WEBVTT 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:02.819 Hello, you are listening to Second City Sermons, 00:00:02.919 --> 00:00:05.879 a ministry of Second City Church in Midtown Harrisburg. 00:00:06.519 --> 00:00:08.400 It's our hope that these sermons will draw you 00:00:08.400 --> 00:00:10.820 more into the life of following God, Father, 00:00:10.980 --> 00:00:13.800 Son and Holy Spirit. Please consider coming and 00:00:13.800 --> 00:00:16.120 joining with us each Sunday morning at 10am in 00:00:16.120 --> 00:00:18.460 the heart of Midtown Harrisburg. You can find 00:00:18.460 --> 00:00:22.019 us online at SecondCityChurch .org and on Facebook, 00:00:22.280 --> 00:00:24.679 Instagram and YouTube. We hope you enjoy this 00:00:24.679 --> 00:00:28.440 sermon. God bless. Lord, thank you for your word 00:00:28.440 --> 00:00:31.960 again. Thank you for the Psalms Think of it this 00:00:31.960 --> 00:00:34.439 series of songs here that some some people think 00:00:34.439 --> 00:00:38.060 are related to the festivals Israel celebrated 00:00:38.060 --> 00:00:43.439 the required festivals Going together and singing 00:00:43.439 --> 00:00:48.060 your praises as they went to Calling out as this 00:00:48.060 --> 00:00:51.320 one does for all the people's praise should die 00:00:51.320 --> 00:00:55.100 Yeah, great that as we as we listen to you as 00:00:55.100 --> 00:00:59.039 we learn from you today That the blessing that 00:00:59.039 --> 00:01:03.100 you give to us would be extended into your world 00:01:03.100 --> 00:01:06.959 But the earth itself might bless that you rock 00:01:06.959 --> 00:01:13.859 Here the spirit or can speak to us and amen So 00:01:13.859 --> 00:01:18.879 I did not know my Grandfathers very well. I didn't 00:01:18.879 --> 00:01:20.659 know one of them at all. Actually one of them 00:01:20.659 --> 00:01:24.480 died three years to the day before I was born. 00:01:24.760 --> 00:01:27.400 He got tuberculosis in World War II. It was really 00:01:27.400 --> 00:01:29.099 sick. It was so life -threatening. My grandmother 00:01:29.099 --> 00:01:33.519 met him at a hospital in Seattle where he was 00:01:33.519 --> 00:01:35.879 one and a half with World War II, where they 00:01:35.879 --> 00:01:41.459 met. And my mom kind of really wonderfully always 00:01:41.459 --> 00:01:45.939 told me that it's my birth three years after 00:01:45.939 --> 00:01:49.420 his passing today. It was a way, kind of like 00:01:49.420 --> 00:01:51.640 hovering over the sorrow. I mean, sorrow of patch 00:01:51.640 --> 00:01:54.230 club year. parents passed and so we made, you 00:01:54.230 --> 00:01:57.329 know, but it believed in me anyway. It's like 00:01:57.329 --> 00:01:59.989 God's gift to her that she had a child on the 00:01:59.989 --> 00:02:04.109 day we passed. But anyway, my paternal grandfather 00:02:04.109 --> 00:02:07.409 died when I was in fifth grade. I think it was 00:02:07.409 --> 00:02:09.810 actually the first sleepover that I ever had 00:02:09.810 --> 00:02:12.250 at a friend's house. And I remember actually 00:02:12.250 --> 00:02:16.729 exactly where I was in this room when my friend's 00:02:16.729 --> 00:02:19.349 mom came over and told me that my grandpa died. 00:02:22.469 --> 00:02:25.930 And I did not feel just so good during that. 00:02:26.389 --> 00:02:31.009 But it was a very good memory for me. My grandpa 00:02:31.009 --> 00:02:33.150 was a very gentle man. He was a very kind man. 00:02:34.090 --> 00:02:36.889 And my memories of being with him are all very 00:02:36.889 --> 00:02:40.710 sweet and a little rowdy. He was really the fishing. 00:02:42.650 --> 00:02:45.210 One of my fond memories of him was that he let 00:02:45.210 --> 00:02:47.870 my older brother and I ride in the back of his 00:02:47.870 --> 00:02:53.300 pickup truck through the city of Tacoma. And 00:02:53.300 --> 00:02:56.360 I remember this very clearly again, he had one 00:02:56.360 --> 00:03:00.080 of these like this is he had like a 1990, 91, 00:03:00.139 --> 00:03:03.780 maybe 89 two -tone Ford with which a canopy. 00:03:04.599 --> 00:03:05.860 So you probably wouldn't let us do this without 00:03:05.860 --> 00:03:08.159 the canopy, but we were sitting up against the 00:03:08.159 --> 00:03:12.580 back of the cab, right? And Jeremy and I were 00:03:12.580 --> 00:03:17.599 looking at a Lego catalog and Jeremy turned to 00:03:17.599 --> 00:03:21.280 me and punched me in the face and I bled all 00:03:21.280 --> 00:03:24.099 over the Lego catalog. And now that's it. That's 00:03:24.099 --> 00:03:29.500 how I remember Because I'm not sure that I didn't 00:03:29.500 --> 00:03:31.379 instigate it because I certainly punched him 00:03:31.379 --> 00:03:32.900 in the face quite a few times when we were growing 00:03:32.900 --> 00:03:34.800 up But he's still one of the dear people in my 00:03:34.800 --> 00:03:38.680 life. Okay But anyway, that's one of my memories 00:03:38.680 --> 00:03:40.819 of my grandfather He let us ride around this 00:03:40.819 --> 00:03:43.400 pickup truck right down Pacific Avenue punching 00:03:43.400 --> 00:03:48.939 each other in the back The grandfather was a 00:03:48.939 --> 00:03:53.159 volunteer firefighter When my dad, my dad was 00:03:53.159 --> 00:03:56.259 a big kind of baby. His closest siblings, 15 00:03:56.259 --> 00:04:00.120 years or 14 years old. And so my grandfather 00:04:00.120 --> 00:04:02.900 was really active in the volunteer firefighters 00:04:02.900 --> 00:04:06.740 in South of Denver. And, and my dad said that 00:04:06.740 --> 00:04:09.199 about once a week, my grandpa would go to the 00:04:09.199 --> 00:04:11.439 firehouse and then most Saturdays he would spend 00:04:11.439 --> 00:04:13.979 at least the morning and a lot of the day volunteering 00:04:13.979 --> 00:04:15.719 at the firehouse. And my dad would tag along. 00:04:16.500 --> 00:04:18.040 My dad said it's just like one of his favorite 00:04:18.040 --> 00:04:20.629 memories going along and being invited to. joined 00:04:20.629 --> 00:04:24.810 his dad at the firehouse and he said a lot of 00:04:24.810 --> 00:04:26.329 times Saturday mornings they'd make pancakes 00:04:26.329 --> 00:04:28.389 and he loved that but what he really loved about 00:04:28.389 --> 00:04:31.610 the firehouse was the table and from about as 00:04:31.610 --> 00:04:33.769 soon as he could kind of you know peek over the 00:04:33.769 --> 00:04:38.470 pool table by this side, he started learning 00:04:38.470 --> 00:04:41.230 how to play pool and so he played pool with all 00:04:41.230 --> 00:04:43.769 these volunteer firefighters and I'm telling 00:04:43.769 --> 00:04:46.410 you I've never beat my dad at the pool. and I 00:04:46.410 --> 00:04:48.290 will never bet against him. He's like a full 00:04:48.290 --> 00:04:51.629 shark, okay? So if he's ever visiting here and 00:04:51.629 --> 00:04:54.110 he's like, hey, let's go grab a beer down at 00:04:54.110 --> 00:04:56.629 Mount Madness. I don't like that name as much, 00:04:56.709 --> 00:04:58.569 but if he ever, he's like, hey, let's put a dollar 00:04:58.569 --> 00:05:02.529 on this, don't do it. It's pretty good. And he 00:05:02.529 --> 00:05:04.930 loved tagging along with his dad and hanging 00:05:04.930 --> 00:05:09.649 out. I'm gonna make a little shift here and tell 00:05:09.649 --> 00:05:11.970 you about somebody else, actually his song, okay? 00:05:13.310 --> 00:05:16.629 One of my favorite current singer songwriters 00:05:16.629 --> 00:05:20.250 is Zach Bryan. Anybody that's Zach Bryan? Okay, 00:05:20.329 --> 00:05:25.209 I got a few, y 'all. Okay. Okay, there's a few 00:05:25.209 --> 00:05:26.870 of you. The rest of you should give him a listen. 00:05:28.850 --> 00:05:33.230 He is actually playing the MetLife Stadium where 00:05:33.230 --> 00:05:36.649 the Giants and the Jets play on July 18th, 9th 00:05:36.649 --> 00:05:40.459 and 20th. Cheapest tickets are like 160, so if 00:05:40.459 --> 00:05:43.000 anybody of you want to take me, I would go with 00:05:43.000 --> 00:05:45.779 you. Okay? I don't think I have any plans those 00:05:45.779 --> 00:05:49.819 nights. But he has this great song called Nine 00:05:49.819 --> 00:05:52.779 Ball. And maybe some of you know that it's a 00:05:52.779 --> 00:05:56.899 cool scene with the father and the son. But actually, 00:05:57.040 --> 00:05:59.199 it's not a very lovely cool scene, because the 00:05:59.199 --> 00:06:01.319 son is being used by the father when it's best, 00:06:01.459 --> 00:06:05.000 okay? And I want to read some of it to you. And 00:06:05.000 --> 00:06:06.959 you guys know how hard this mean I think that's 00:06:06.959 --> 00:06:09.639 a lot. I'm really try to just read it that really 00:06:09.639 --> 00:06:19.699 wants thinking but I Don't want to bet that my 00:06:19.699 --> 00:06:24.300 father of check that I bet this blank I'm editing 00:06:24.300 --> 00:06:27.180 could never cash He's betting on the eight ball 00:06:27.180 --> 00:06:30.199 landing inside wall full blooded killer if you 00:06:30.199 --> 00:06:33.910 ask But every night he needs me to land himself 00:06:33.910 --> 00:06:37.610 a red three -cornered pocket at 12 a .m. Only 00:06:37.610 --> 00:06:40.889 12 years old But I got a fold of a pool stick. 00:06:40.889 --> 00:06:44.629 I was gifted from him My father's a betting man, 00:06:45.350 --> 00:06:47.870 but I got myself steady hands He's sitting in 00:06:47.870 --> 00:06:50.790 the corner with a six -pack of Corona betting 00:06:50.790 --> 00:06:54.649 that his son will win again You'll get another 00:06:54.649 --> 00:06:57.870 six -pack then I'll make a comeback. I know that 00:06:57.870 --> 00:07:01.389 this table's got a lien Won't you take me fishing? 00:07:02.290 --> 00:07:09.189 I want to try out seventh grade football But 00:07:09.189 --> 00:07:11.689 I would be nothing but this town's old run there 00:07:11.689 --> 00:07:15.670 and die on the same school But right now he's 00:07:15.670 --> 00:07:18.269 got a bargain that he's taken too far on his 00:07:18.269 --> 00:07:25.509 boys game of nine ball I Think any of us in this 00:07:25.509 --> 00:07:30.870 ring right now would question which pool experience, 00:07:30.910 --> 00:07:34.050 which pool game experience if it bothered you, 00:07:34.750 --> 00:07:42.490 is going to lead to a harmful experience or sort 00:07:42.490 --> 00:07:45.870 of a joyful experience. In some ways it's the 00:07:45.870 --> 00:07:50.629 same thing, father and a son playing pool, but 00:07:50.629 --> 00:07:52.949 one leads one direction and one leads another. 00:07:53.560 --> 00:07:55.879 I don't think any of us would doubt which child 00:07:55.879 --> 00:07:58.800 was being seen and loved and delighted and given 00:07:58.800 --> 00:08:03.259 space and safety. I don't think any of us in 00:08:03.259 --> 00:08:06.779 this room questioned which experience kind of 00:08:06.779 --> 00:08:10.120 leads to a life that contributes to the well 00:08:10.120 --> 00:08:13.699 -being of the world, or which experience may 00:08:13.699 --> 00:08:16.420 likely, not guaranteed, raise the Lord, lead 00:08:16.420 --> 00:08:24.600 to an action of harm to the world. Because, I 00:08:24.600 --> 00:08:28.300 mean that's true. There is a spreading that goes 00:08:28.300 --> 00:08:35.000 out from a father's love and care. Or sometimes 00:08:35.000 --> 00:08:37.419 there is actually a spreading that goes out from 00:08:37.419 --> 00:08:42.019 a father's distance of harm. It's just the way 00:08:42.019 --> 00:08:49.000 the world works. Goes out. You know the statistics, 00:08:49.299 --> 00:08:51.340 one in four children in the U .S. live without 00:08:51.340 --> 00:08:55.539 a biological step or adoptive father. One in 00:08:55.539 --> 00:08:59.919 four. One in four percent don't have a biological 00:08:59.919 --> 00:09:05.480 stepfather or an adoptive father. And yet, 63 00:09:05.480 --> 00:09:08.860 % of youth suicides come from fatherless homes. 00:09:12.289 --> 00:09:15.909 85 % of behavioral disorders come from fatherless 00:09:15.909 --> 00:09:22.649 homes. 85%. There's a four times greater risk 00:09:22.649 --> 00:09:24.970 of poverty. There's a seven times greater risk 00:09:24.970 --> 00:09:27.929 of teen pregnancy. You are twice as more likely 00:09:27.929 --> 00:09:30.929 to suffer obesity or drop out of school. And 00:09:30.929 --> 00:09:33.610 you probably know that the list gets on. I really, 00:09:33.830 --> 00:09:36.129 I said this is about as much time as I have to 00:09:36.129 --> 00:09:38.789 share these stats with you. There is something 00:09:38.789 --> 00:09:42.610 sure about this. That a dynamic and the love 00:09:42.610 --> 00:09:46.049 and care of a father extends out and oftentimes 00:09:46.049 --> 00:09:53.529 to harm or the absence So if you've heard this 00:09:53.529 --> 00:09:56.110 I've said this before in sermon script Tom Thompson 00:09:56.110 --> 00:09:58.409 says when each one of us comes into the world 00:09:58.409 --> 00:10:02.809 we answer it looking for someone Looking for 00:10:02.809 --> 00:10:12.049 us desire to be seen and delighted and cared 00:10:12.049 --> 00:10:17.809 for, sheltered, given attention. So, listen, 00:10:17.970 --> 00:10:21.649 okay, this song, in many ways, I hope you heard 00:10:21.649 --> 00:10:24.710 this, it's sort of making these great echoes 00:10:24.710 --> 00:10:27.950 of the Abrahamic covenant, the blessing that 00:10:27.950 --> 00:10:30.529 God was going to give to Abraham, and from that 00:10:30.529 --> 00:10:33.450 blessing, the going out into the world, right? 00:10:33.889 --> 00:10:36.129 The extending into the world of the blessing 00:10:36.129 --> 00:10:38.220 of God. And so I want you to see that first. 00:10:38.320 --> 00:10:40.340 I want us to walk through how actually there's 00:10:40.340 --> 00:10:42.480 this movement that starts this way and then just 00:10:42.480 --> 00:10:45.679 works out. Okay. So the first thing I want you 00:10:45.679 --> 00:10:49.159 to see is that this song actually begins with 00:10:49.159 --> 00:10:53.620 the blessing of God's people. Okay. So verse 00:10:53.620 --> 00:10:58.320 one, may God be gracious to us and bless us. 00:10:59.379 --> 00:11:04.440 Okay. It's let me say it's a good thing to desire 00:11:04.440 --> 00:11:08.259 God's blessing on yourself. It's something like 00:11:08.259 --> 00:11:11.059 that. This feels like a selfish thing, but it's 00:11:11.059 --> 00:11:15.720 okay to pray. God, please bless me Shine your 00:11:15.720 --> 00:11:19.480 favor upon me. Look upon me with your joy Care 00:11:19.480 --> 00:11:22.179 for me in my knee and those are those are good 00:11:22.179 --> 00:11:25.799 pricks. Those are good things to desire. They're 00:11:25.799 --> 00:11:29.899 more blessed Here you'd be this thing. I think 00:11:29.899 --> 00:11:33.360 I just want like seeking the blessing of God 00:11:33.360 --> 00:11:38.860 Is a good good prayer But it's also true that 00:11:38.860 --> 00:11:40.899 a lot of times Christians I'm gonna say because 00:11:40.899 --> 00:11:42.960 this is the only sort of world that I've significantly 00:11:42.960 --> 00:11:45.500 exist within Reform Presbyterian Christians. 00:11:45.500 --> 00:11:47.259 My guess is that all Christians are kind of like 00:11:47.259 --> 00:11:50.440 this but I know that the world be well a lot 00:11:50.440 --> 00:11:57.340 of times we tend to think We tend to engage as 00:11:57.340 --> 00:11:59.879 though the blessing and the grace of God's just 00:11:59.879 --> 00:12:04.159 rests and We kind of want to afford it We kind 00:12:04.159 --> 00:12:07.600 of want to think about just how special we are 00:12:07.600 --> 00:12:12.820 God gave his face to shine upon us Wow me and 00:12:12.820 --> 00:12:19.620 not you And that is not an issue Right. Look 00:12:19.620 --> 00:12:22.460 what it what it Lord say to Abraham, but this 00:12:22.460 --> 00:12:25.500 I would bless you make your name great so that 00:12:25.500 --> 00:12:31.120 You'll be blessed I remember really Fairly actually 00:12:31.120 --> 00:12:33.379 and this is still the book that I confer with 00:12:33.389 --> 00:12:35.850 But reading Christopher Wright's book condition 00:12:35.850 --> 00:12:40.370 of God In seminary seminary in st. Louis and 00:12:40.370 --> 00:12:44.870 reading him say The election is not for privilege 00:12:44.870 --> 00:12:48.549 Elections for responsibility and just having 00:12:48.549 --> 00:12:53.250 my point. Whoa I have engaged for so often as 00:12:53.250 --> 00:12:57.389 though I was privileged Instead of seeing that 00:12:57.389 --> 00:13:00.330 god calls us and says i'm gonna bless me so that 00:13:00.330 --> 00:13:06.570 he can go out You have less So taking that privilege 00:13:06.570 --> 00:13:10.690 and looking down on others So what you see is 00:13:10.690 --> 00:13:13.889 in sometimes you have two errors, right? We we've 00:13:13.889 --> 00:13:16.250 won you want to say I can't ask God for his blessings. 00:13:16.529 --> 00:13:21.629 No And then we say oh well God blesses me and 00:13:21.629 --> 00:13:27.190 not you Don't engage with it like that Do errors 00:13:27.190 --> 00:13:29.870 maybe ditches that weren't fine to fall into 00:13:30.779 --> 00:13:33.059 But the first thing that I want you to see is 00:13:33.059 --> 00:13:37.580 that this song begins with where you are Where 00:13:37.580 --> 00:13:40.399 we are as the people of God and actually desire 00:13:40.399 --> 00:13:44.500 your first God's blessing upon us But it moves 00:13:44.500 --> 00:13:46.659 out from there and actually so is this there's 00:13:46.659 --> 00:13:50.539 a little Kind of like a heading in verse 2 that 00:13:50.539 --> 00:13:52.080 you're waiting, you know on the earth You're 00:13:52.080 --> 00:13:53.879 standing on powers among the nations and then 00:13:53.879 --> 00:13:57.679 it shifts to this idea of the nations. Okay So 00:13:57.679 --> 00:14:01.450 the second movement is a moving out From blessing 00:14:01.450 --> 00:14:04.490 the people of god's blessing the nation subversive 00:14:04.490 --> 00:14:09.490 screened by I Let people's praise you. Oh god 00:14:09.490 --> 00:14:13.490 Let all the people's praise Let the nations be 00:14:13.490 --> 00:14:16.190 glad to sing for joy for you judge the people's 00:14:16.190 --> 00:14:21.690 with equity guide the nation's plunder so Let 00:14:21.690 --> 00:14:25.370 people's praise you. Oh god Let all the people's 00:14:25.370 --> 00:14:27.710 praise you. You probably heard that little conclusion 00:14:27.710 --> 00:14:31.000 praise beginning with praise again let the people's 00:14:31.000 --> 00:14:36.200 grace be exalted let all the people's grace and 00:14:36.200 --> 00:14:38.919 in some ways if there's an emphasis on this song 00:14:38.919 --> 00:14:41.559 that that seems to be it against the most attention 00:14:41.559 --> 00:14:43.919 against the most words devoted to it the second 00:14:43.919 --> 00:14:46.919 movement all the peoples of the earth all the 00:14:46.919 --> 00:14:49.360 nations are going out for the blessing of god 00:14:49.360 --> 00:14:52.879 but um i've said this plenty this is not a unique 00:14:52.879 --> 00:14:55.120 thing to this song it's not a unique thing to 00:14:55.120 --> 00:14:57.799 the new testament the mission of god is always 00:14:57.799 --> 00:15:02.769 for the sake of the world that god has made god's 00:15:02.769 --> 00:15:05.529 blessing was never for the few but for the many 00:15:05.529 --> 00:15:09.909 god god's desire his constant desire was for 00:15:09.909 --> 00:15:14.289 all of the people to know him to be blessed by 00:15:14.289 --> 00:15:19.929 him he desires the nation's gladness and joy 00:15:19.929 --> 00:15:22.629 the desire for nations are judged and guided 00:15:22.629 --> 00:15:26.750 by him because he desires this gladness and joy 00:15:26.750 --> 00:15:29.679 so So what I'm saying again, it's this song is 00:15:29.679 --> 00:15:32.799 moving out. Okay, make you stop with moving starts 00:15:32.799 --> 00:15:35.840 people got it God bless us it moves missions 00:15:35.840 --> 00:15:41.000 like all people's creation and then It keeps 00:15:41.000 --> 00:15:45.279 going in a way. Maybe you're like Where else 00:15:45.279 --> 00:15:50.080 can it go here? Glad you asked The third the 00:15:50.080 --> 00:15:52.159 third sort of circle that I watched you see and 00:15:52.159 --> 00:15:53.659 I think it's gonna take a little bit of an argument 00:15:53.659 --> 00:15:57.610 I don't know that Don't know if you're gonna 00:15:57.610 --> 00:16:00.590 go there with me, okay? But I want you to see 00:16:00.590 --> 00:16:03.070 that actually the third movement of the third 00:16:03.070 --> 00:16:07.750 circle is actually the earth itself And by earth, 00:16:07.889 --> 00:16:10.629 I don't necessarily mean people I mean like soil 00:16:10.629 --> 00:16:16.549 trees that consent, okay? So let me read verse 00:16:16.549 --> 00:16:19.850 6 and 7 The earth is healed of this increase 00:16:19.850 --> 00:16:22.929 God our God shall bless us God shall bless us 00:16:22.929 --> 00:16:29.039 let all the ends of the earth spirit I want to 00:16:29.039 --> 00:16:31.220 suggest to you, and this is where I think some 00:16:31.220 --> 00:16:33.159 of you probably are gonna go, that sounds weird. 00:16:33.799 --> 00:16:36.840 That's okay. Weird's all right. I want to suggest 00:16:36.840 --> 00:16:40.000 to you that at the very least, I think that the 00:16:40.000 --> 00:16:46.419 Bible presents us with a form of panpsychism. 00:16:47.919 --> 00:16:50.279 Meaning that there is a level of consciousness 00:16:50.279 --> 00:16:55.919 to the creation itself. Y 'all know the Bible 00:16:55.919 --> 00:16:57.620 tells us that if we're side of the rocks the 00:16:57.620 --> 00:17:00.539 trees will cry out, right? I'm not saying couldn't 00:17:00.539 --> 00:17:03.100 be as though saying that the fish itself actually 00:17:03.100 --> 00:17:06.039 desires the goodness of God and then the thorns 00:17:06.039 --> 00:17:08.220 and whatnot are actually affected by the sin 00:17:08.220 --> 00:17:11.980 of Man if our being are following God as his 00:17:11.980 --> 00:17:15.019 sons and his daughters actually affects the entirety 00:17:15.019 --> 00:17:19.200 of creation I Know that might sound a little 00:17:19.200 --> 00:17:23.039 strange verse 7 tells us that the ends of the 00:17:23.039 --> 00:17:25.940 earth We decided to answer the earth, but fear 00:17:25.940 --> 00:17:33.240 him. And that word earth there, the Hebrew word 00:17:33.240 --> 00:17:40.900 is erets, most often means soil or ground, okay? 00:17:40.900 --> 00:17:43.160 Which would make sense that actually thorns and 00:17:43.160 --> 00:17:46.980 whatnot are connected to the fall and sin. Now 00:17:46.980 --> 00:17:50.720 you might, I don't know too many astute Hebrew 00:17:50.720 --> 00:17:53.210 scholars here. but the objections that would 00:17:53.210 --> 00:17:55.990 rightly be raised, doesn't erratically mean people 00:17:55.990 --> 00:17:59.690 groups, but it does, okay. That's true. It does 00:17:59.690 --> 00:18:05.589 kind of mean that at times. It's sort of a word 00:18:05.589 --> 00:18:09.230 just like the word nations. But we've already 00:18:09.230 --> 00:18:11.250 had a different word for nations here in this 00:18:11.250 --> 00:18:14.190 song. It's already been talked about. That group 00:18:14.190 --> 00:18:16.849 has already been discussed and was used, a different 00:18:16.849 --> 00:18:20.900 Hebrew word was used for that one. And yet here 00:18:20.900 --> 00:18:23.279 in verse six and in verse seven, then also that 00:18:23.279 --> 00:18:25.920 heading that I suggested, verse two, it uses 00:18:25.920 --> 00:18:29.559 the secret word erets. It's different. It's distinguishing 00:18:29.559 --> 00:18:31.519 from just the blessing going out for nations. 00:18:31.700 --> 00:18:36.160 It seemed like it's going beyond the earth itself. 00:18:37.559 --> 00:18:42.339 But all the evidence or verse six tells us the 00:18:42.339 --> 00:18:45.480 erets has yielded its increase. That's talking 00:18:45.480 --> 00:18:47.200 about the plants growing. That's probably why 00:18:47.200 --> 00:18:48.500 actually a lot of people think this song was 00:18:48.500 --> 00:18:51.640 sung during the hardest festivals of Israel. 00:18:52.079 --> 00:18:53.759 It's the hardest festival song. So the earth 00:18:53.759 --> 00:18:56.160 has yielded to the priest. Let's praise the Lord. 00:18:56.980 --> 00:18:59.740 And that same word for earth there in verse seven, 00:19:00.059 --> 00:19:02.619 verse six is used in verse seven, that all the 00:19:02.619 --> 00:19:07.000 ends of the harretts hear the Lord. It's as though 00:19:07.000 --> 00:19:10.839 the earth itself is saying, oh, the sons and 00:19:10.839 --> 00:19:14.509 daughters of God. truly understand his great 00:19:14.509 --> 00:19:17.470 care for them, because we will be blessed if 00:19:17.470 --> 00:19:21.410 they do. Some of you are familiar with the book 00:19:21.410 --> 00:19:24.210 of Romans and the New Testament. It's one of 00:19:24.210 --> 00:19:27.869 the great passages of the idea that creation 00:19:27.869 --> 00:19:31.950 itself has this desire for God and for things 00:19:31.950 --> 00:19:34.650 to be right. Let me read it for you. This is 00:19:34.650 --> 00:19:37.630 verse 19 to 23 of chapter eight of the Romans. 00:19:38.950 --> 00:19:43.200 When the creation waits, With eager longing for 00:19:43.200 --> 00:19:47.000 revealing of the sons of God The creation was 00:19:47.000 --> 00:19:50.259 subjected to futility not willingly the creation 00:19:50.259 --> 00:19:53.880 was not willingly it did not will that it also 00:19:53.880 --> 00:19:59.140 has a But because of him who said we subjected 00:19:59.140 --> 00:20:02.039 in hope that the creation itself will be set 00:20:02.039 --> 00:20:05.140 free from its bondage to corruption Maintain 00:20:05.140 --> 00:20:07.859 the freedom of the glory of the children of God 00:20:09.259 --> 00:20:12.599 For we know the whole creation has been groaning 00:20:12.599 --> 00:20:16.440 together Fish itself has a level of consciousness 00:20:16.440 --> 00:20:23.779 that grown your sword trees birds fish Groaning 00:20:23.779 --> 00:20:25.880 together in the pains of childbirth until now 00:20:25.880 --> 00:20:28.680 and not only the creation, but we ourselves We 00:20:28.680 --> 00:20:31.559 have first words the spirit grown inwardly as 00:20:31.559 --> 00:20:34.160 we eager as we wait eagerly for the adoption 00:20:34.160 --> 00:20:37.140 of sons the redemption of our bodies did you 00:20:37.140 --> 00:20:41.150 hear that really kind well Beginning verse 19 00:20:41.150 --> 00:20:43.069 it says through the revealing of the sons of 00:20:43.069 --> 00:20:47.970 God then in verse 21 And obtain the freedom of 00:20:47.970 --> 00:20:50.990 the glory of the children of God And then at 00:20:50.990 --> 00:20:53.750 the end of verse 23 drums drum inwardly as we 00:20:53.750 --> 00:20:56.910 wait eagerly for our for the adoption of sons 00:20:56.910 --> 00:21:03.809 Creation itself is desiring The father's blessing 00:21:03.809 --> 00:21:09.690 upon his children to come to full fruition And 00:21:09.690 --> 00:21:13.009 it's then the groaning for which it longs will 00:21:13.009 --> 00:21:20.230 be met. Abundance and joy. So what I'm trying 00:21:20.230 --> 00:21:23.130 to argue here, and I hope you're kind of definitely 00:21:23.130 --> 00:21:26.410 buying it, is that there's this movement, God 00:21:26.410 --> 00:21:31.990 bless us, God bless the nations, the other people. 00:21:32.190 --> 00:21:36.569 We actually might be inclined to go, bless all, 00:21:37.049 --> 00:21:41.150 all. They bless the earth itself. It's moving 00:21:41.150 --> 00:21:47.289 out and out and out. Blessing. And here's something 00:21:47.289 --> 00:21:51.109 I want you to hear. Love expands. I'm actually 00:21:51.109 --> 00:21:53.250 talking to a good friend of mine who has a PhD 00:21:53.250 --> 00:21:57.150 in medieval sacramental theology on my way down 00:21:57.150 --> 00:21:58.890 to the General Assembly this last week. And he 00:21:58.890 --> 00:22:04.789 was telling me that one of the medieval arguments 00:22:04.789 --> 00:22:08.849 for the Trinity as being you know the sort of 00:22:08.849 --> 00:22:12.450 explanation of God is love and the fact that 00:22:12.450 --> 00:22:15.250 the Trinity exists there in Genesis one and gracious 00:22:15.250 --> 00:22:18.450 spirit hovering over the face of the waters and 00:22:18.450 --> 00:22:21.569 the sun speaking and God ordering he says uh 00:22:21.569 --> 00:22:23.609 one of the reach one of the arguments medieval 00:22:23.609 --> 00:22:26.890 elotians gave was that love does not just give 00:22:26.890 --> 00:22:30.190 and receive that's that is part of what it does 00:22:30.190 --> 00:22:33.769 but love is not complete unless it actually expands 00:22:33.769 --> 00:22:39.880 it shares The things that when you love you share 00:22:39.880 --> 00:22:42.599 the world and that's actually why that they argued 00:22:42.599 --> 00:22:47.460 that Children are actually proper Outworking 00:22:47.460 --> 00:22:51.960 of true blood the sharing into the world of what 00:22:51.960 --> 00:22:54.960 you have and that's why the Trinity almost can't 00:22:54.960 --> 00:22:59.440 help but create That was an interesting idea. 00:22:59.440 --> 00:23:02.440 So what's happening here is once you receive 00:23:02.440 --> 00:23:05.660 the blessing of God the love of God there is 00:23:05.660 --> 00:23:08.490 not a View it within the bible that says you 00:23:08.490 --> 00:23:13.150 can work yourself It just doesn't like not a 00:23:13.150 --> 00:23:17.130 category it has to move out from into the world 00:23:17.130 --> 00:23:21.369 If we are people who have received god's blessing 00:23:21.369 --> 00:23:23.750 then we will be people who share god's blessing 00:23:23.750 --> 00:23:26.490 that's how it goes if we believe that god is 00:23:26.490 --> 00:23:31.069 here among us and Working in us and changing 00:23:31.069 --> 00:23:33.390 us and shaping us and caring for us. Then we 00:23:33.390 --> 00:23:36.980 will desire other people We brought something. 00:23:37.359 --> 00:23:41.480 We cared. We changed. We changed. An expansive 00:23:41.480 --> 00:23:43.579 thing that's necessarily an expansive thing. 00:23:44.079 --> 00:23:50.119 You're intended to go out. A father who does 00:23:50.119 --> 00:23:58.819 his job lets his children go. Go out. Move beyond. 00:24:00.160 --> 00:24:06.240 Change the world anew in a fresh way. And what's 00:24:06.240 --> 00:24:08.160 at the heart of this blessing, you know, I I 00:24:08.160 --> 00:24:10.859 sped over it actually because I intended to speed 00:24:10.859 --> 00:24:16.220 over to that one get back to it That part but 00:24:16.220 --> 00:24:18.759 the heart is blessing it's the second part of 00:24:18.759 --> 00:24:24.460 verse one that I have yet to reach And it's this 00:24:24.460 --> 00:24:26.440 It's the verse one read together, but I want 00:24:26.440 --> 00:24:29.960 you to hear verse two may God be gracious to 00:24:29.960 --> 00:24:35.309 us and bless us and make his face to shine upon. 00:24:39.529 --> 00:24:45.789 The blessing of God is the attentiveness. God 00:24:45.789 --> 00:24:54.029 actually looking right at you. He's not the father 00:24:54.029 --> 00:24:56.309 that just says, hey, let me drink my beer in 00:24:56.309 --> 00:24:59.250 the corner, and can you please make me some money 00:24:59.250 --> 00:25:04.880 so I can keep drinking? Which actually I think 00:25:04.880 --> 00:25:06.759 a lot of people engage with religions like this 00:25:06.759 --> 00:25:09.819 in a way. I'm going to earn my dad's approval 00:25:09.819 --> 00:25:13.119 of me by playing this game. I'm going to show 00:25:13.119 --> 00:25:14.579 up and do the right things and say the right 00:25:14.579 --> 00:25:17.859 things and then maybe the father might engage 00:25:17.859 --> 00:25:19.839 with me in a way that at least I can get by in 00:25:19.839 --> 00:25:24.299 life. That's not Christianity. That's not Christianity. 00:25:26.460 --> 00:25:28.880 But I mean the first thing that God does when 00:25:28.880 --> 00:25:32.420 he creates humankind male and female is he blesses 00:25:32.420 --> 00:25:38.539 them. Which sake you looks on them in love. He 00:25:38.539 --> 00:25:45.700 makes his face shine You see somebody you haven't 00:25:45.700 --> 00:25:47.799 seen in a while I thought sometimes this week 00:25:47.799 --> 00:25:50.480 you chat me that One of my dear friends from 00:25:50.480 --> 00:25:54.900 high school. I hadn't seen her in 14 years Do 00:25:54.900 --> 00:26:05.119 you think guys like? Yes, we got to be her five 00:26:05.119 --> 00:26:08.640 kids. I've met one of them, you know. We were 00:26:08.640 --> 00:26:11.940 embracing. It was a delight. My face was shining, 00:26:12.180 --> 00:26:15.920 you know. It hurt that her husband also got elected 00:26:15.920 --> 00:26:18.160 to our Permanent Committee for Phenomenal Examination, 00:26:18.220 --> 00:26:20.579 which he's a brilliant dude. Hold a testament 00:26:20.579 --> 00:26:22.519 in BFG from Denver and be able to do great in 00:26:22.519 --> 00:26:24.880 that role and maybe even shine for him. For my 00:26:24.880 --> 00:26:29.359 friend. So I was in high school. But you know 00:26:29.359 --> 00:26:32.319 what this is, right? If you're actually delighted 00:26:32.509 --> 00:26:38.950 It's decent This is at the heart of the christian 00:26:38.950 --> 00:26:42.869 message This is at the heart of creation That 00:26:42.869 --> 00:26:46.089 god first looked upon the world with this just 00:26:46.089 --> 00:26:49.390 the life You know the good good good good good 00:26:49.390 --> 00:26:52.029 very good. Let me bless it. Give me a father 00:26:52.029 --> 00:27:00.609 to it As it most needs and as I most desire You 00:27:00.609 --> 00:27:03.430 probably know that that yeah That first verse, 00:27:03.630 --> 00:27:05.410 may God be gracious and bless us and make the 00:27:05.410 --> 00:27:08.309 space shine upon us, is an echo of the great 00:27:08.309 --> 00:27:11.390 Aaronic blessing words, Cynthia Redforce remembers, 00:27:12.430 --> 00:27:15.230 right? To God's people, God's priests, his pastors, 00:27:15.750 --> 00:27:17.589 the Old Testament, actually, it's the most common 00:27:17.589 --> 00:27:20.269 blessing that God's people hear still today. 00:27:20.730 --> 00:27:22.990 You know, it's the Lord bless you and keep you 00:27:22.990 --> 00:27:25.990 and make the space shine upon you. And be gracious 00:27:25.990 --> 00:27:27.890 to you, Lord, let the light shine upon you, give 00:27:27.890 --> 00:27:32.240 you peace. It's echoing. It's saying that that 00:27:32.240 --> 00:27:36.039 is at the center of the great movement of redemption. 00:27:37.700 --> 00:27:43.380 God's blessing people, God's care for his people. 00:27:45.240 --> 00:27:47.259 If you think back at me again of those two images 00:27:47.259 --> 00:27:49.920 that you had maybe made in your mind of my own 00:27:49.920 --> 00:27:53.460 dad with this, my grandpa at the firehouse, and 00:27:53.460 --> 00:27:58.200 then the Samhain, the boy in the Samhain. Do 00:27:58.200 --> 00:28:01.339 you get, you know, real fishing? and then try 00:28:01.339 --> 00:28:03.579 out from the seventh grade for the whole team. 00:28:04.839 --> 00:28:07.559 He says his dad's gonna die on that smoke -stained 00:28:07.559 --> 00:28:13.819 stool. It's probably not far to then take that 00:28:13.819 --> 00:28:17.220 and move to at least maybe what some of you know 00:28:17.220 --> 00:28:19.799 a little bit about attachment science, attachment 00:28:19.799 --> 00:28:23.440 theory. Keep those people in your mind, right? 00:28:24.720 --> 00:28:28.240 Attachment science explores the deep -seated 00:28:28.240 --> 00:28:32.180 bonds that take place. in relationships and really 00:28:32.180 --> 00:28:35.180 finer relationships primarily with with your 00:28:35.180 --> 00:28:38.059 main caregivers when you're younger but not not 00:28:38.059 --> 00:28:41.319 supposed to be that but actually how those bonds 00:28:41.319 --> 00:28:44.720 then influence how you go out to the world you 00:28:44.720 --> 00:28:47.819 know i hope each one of you investigate that 00:28:47.819 --> 00:28:52.119 some okay um but at the basic thing there's kind 00:28:52.119 --> 00:28:56.140 of two foundations and i'll say that uh a helpful 00:28:56.140 --> 00:29:03.319 book Do foundations for secure attachments are 00:29:03.319 --> 00:29:06.640 the idea of delight and the idea of shelter? 00:29:09.119 --> 00:29:12.880 Meaning are we delighted with this with your 00:29:12.880 --> 00:29:16.359 parent or I could be a significant other to this 00:29:16.359 --> 00:29:20.259 delight There is their face shining a little 00:29:20.259 --> 00:29:23.099 bit in your mouth, you know that nothing the 00:29:23.099 --> 00:29:26.000 shelter. Are you being cared for? Being watched 00:29:26.000 --> 00:29:28.180 over do you think they're you say within their 00:29:28.180 --> 00:29:33.599 presence? And what the blessing? The blessing 00:29:33.599 --> 00:29:36.480 that Aaron the priest were to speak over God 00:29:36.480 --> 00:29:41.160 was speaking to this very night That the thought 00:29:41.160 --> 00:29:46.579 of Pentecost really makes all that's this for 00:29:46.579 --> 00:29:51.380 you that you might then go out to the world The 00:29:51.380 --> 00:29:55.490 strength with dignity With a level of ability 00:29:55.490 --> 00:29:59.230 that uniquely you and yet going out to do this 00:29:59.230 --> 00:30:02.789 bidding in the world That's the great blessing 00:30:02.789 --> 00:30:06.089 of God to his people would bless you keep you 00:30:06.089 --> 00:30:09.890 Make the space shine on you be gracious to you 00:30:09.890 --> 00:30:16.930 the light Blessing and care God turning to God 00:30:16.930 --> 00:30:22.359 soon unaware of your unique needs your reading 00:30:22.359 --> 00:30:27.480 concerns and your unique loves. What made you 00:30:27.480 --> 00:30:33.000 you? His grace, his gentleness, his attentiveness. 00:30:34.460 --> 00:30:37.599 This is the blessing of God. Friends, this is 00:30:37.599 --> 00:30:40.720 what we have in Jesus. I did already mention 00:30:40.720 --> 00:30:44.259 how unique Christiana is. Christiana does not 00:30:44.259 --> 00:30:47.500 say, you get all your stuff together and then 00:30:47.500 --> 00:30:49.839 maybe the Father will look upon you with some 00:30:49.839 --> 00:30:55.740 kind of Okay. It's like Christianity. But this 00:30:55.740 --> 00:30:59.319 is more uniquely Christian, too, because Christianity 00:30:59.319 --> 00:31:02.779 of all the religions, of all of them, says that 00:31:02.779 --> 00:31:06.799 God actually infleshes himself if he might truly 00:31:06.799 --> 00:31:10.799 look upon us in the flesh. And you have to harken 00:31:10.799 --> 00:31:13.720 back to the garden of being, right? Not coming 00:31:13.720 --> 00:31:17.539 out searching for them, wanting to walk with 00:31:17.539 --> 00:31:19.559 them, at some level wanting to be present in 00:31:19.559 --> 00:31:24.170 the flesh, with them, but his blessing might, 00:31:24.210 --> 00:31:28.910 his face might shine right there with them in 00:31:28.910 --> 00:31:32.089 the present. This is the good news. This is the 00:31:32.089 --> 00:31:34.329 good news that each one of us need, this is the 00:31:34.329 --> 00:31:38.309 good news that the nations need. And there I 00:31:38.309 --> 00:31:40.769 say, it's actually the good news that the earth 00:31:40.769 --> 00:31:45.230 itself desires. To you and them, we're a son 00:31:45.230 --> 00:31:52.650 from God, God only. Lord, thank you for the songs. 00:31:53.170 --> 00:31:56.569 Thank you most of all for your love. Your love 00:31:56.569 --> 00:32:01.250 which we learn most of all and most clearly in 00:32:01.250 --> 00:32:04.650 Jesus, but that we have throughout the entirety 00:32:04.650 --> 00:32:09.650 of scripture, this wonder of wonders. That your 00:32:09.650 --> 00:32:13.490 love moves out. It's a shared love and what we 00:32:13.490 --> 00:32:19.180 share. Your face lights up. Should grace shine 00:32:19.180 --> 00:32:26.119 upon us Yeah, I do pray that we would be people 00:32:26.119 --> 00:32:30.980 first to cry out for your blessing upon us individuals 00:32:30.980 --> 00:32:35.440 on our church second city church That we here 00:32:35.440 --> 00:32:38.740 in this space right now in our church would be 00:32:38.740 --> 00:32:44.119 people That own our adoption as sons and daughters 00:32:44.119 --> 00:32:50.420 of God And Because we own that, it would necessarily 00:32:50.420 --> 00:32:56.819 ripple out from us. God, would you continue to 00:32:56.819 --> 00:33:01.059 make us missionary people that extend out, invite 00:33:01.059 --> 00:33:04.920 people into this blessing? Would you cause us 00:33:04.920 --> 00:33:08.119 to be a creation -bearing people that are deeply 00:33:08.119 --> 00:33:16.000 enraged when your world is marred by deeper pockets? 00:33:17.670 --> 00:33:20.170 technological progress, all the rest. There may 00:33:20.170 --> 00:33:22.890 be those that care deeply for a creation that 00:33:22.890 --> 00:33:28.190 is groaning. God, beyond these things, what we 00:33:28.190 --> 00:33:31.490 long for is your face. Because without your face 00:33:31.490 --> 00:33:33.869 shining upon us, without your light in your shelter, 00:33:34.829 --> 00:33:39.089 everything else is for naught. God bless us. 00:33:39.269 --> 00:33:45.029 Thank you for listening to Second City Sermons 00:33:45.029 --> 00:33:47.799 podcast. We hope this sermon has encouraged you 00:33:47.799 --> 00:33:49.940 to worship God and to celebrate the gospel of 00:33:49.940 --> 00:33:53.000 Jesus. Please consider subscribing to this podcast 00:33:53.000 --> 00:33:55.779 and joining us in person each Sunday at 10 a 00:33:55.779 --> 00:33:58.599 .m. You can find us online at SecondCityChurch 00:33:58.599 --> 00:34:01.680 .org and on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. 00:34:02.039 --> 00:34:04.059 Thanks again for listening. God bless.