the gospel is. 00:41:06.040 --> 00:41:09.620 God wants people to belong and God wants people to belong to Him. 00:41:11.560 --> 00:41:12.150 Is he able? 00:41:13.840 --> 00:41:18.800 Faith and meekness is a demonstration that the declaration of your life is a yes. 00:41:19.840 --> 00:41:24.400 And the victory that you have, you have the front row seat to watch how Jesus plays it out.