WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.220 Summer of Psalms, and there's not a really good 00:00:02.220 --> 00:00:05.019 bridge to this because this is not a fun psalm 00:00:05.019 --> 00:00:07.599 to dive into. I could have probably picked a 00:00:07.599 --> 00:00:09.119 better one, but we're going to go through this 00:00:09.119 --> 00:00:11.619 the way that it is written. Again, the Summer 00:00:11.619 --> 00:00:13.800 of Psalms. The psalms are kind of written in 00:00:13.800 --> 00:00:16.440 five books to mimic the Torah. Genesis, Exodus, 00:00:16.640 --> 00:00:18.660 Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. And we are 00:00:18.660 --> 00:00:21.399 now back into book two. We started with Psalm 00:00:21.399 --> 00:00:23.579 50 two weeks ago. Pastor Brian brought Psalm 00:00:23.579 --> 00:00:29.500 51. And Psalm 52... is really about hurt and 00:00:29.500 --> 00:00:36.539 pain. This is a psalm of David, and this is kind 00:00:36.539 --> 00:00:39.539 of a cry out after David has been wounded, after 00:00:39.539 --> 00:00:43.259 David has been hurt, kind of emotionally. And 00:00:43.259 --> 00:00:45.439 we're going to kind of work through all of that, 00:00:45.479 --> 00:00:47.820 but kind of the reflection I want us, the mindset 00:00:47.820 --> 00:00:50.619 I want us to get into this morning as we dive 00:00:50.619 --> 00:00:54.799 into this psalm. I wrote this, and... This was 00:00:54.799 --> 00:00:57.939 a really weird week to write a sermon. I did 00:00:57.939 --> 00:00:59.780 my best to start thinking about it while I'm 00:00:59.780 --> 00:01:02.579 in God's beautiful creation, where we were in 00:01:02.579 --> 00:01:06.219 Utah and in Arizona and Nevada. But it was really 00:01:06.219 --> 00:01:08.620 hard because I knew that this psalm wasn't really 00:01:08.620 --> 00:01:11.459 a fun psalm. And so trying to kind of work through 00:01:11.459 --> 00:01:13.480 all of that, be present with family, thinking 00:01:13.480 --> 00:01:15.799 about all the deaths that we've had in the last 00:01:15.799 --> 00:01:18.980 week and a half. The reflection that I kind of 00:01:18.980 --> 00:01:23.299 landed on, I'll just read it. The world is full 00:01:23.299 --> 00:01:25.900 of injustice, and it often seems that the wicked 00:01:25.900 --> 00:01:28.599 prosper while the righteous struggle. In our 00:01:28.599 --> 00:01:31.239 personal lives, we may face betrayal or encounter 00:01:31.239 --> 00:01:34.180 people who use their power and influence for 00:01:34.180 --> 00:01:38.000 selfish gain. And in this psalm, David reflects 00:01:38.000 --> 00:01:42.340 on such a betrayal. The psalm is really directed 00:01:42.340 --> 00:01:47.540 at the hurt that Doag the Edmonite, who sought 00:01:47.540 --> 00:01:51.420 to kind of harm David for his own gain. So this 00:01:51.420 --> 00:01:54.480 was someone David knew. There was a relationship 00:01:54.480 --> 00:01:57.079 kind of there. And so there's a hurt and a pain 00:01:57.079 --> 00:02:00.340 there. The psalm offers a profound kind of a 00:02:00.340 --> 00:02:04.060 way that we can meditate on the justice, not 00:02:04.060 --> 00:02:07.140 only in the world that's bad, but a justice of 00:02:07.140 --> 00:02:09.979 God that is good. And the understanding that 00:02:09.979 --> 00:02:12.560 God is good, we can say it all the time, right? 00:02:12.699 --> 00:02:14.699 If someone, you know, maybe you grew up in a 00:02:14.699 --> 00:02:16.060 church that would say it all the time, if they 00:02:16.060 --> 00:02:19.659 say, God is good. All the time. Four of you. 00:02:19.680 --> 00:02:23.599 Good job. All the time. But what happens when 00:02:23.599 --> 00:02:26.719 you're not feeling it? What happens when you 00:02:26.719 --> 00:02:29.219 understand it, maybe kind of in your mind, but 00:02:29.219 --> 00:02:31.599 in your heart, you kind of have the conversation 00:02:31.599 --> 00:02:35.780 of, if God is good, then why does blank happen? 00:02:37.379 --> 00:02:39.400 And as a pastor, I get asked this all the time. 00:02:41.090 --> 00:02:44.069 Why would a good God let bad things happen and 00:02:44.069 --> 00:02:45.930 all of those things? So as we dive into Psalm 00:02:45.930 --> 00:02:50.069 52 this morning, we're reminded not only of God's 00:02:50.069 --> 00:02:53.150 justice but also of his steadfast love. That 00:02:53.150 --> 00:02:56.110 in those times when you have been betrayed, you've 00:02:56.110 --> 00:02:58.610 been hurt, you're trying to build up trust or 00:02:58.610 --> 00:03:00.370 whatever that looks like. Or maybe trust has 00:03:00.370 --> 00:03:03.509 just been completely wiped out. That God's love 00:03:03.509 --> 00:03:06.909 is steadfast. And that's important to understand. 00:03:07.150 --> 00:03:09.069 That's an important thing to kind of allow yourself 00:03:09.069 --> 00:03:12.340 to be. Kind of born anew in that understanding 00:03:12.340 --> 00:03:15.960 that steadfast love is one of the greatest things 00:03:15.960 --> 00:03:19.599 we can receive in life. Because a steadfast love 00:03:19.599 --> 00:03:23.120 loves regardless of circumstance. Regardless 00:03:23.120 --> 00:03:26.039 of if there's a love back. That's that covenant 00:03:26.039 --> 00:03:28.080 love that we've talked about. That covenant we 00:03:28.080 --> 00:03:31.300 talked about with the sacrament of baptism. So 00:03:31.300 --> 00:03:34.759 as we explore this psalm, we will see God's justice 00:03:34.759 --> 00:03:38.400 kind of contrasted with the deceitful schemes. 00:03:39.370 --> 00:03:42.590 of a wicked world. And again, like I said, I'd 00:03:42.590 --> 00:03:44.710 love to just do a fun psalm, you know, about 00:03:44.710 --> 00:03:47.250 fathers or golf or whatever, but those don't 00:03:47.250 --> 00:03:51.469 necessarily exist. And we're in this. But how 00:03:51.469 --> 00:03:54.889 can we, as a community of faith, be called to 00:03:54.889 --> 00:03:58.210 live in response to a steadfast love of the Father 00:03:58.210 --> 00:04:01.889 when the challenge is our love? We tend to have 00:04:01.889 --> 00:04:03.729 our love be conditional, if we're being honest. 00:04:04.520 --> 00:04:07.560 And it's really hard to give unconditional love. 00:04:07.620 --> 00:04:09.699 But let's talk first about the deceit of the 00:04:09.699 --> 00:04:12.379 wicked that David is feeling. So we're going 00:04:12.379 --> 00:04:15.800 to be in the first four verses of Psalm 52. Again, 00:04:15.840 --> 00:04:18.399 we use the ESV, but feel free to, on your Bible 00:04:18.399 --> 00:04:20.199 app or the Bible you brought, whatever version 00:04:20.199 --> 00:04:22.939 you have is fine. But starting with verse 1. 00:04:23.339 --> 00:04:27.879 Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man? The steadfast 00:04:27.879 --> 00:04:30.879 love of God endures all day. Your tongue plots 00:04:30.879 --> 00:04:34.459 destruction like a sharp razor. You worker of 00:04:34.459 --> 00:04:37.819 deceit. You love evil more than good and lying 00:04:37.819 --> 00:04:40.660 more than speaking what is right, Selah. You 00:04:40.660 --> 00:04:45.839 love all words that devour, O deceitful tongue. 00:04:47.279 --> 00:04:50.000 Again, it's not all that cheery, right? That's 00:04:50.000 --> 00:04:53.399 not a fun psalm. the beginning of a psalm to 00:04:53.399 --> 00:04:56.500 read. But what David is doing is David is introducing 00:04:56.500 --> 00:05:00.180 us to Doeg, a wicked man who boasts of evil deeds 00:05:00.180 --> 00:05:03.540 and his ability to harm others through his power 00:05:03.540 --> 00:05:07.920 and authority. David, speaking more in kind of 00:05:07.920 --> 00:05:11.339 lament, more kind of the poetry that is in these 00:05:11.339 --> 00:05:16.420 psalms, beautiful way of writing, is that deceit 00:05:16.420 --> 00:05:20.620 is the wicked's primary tool. And I think we'd 00:05:20.620 --> 00:05:22.500 be honest that when we think about Satan, we 00:05:22.500 --> 00:05:24.740 think about, you know, that fallen angel, Lucifer, 00:05:24.779 --> 00:05:29.339 the power of evil, that deceit is huge. We saw 00:05:29.339 --> 00:05:31.980 it. We go all the way back to the garden. Surely 00:05:31.980 --> 00:05:36.199 you won't die taking God's words, right, the 00:05:36.199 --> 00:05:40.000 two most perfect commands in the Bible, pre -sin, 00:05:40.100 --> 00:05:42.639 for a cup of coffee and a conversation with Pastor 00:05:42.639 --> 00:05:45.899 Jim. What are those two perfect commands that 00:05:45.899 --> 00:05:53.639 we see pre -apple bite? Anybody? Jesse, you know 00:05:53.639 --> 00:05:57.699 one of them. You guys do it every day. Work the 00:05:57.699 --> 00:06:02.019 soil. Yes, you got it. I got it, right? He's 00:06:02.019 --> 00:06:03.920 a farmer. That's why you should know that. Work 00:06:03.920 --> 00:06:07.040 the soil, right? Go out and do it. Subdue the 00:06:07.040 --> 00:06:11.379 earth. But before that, fill the world, right? 00:06:11.899 --> 00:06:16.620 Be fruitful and multiply. Two most perfect commands 00:06:16.620 --> 00:06:21.379 we get in a world without sin. But then it's 00:06:21.379 --> 00:06:24.600 also you can eat of all of the fruits of the 00:06:24.600 --> 00:06:27.860 garden except that one. Because if you eat it, 00:06:27.920 --> 00:06:31.319 surely you will die. So what does Satan do with 00:06:31.319 --> 00:06:36.600 deceit? Surely you won't die. So deceit enters 00:06:36.600 --> 00:06:40.420 doubt. That the primary tools of evil people 00:06:40.420 --> 00:06:44.180 is deceit and doubt. The wicked person, according 00:06:44.180 --> 00:06:47.220 to the psalm, is one who exalts himself through 00:06:47.220 --> 00:06:50.279 harmful actions. There's no true wisdom in this. 00:06:50.540 --> 00:06:53.519 Instead, the psalmist paints a picture of someone 00:06:53.519 --> 00:06:57.579 who is completely oblivious to the consequences 00:06:57.579 --> 00:07:01.259 of their sin. They are just sin run amok. There's 00:07:01.259 --> 00:07:04.060 no conviction. There's no confession. There's 00:07:04.060 --> 00:07:08.959 no forgiveness. There's nothing. Their power 00:07:08.959 --> 00:07:13.839 is based on deceit and malice. Doag the Ammonite 00:07:13.839 --> 00:07:17.279 has betrayed his own people and sought to destroy 00:07:17.279 --> 00:07:20.829 David. This figure represents the more significant 00:07:20.829 --> 00:07:23.269 pattern in Scripture, the ways in which human 00:07:23.269 --> 00:07:26.589 beings, in their pride and sin, use others to 00:07:26.589 --> 00:07:31.009 further their own agendas. The wicked person 00:07:31.009 --> 00:07:34.490 only has their agenda in mind. David, in contrast, 00:07:34.850 --> 00:07:39.189 finds his hope and security in God, not worldly 00:07:39.189 --> 00:07:43.170 power. And he was the king. He could have been 00:07:43.170 --> 00:07:45.490 like Saul. and made it about him. That's why 00:07:45.490 --> 00:07:48.009 he lost the anointing. David, one of the things 00:07:48.009 --> 00:07:50.910 that we see in David's life is that there's a 00:07:50.910 --> 00:07:55.230 revenant awe of God. He understands that God 00:07:55.230 --> 00:07:58.069 is big and he is small, even when he messes up. 00:07:59.089 --> 00:08:02.370 And that's another rhyme for another time. In 00:08:02.370 --> 00:08:04.389 Lord's Day 24 of the Heidelberg Catechism, one 00:08:04.389 --> 00:08:06.370 of the confessions that we read as a Christian 00:08:06.370 --> 00:08:08.990 -informed church, we're reminded of what true 00:08:08.990 --> 00:08:11.170 righteousness and where it comes from. It does 00:08:11.170 --> 00:08:14.379 not come from human effort. but from faith in 00:08:14.379 --> 00:08:18.019 Christ. The wicked in their arrogance and deceit 00:08:18.019 --> 00:08:20.420 place their trust in their own abilities and 00:08:20.420 --> 00:08:23.699 manipulations. But Christians are called to live 00:08:23.699 --> 00:08:26.939 differently. We are not to rely on ourselves, 00:08:27.019 --> 00:08:31.339 but on God's grace. So really, the challenge 00:08:31.339 --> 00:08:34.299 as we start to break this down is to first examine 00:08:34.299 --> 00:08:37.820 our own lives and consider whether we are subtly 00:08:37.820 --> 00:08:41.460 or not so subtly relying on deceit or manipulation 00:08:41.460 --> 00:08:46.399 to get our way. Do we speak with honesty or do 00:08:46.399 --> 00:08:49.600 we twist the truth to take advantage? Friends, 00:08:49.759 --> 00:08:53.759 we have that tension in us. We are totally depraved. 00:08:53.919 --> 00:08:56.620 A simple definition of depravity is that we will 00:08:56.620 --> 00:08:59.659 always be bent against God. That is inside of 00:08:59.659 --> 00:09:02.919 us. But if you are in Christ, you are a new creation. 00:09:03.159 --> 00:09:06.000 The old is gone, the new has come, and you can 00:09:06.000 --> 00:09:09.450 fight that fight. And the church, as a community, 00:09:09.610 --> 00:09:12.289 must stand as a place where truth is spoken and 00:09:12.289 --> 00:09:15.649 love, where trust is built, and where there is 00:09:15.649 --> 00:09:18.970 no room for manipulation. For the sake of our 00:09:18.970 --> 00:09:21.710 unity, we must be intentional about creating 00:09:21.710 --> 00:09:25.970 a culture of integrity, where every member can 00:09:25.970 --> 00:09:30.450 thrive without fear of deceit or betrayal. Basically, 00:09:30.490 --> 00:09:32.350 what that means is we should be able to trust 00:09:32.350 --> 00:09:35.389 each other in church. It's one of the biggest 00:09:35.389 --> 00:09:37.909 conflicts we have is when that trust is broken. 00:09:38.009 --> 00:09:41.009 In one way or the other. Something said or a 00:09:41.009 --> 00:09:43.549 rumor was started or something was done and trust 00:09:43.549 --> 00:09:47.350 is broken. Yet we feel we can come on a Sunday 00:09:47.350 --> 00:09:50.549 morning, praise God for who he is, but not forgive 00:09:50.549 --> 00:09:54.509 the person across the aisle. Those are incompatible 00:09:54.509 --> 00:09:57.570 with each other. 1 John tells us you can't have 00:09:57.570 --> 00:09:59.389 a foot in the light and a foot in the dark because 00:09:59.389 --> 00:10:03.559 if you do, the light doesn't know you. So how 00:10:03.559 --> 00:10:06.019 are we doing in that? This means holding each 00:10:06.019 --> 00:10:08.820 other accountable, practicing transparency, and 00:10:08.820 --> 00:10:10.480 being faithful stewards of our relationships. 00:10:11.360 --> 00:10:13.899 How are you doing in the relationships that God 00:10:13.899 --> 00:10:16.840 has given you? Are some of your relationships 00:10:16.840 --> 00:10:20.279 based on wicked things? Or are some of your relationships 00:10:20.279 --> 00:10:23.460 founded in the truth? I hope it's the truth. 00:10:24.909 --> 00:10:27.389 Because there's a justice to God in this. He's 00:10:27.389 --> 00:10:30.669 going to hold us accountable for the relationships 00:10:30.669 --> 00:10:33.370 that we have. And so in verse 5, in the justice 00:10:33.370 --> 00:10:36.929 of God, we read, but God will break down you 00:10:36.929 --> 00:10:39.570 forever. He will snatch and tear you from your 00:10:39.570 --> 00:10:42.070 tent. He will uproot you from the land of the 00:10:42.070 --> 00:10:46.000 living, Selah. The righteous shall see and fear 00:10:46.000 --> 00:10:48.980 and shall laugh at him, saying, See the man who 00:10:48.980 --> 00:10:51.659 would not make God his refuge, but trusted in 00:10:51.659 --> 00:10:54.159 the abundance of his riches and sought refuge 00:10:54.159 --> 00:10:59.600 in his own destruction. That's a hard truth. 00:11:02.740 --> 00:11:05.720 What David is doing here is declaring that God 00:11:05.720 --> 00:11:10.019 will surely bring down the wicked. Pride cometh 00:11:10.019 --> 00:11:15.070 before the... That's a guarantee, friends. And 00:11:15.070 --> 00:11:18.250 we see that here. David is doubling down. Regardless 00:11:18.250 --> 00:11:22.610 of how secure we feel in our wickedness, everything 00:11:22.610 --> 00:11:24.549 in the dark will be brought to the light if there 00:11:24.549 --> 00:11:28.090 is no forgiveness. If there is no confession 00:11:28.090 --> 00:11:33.360 and forgiveness. God is the ultimate judge. And 00:11:33.360 --> 00:11:35.779 the psalmist David in these verses contrasts 00:11:35.779 --> 00:11:38.820 the transient power of the wicked to the eternal 00:11:38.820 --> 00:11:42.720 power of God. Power in the world is based on 00:11:42.720 --> 00:11:45.820 what? Contracts. Whether verbal or signatures 00:11:45.820 --> 00:11:48.980 or whatever. Contrasts with interest and all 00:11:48.980 --> 00:11:53.980 of these things. That's how the worldly feel 00:11:53.980 --> 00:11:55.700 they have the authority when they have power 00:11:55.700 --> 00:11:59.580 over people. Whether it's a contract, a position, 00:11:59.799 --> 00:12:03.299 what have you. The world of the believer, that 00:12:03.299 --> 00:12:08.559 should not be the case. And what David is saying 00:12:08.559 --> 00:12:11.179 is those that are thirsty and addicted to that 00:12:11.179 --> 00:12:14.860 authority and that power, that will be exposed. 00:12:16.059 --> 00:12:18.399 That's where contrition comes in. It's one of 00:12:18.399 --> 00:12:20.740 the key elements of David's life that we see. 00:12:21.019 --> 00:12:24.120 That he is willing to bow the knee when he messes 00:12:24.120 --> 00:12:27.279 up to a God that he cries out for forgiveness. 00:12:28.490 --> 00:12:30.629 The message is clear, friends. No matter how 00:12:30.629 --> 00:12:33.070 strong or influential someone appears to be, 00:12:33.210 --> 00:12:36.990 God's judgment will ultimately prevail. So what 00:12:36.990 --> 00:12:42.149 is, how am I going to say this? What's the cost? 00:12:42.830 --> 00:12:45.830 What's the cost to live a contrite life? What's 00:12:45.830 --> 00:12:49.870 the cost to live a life bowed knee to Jesus? 00:12:51.500 --> 00:12:53.320 Well, the cost is you're going to define your 00:12:53.320 --> 00:12:55.639 success differently. You're going to define power 00:12:55.639 --> 00:12:58.080 and wealth differently. Again, wealth isn't a 00:12:58.080 --> 00:13:01.059 bad thing. Just don't be a miser with it. Right? 00:13:01.100 --> 00:13:03.080 If God has blessed you with riches, give back. 00:13:03.539 --> 00:13:07.320 If God didn't, then serve. There are ways that 00:13:07.320 --> 00:13:10.340 we can show our Christian faith in how we hold 00:13:10.340 --> 00:13:12.799 our authority. I've said this a couple weeks 00:13:12.799 --> 00:13:14.559 ago, and I forgot. I think it was in a sermon. 00:13:14.639 --> 00:13:17.320 That if as elders or deacons, counselor or pastor, 00:13:17.500 --> 00:13:19.899 I have to make a decision by saying, thus saith 00:13:19.899 --> 00:13:22.629 the council. That's not a good card to play. 00:13:22.970 --> 00:13:25.870 That means there's probably an issue in the relationship. 00:13:26.269 --> 00:13:28.889 Council to church, church to council. Or pastor 00:13:28.889 --> 00:13:31.190 to elder, elder to pastor, all of those things. 00:13:31.269 --> 00:13:34.789 Or church member to church member. If we start 00:13:34.789 --> 00:13:37.929 throwing this like a hand grenade, then we've 00:13:37.929 --> 00:13:42.370 missed it and we are abusing our authority. We're 00:13:42.370 --> 00:13:47.039 abusing the power we have in Christ. No matter 00:13:47.039 --> 00:13:49.399 how strong or influential someone appears to 00:13:49.399 --> 00:13:52.980 be, God's judgment will ultimately prevail. But 00:13:52.980 --> 00:13:56.039 the text starts to speak of the hope that we 00:13:56.039 --> 00:13:58.659 should have in our hearts. Even when we see injustice 00:13:58.659 --> 00:14:02.799 in the world or feel overwhelmed that we think 00:14:02.799 --> 00:14:06.320 evil is always winning, we can take comfort in 00:14:06.320 --> 00:14:08.860 the fact that God sees all and will make all 00:14:08.860 --> 00:14:13.080 things right. But here's the rub. It might not 00:14:13.080 --> 00:14:16.669 be the right that you want to see. It might not 00:14:16.669 --> 00:14:19.049 be the right that makes sure all of your wishes 00:14:19.049 --> 00:14:21.409 come true. Why? Because as I've said before, 00:14:21.590 --> 00:14:23.909 I'll say it again, God is not a genie in a bottle. 00:14:25.049 --> 00:14:28.710 He's not just some riches ATM. He's not just 00:14:28.710 --> 00:14:30.950 some blessing bank that he just gives, gives, 00:14:31.049 --> 00:14:34.809 gives. When he says, when the scripture tells 00:14:34.809 --> 00:14:37.730 us that he will make all things new, that is 00:14:37.730 --> 00:14:41.149 in the eyes of the creator, not the creation. 00:14:41.730 --> 00:14:44.970 And we have to remember that. We are not the 00:14:44.970 --> 00:14:49.429 creators. We have a creator, and his way is the 00:14:49.429 --> 00:14:54.350 best way. Again, from Lord's Day 24, speaks to 00:14:54.350 --> 00:14:56.690 the fact that God has promised to judge the world 00:14:56.690 --> 00:15:00.129 in righteousness. Christ's death on the cross 00:15:00.129 --> 00:15:03.490 is the fulfillment of that, where we see sin 00:15:03.490 --> 00:15:07.309 was punished and destroyed by Christ on the cross. 00:15:07.570 --> 00:15:09.929 We look forward to the day when God's justice 00:15:09.929 --> 00:15:13.009 will be fully realized and evil will be eradicated. 00:15:13.519 --> 00:15:15.519 I picked that word specifically because we went 00:15:15.519 --> 00:15:17.539 through the book of Revelation last year and 00:15:17.539 --> 00:15:20.299 we saw how it worked. As believers, we are called 00:15:20.299 --> 00:15:22.779 to live in the light of truth, trusting that 00:15:22.779 --> 00:15:26.340 God will be the ultimate judge, not us. And some 00:15:26.340 --> 00:15:28.399 of you don't like that because you love putting 00:15:28.399 --> 00:15:32.360 on that robe. You love to have that gavel in 00:15:32.360 --> 00:15:34.720 your hand, whether metaphorically or physically. 00:15:34.899 --> 00:15:36.759 If you do that physically, then let's talk because 00:15:36.759 --> 00:15:40.340 that's weird. But understand, we love to be the 00:15:40.340 --> 00:15:43.940 judge. And if I had to guess, we judge in probably 00:15:43.940 --> 00:15:47.240 the same way across the board. We do it because 00:15:47.240 --> 00:15:49.200 we ultimately think we're better than that person. 00:15:50.139 --> 00:15:53.220 Man, look at what their life is like. I'm so 00:15:53.220 --> 00:15:56.399 glad that I'm better than that. And for the majority 00:15:56.399 --> 00:15:59.500 of you, God bless you, you don't speak it. Some 00:15:59.500 --> 00:16:01.879 of you do, and we've got to work on that. But 00:16:01.879 --> 00:16:04.500 you think it. And in the Bible, that's the same. 00:16:06.139 --> 00:16:08.080 Because God knows your heart. God knows your 00:16:08.080 --> 00:16:12.409 thoughts. While we may not be able to bring about 00:16:12.409 --> 00:16:15.690 justice on our own all the time, Psalm 52 reminds 00:16:15.690 --> 00:16:19.090 us that God will bring justice in time. And it's 00:16:19.090 --> 00:16:22.070 not a slanted justice. It is not a justice that's 00:16:22.070 --> 00:16:24.330 going to follow this political party or this 00:16:24.330 --> 00:16:27.009 political party or, again, what creation wants 00:16:27.009 --> 00:16:29.629 it to be. No, no, no, no. God's justice is just 00:16:29.629 --> 00:16:33.429 that, God's. And we should lean into that as 00:16:33.429 --> 00:16:35.970 the best way. This truth should give us peace 00:16:35.970 --> 00:16:38.909 as we face the injustices in the world. Whether 00:16:38.909 --> 00:16:41.509 they're personal betrayals or systemic evils 00:16:41.509 --> 00:16:48.129 in society, God's way will come to pass. How 00:16:48.129 --> 00:16:50.470 do we do this as a church? What does that mean? 00:16:50.529 --> 00:16:53.250 What is our response? It should be how we treat 00:16:53.250 --> 00:16:56.710 others, right? This means not only addressing 00:16:56.710 --> 00:16:59.309 sin in our own hearts, but also standing against 00:16:59.309 --> 00:17:02.360 the injustice of the world around us. Justice 00:17:02.360 --> 00:17:04.819 within the church is foundational, and we must 00:17:04.819 --> 00:17:08.480 consistently seek to uphold fairness and honor, 00:17:08.539 --> 00:17:11.180 accountability in our relationships one to another. 00:17:11.660 --> 00:17:15.319 That's the role of the church. But how do we 00:17:15.319 --> 00:17:21.309 respond? Verses 8 and 9. But I am like a green 00:17:21.309 --> 00:17:23.970 olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the 00:17:23.970 --> 00:17:27.609 steadfast love of God forever and ever. I will 00:17:27.609 --> 00:17:29.869 thank you forever because you have done it. I 00:17:29.869 --> 00:17:32.349 will wait for your name for it is good in the 00:17:32.349 --> 00:17:37.369 presence of the godly. A beautiful contrast to 00:17:37.369 --> 00:17:40.029 how he started with the wicked. David declares 00:17:40.029 --> 00:17:44.109 that he is like a green olive tree. Some of you 00:17:44.109 --> 00:17:46.779 are like, what? Like, what does that mean? That 00:17:46.779 --> 00:17:50.500 a green olive tree back in the day showed a fruitfulness. 00:17:50.579 --> 00:17:53.440 That it was going the way the creator intended 00:17:53.440 --> 00:17:58.799 it to go. So as people look at our lives, do 00:17:58.799 --> 00:18:02.599 they see a ripe tree doing a job? Or do they 00:18:02.599 --> 00:18:05.859 see a wicked tree that's decaying? That offers 00:18:05.859 --> 00:18:12.960 bad grapes, bad olives, bad fruit. David can 00:18:12.960 --> 00:18:15.420 declare this because he trusts in God's steadfast 00:18:15.420 --> 00:18:18.930 love. Unlike the wicked who only rely on deceit, 00:18:18.950 --> 00:18:22.009 the righteous person places their trust in God's 00:18:22.009 --> 00:18:25.369 love because it's enduring and it's faithful. 00:18:25.490 --> 00:18:28.269 It is unconditional where ours sets conditions 00:18:28.269 --> 00:18:31.769 whether we like it or know it or not. The righteous 00:18:31.769 --> 00:18:34.250 are not those who trust in their own power or 00:18:34.250 --> 00:18:37.450 abilities but who trust in God's love. David 00:18:37.450 --> 00:18:42.630 vows to praise God forever. Why? Why can David 00:18:42.630 --> 00:18:46.250 say this? Why is David calling us? For this. 00:18:46.269 --> 00:18:48.269 Why is he wanting us to understand this today? 00:18:49.390 --> 00:18:52.869 He vows to praise God forever for his justice 00:18:52.869 --> 00:18:56.509 and his love. This is a declaration of dependence 00:18:56.509 --> 00:19:03.170 and trust. So let's kind of do the reverse psychology 00:19:03.170 --> 00:19:06.190 then of that. That if someone is starting to 00:19:06.190 --> 00:19:09.170 live a wicked life, it is because there is no 00:19:09.170 --> 00:19:12.970 trust and there is no recognition of the godly. 00:19:15.019 --> 00:19:19.339 I find that interesting because David sins. We 00:19:19.339 --> 00:19:21.059 see it very publicly. We'll get to that when 00:19:21.059 --> 00:19:24.819 we do the story of David later. But he knows 00:19:24.819 --> 00:19:27.440 that his heavenly father is there, much like 00:19:27.440 --> 00:19:29.839 our human fathers should be there for us today. 00:19:31.299 --> 00:19:34.759 There's the Father's Day message. Fathers in 00:19:34.759 --> 00:19:39.240 the room, spiritual fathers, mentors in the room, 00:19:39.319 --> 00:19:43.579 are you loving those in your care in a steadfast 00:19:43.579 --> 00:19:49.210 way? Someone's calling right now to answer the 00:19:49.210 --> 00:19:54.769 question. Don't answer it. Like, that's the question. 00:19:55.829 --> 00:19:59.829 As a father, do my sons know that I love them? 00:20:03.109 --> 00:20:08.390 Period. Or do we put a comma there? Or a semicolon, 00:20:08.410 --> 00:20:10.509 or whatever grammatical thing you do to continue 00:20:10.509 --> 00:20:15.039 the sentence. Do we put conditions on that? Man, 00:20:15.039 --> 00:20:17.400 I will love my boys if they don't drive me crazy. 00:20:18.380 --> 00:20:22.319 How do you think that would go over? Not well. 00:20:22.460 --> 00:20:27.339 Yep, good. Thank you, Joe. Do my boys know that 00:20:27.339 --> 00:20:33.160 I love them? Period. Because if my love for my 00:20:33.160 --> 00:20:37.920 boys is to mimic God's love, friend, that's God's 00:20:37.920 --> 00:20:43.910 love for you. God loves you. Not if you do all 00:20:43.910 --> 00:20:46.329 these things. Not if you come to church every 00:20:46.329 --> 00:20:47.990 Sunday, you give all the money, you do all the 00:20:47.990 --> 00:20:49.910 ministries, you become a cadet counselor, though 00:20:49.910 --> 00:20:51.349 that's a good thing and you can love your boys 00:20:51.349 --> 00:20:53.309 that way. Shameful plug. You're welcome, Colin. 00:20:55.750 --> 00:20:59.109 But how does the world see the love of God coming 00:20:59.109 --> 00:21:03.589 out of you? Do your friends know that you love 00:21:03.589 --> 00:21:09.569 them? That's the church. I'm going to put it 00:21:09.569 --> 00:21:12.269 on the church. Do people know the church loves 00:21:12.269 --> 00:21:17.750 them? Or do we go, well, you gotta look like 00:21:17.750 --> 00:21:20.029 us, you gotta smell like us, you gotta act like 00:21:20.029 --> 00:21:25.369 us, you gotta, I don't see that. David doesn't 00:21:25.369 --> 00:21:28.869 see that. The righteous person responds to God's 00:21:28.869 --> 00:21:31.549 goodness with gratitude and worship, recognizing 00:21:31.549 --> 00:21:38.390 that all they have comes from God. So what is 00:21:38.390 --> 00:21:40.970 Psalm 52 really? It's an examination of our own 00:21:40.970 --> 00:21:44.349 hearts. That we are to examine our hearts and 00:21:44.349 --> 00:21:46.950 live in the light of God's justice and love. 00:21:47.970 --> 00:21:50.410 Are the wicked going to prosper in this life? 00:21:50.789 --> 00:21:53.390 Absolutely. But friends, we're not living for 00:21:53.390 --> 00:21:56.430 this life. We're living for the next one in glory. 00:21:58.109 --> 00:22:01.089 And for Munster Church, this means we must build 00:22:01.089 --> 00:22:04.390 a community where honesty and trust is foundational. 00:22:05.460 --> 00:22:07.299 We'll get to the challenge in a second. But we 00:22:07.299 --> 00:22:09.440 are called to reflect God's justice and love 00:22:09.440 --> 00:22:14.660 in every aspect of our lives. Not, oh, you've 00:22:14.660 --> 00:22:15.900 got to believe what I believe and I'm going to 00:22:15.900 --> 00:22:18.259 love you. You've got to act how I act and I'm 00:22:18.259 --> 00:22:20.079 going to love you. If that's how you're going 00:22:20.079 --> 00:22:22.319 to promote Munster Church, I'm going to ask that 00:22:22.319 --> 00:22:25.220 you don't then. Because that's not how it's supposed 00:22:25.220 --> 00:22:30.339 to be. The only kind of tenets we have of coming 00:22:30.339 --> 00:22:35.380 here is you just have to wear clothes. And you 00:22:35.380 --> 00:22:38.960 are welcome. We follow Burger King, right? No 00:22:38.960 --> 00:22:44.160 shoes, no shirt, no service. So what does the 00:22:44.160 --> 00:22:47.299 summer challenge look like? This week, make an 00:22:47.299 --> 00:22:50.059 intentional effort to build a relationship with 00:22:50.059 --> 00:22:53.700 someone in our church family. Oh, Jim, you said 00:22:53.700 --> 00:22:56.500 this two weeks ago. Yeah, I did. How many of 00:22:56.500 --> 00:23:01.569 you did it? I'll keep saying it, all right? Make 00:23:01.569 --> 00:23:03.769 an intentional effort to build a relationship 00:23:03.769 --> 00:23:07.230 with someone in our church family. Seek to understand 00:23:07.230 --> 00:23:10.170 their needs. Share a meal. Cultivate a relationship 00:23:10.170 --> 00:23:13.390 that can be based on trust. Let's be the kind 00:23:13.390 --> 00:23:16.190 of community where integrity and love flourish. 00:23:17.269 --> 00:23:21.750 Reflecting. That would have been terrible. Reflecting. 00:23:21.769 --> 00:23:25.230 Let me say that again. Let's be the kind of community 00:23:25.230 --> 00:23:29.049 where integrity and love flourish. Reflecting 00:23:29.049 --> 00:23:33.019 the justice. and love of our good, good Father. 00:23:33.579 --> 00:23:37.720 Amen. Let's pray. Father, for the fathers in 00:23:37.720 --> 00:23:39.220 the room, we give you thanks.