WEBVTT 00:00:04.109 --> 00:00:07.750 Psalm 53. We continue our sermon series in the 00:00:07.750 --> 00:00:10.429 summer of Psalms looking at a faithful, loving, 00:00:10.589 --> 00:00:14.029 and kind of justice -filled God. A God who is 00:00:14.029 --> 00:00:18.030 our justice. And friends, we just saw what I 00:00:18.030 --> 00:00:20.109 deem a beautiful and sacred moment in the life 00:00:20.109 --> 00:00:22.550 of Munster Church. The casting of lots for elders 00:00:22.550 --> 00:00:26.940 and deacons. The connection I made in the beginning 00:00:26.940 --> 00:00:28.879 of this message, in the beginning of the week, 00:00:28.960 --> 00:00:31.620 was this process was not just a formality, but 00:00:31.620 --> 00:00:34.619 a reminder that our leaders are called by God. 00:00:35.119 --> 00:00:39.340 And our response is faithfulness and accountability. 00:00:40.240 --> 00:00:43.320 The one thing in orientation that these five 00:00:43.320 --> 00:00:46.060 will hear is that it's not about perfection, 00:00:46.320 --> 00:00:51.229 but it's about pursuing holiness. And that pursuit 00:00:51.229 --> 00:00:54.189 is so important in our life. That we all should 00:00:54.189 --> 00:00:57.189 be pursuing holiness. But pastor, I can't be 00:00:57.189 --> 00:00:58.929 holy. I'm a sinner. So why should I even try? 00:00:59.149 --> 00:01:02.649 Friend, grow up. It's the call of God. Be holy 00:01:02.649 --> 00:01:06.730 as I am holy. That should cut from the very top 00:01:06.730 --> 00:01:11.489 of everything we should do in life. Holiness 00:01:11.489 --> 00:01:14.890 has always been the call. And grace is by means 00:01:14.890 --> 00:01:17.870 that we can be that way. That the world will 00:01:17.870 --> 00:01:21.159 see the Jesus we live out. Not our holiness and 00:01:21.159 --> 00:01:23.120 our self -righteousness, because that's only 00:01:23.120 --> 00:01:25.140 going to lead to hypocrisy. It's because of the 00:01:25.140 --> 00:01:27.420 grace that we have been saved through faith. 00:01:27.739 --> 00:01:30.760 Not by our own works, a gift from God. And who 00:01:30.760 --> 00:01:33.859 are we to take advantage of that gift? As we 00:01:33.859 --> 00:01:35.819 move forward, we are reminded that leadership 00:01:35.819 --> 00:01:38.519 in the church is not a matter of human wisdom 00:01:38.519 --> 00:01:42.700 or preference, but a divine calling. Whether 00:01:42.700 --> 00:01:45.879 it's teaching the kids in Lighthouse or during 00:01:45.879 --> 00:01:49.200 coffee break or being on council at Munster Church. 00:01:49.299 --> 00:01:53.400 A divine calling. A divine calling that is worth 00:01:53.400 --> 00:01:57.159 the attempt to be holy and live it out faithfully. 00:01:58.459 --> 00:02:01.459 Faithfulness is part of the call. However, as 00:02:01.459 --> 00:02:04.439 we look today at Psalm 53, kind of as the last 00:02:04.439 --> 00:02:06.239 couple of Psalms have been giant wah -wahs when 00:02:06.239 --> 00:02:08.759 it comes to the hard things of life. It is a 00:02:08.759 --> 00:02:13.620 stark contrast. A stark contrast for what we 00:02:13.620 --> 00:02:15.520 just saw in the casting of thoughts. We live 00:02:15.520 --> 00:02:18.500 in a world by nature that has rejected God's 00:02:18.500 --> 00:02:21.099 authority and wisdom. The psalm opens up with 00:02:21.099 --> 00:02:24.659 a powerful declaration of the foolish who reject 00:02:24.659 --> 00:02:30.319 God and his truth. It calls us to reflect on 00:02:30.319 --> 00:02:34.520 the reality of sin. How it affects not just individuals 00:02:34.520 --> 00:02:37.909 but entire communities, churches. And the invitation 00:02:37.909 --> 00:02:41.490 to return to the faithfulness before God. And 00:02:41.490 --> 00:02:45.930 there's the key, friends. The invitation to return, 00:02:46.189 --> 00:02:49.789 to take the 180 of what we call repentance and 00:02:49.789 --> 00:02:54.389 turn before God. Today, as we examine this psalm, 00:02:54.409 --> 00:02:56.250 we will see both the devastating consequences 00:02:56.250 --> 00:02:59.909 of rejecting God and the hope of restoration 00:02:59.909 --> 00:03:03.150 through faithfulness. This psalm is a challenge, 00:03:03.189 --> 00:03:05.210 not only to the world around us, but to each 00:03:05.210 --> 00:03:08.090 of us personally. as members of the body of Christ, 00:03:08.210 --> 00:03:12.370 to live in repentance, integrity, and the accountability 00:03:12.370 --> 00:03:15.520 in our community. So we're going to start. Psalm 00:03:15.520 --> 00:03:19.500 53, the first three verses. I titled this section, 00:03:19.699 --> 00:03:22.680 The Foolishness of Rejecting God. And there's 00:03:22.680 --> 00:03:25.259 a lot of words I think I could use. A lot of 00:03:25.259 --> 00:03:27.479 it, again, I'm looking at myself first. But the 00:03:27.479 --> 00:03:30.240 Bible really calls it foolishness. And in the 00:03:30.240 --> 00:03:32.599 Hebrew and even in the Greek, it means something 00:03:32.599 --> 00:03:35.120 really drastically different. Because what do 00:03:35.120 --> 00:03:36.900 we think of when we think of the word foolishness? 00:03:38.620 --> 00:03:40.960 Go ahead, somebody, anybody. When we think of 00:03:40.960 --> 00:03:44.900 foolishness, what do we think of? Hmm? I don't 00:03:44.900 --> 00:03:46.180 know if we're allowed to say that in church. 00:03:46.439 --> 00:03:51.240 Yeah, stupidness. Thank you, Nikki. Okay. Anybody 00:03:51.240 --> 00:03:57.400 else? Naive, sure. Maybe immature. That's not 00:03:57.400 --> 00:04:00.060 necessarily fair because maturity is something 00:04:00.060 --> 00:04:02.300 that we grow in, but once we kind of hit some 00:04:02.300 --> 00:04:04.379 levels of maturity, the foolishness is to go 00:04:04.379 --> 00:04:07.719 back to being immature. How do I know? It's me. 00:04:08.139 --> 00:04:10.740 But understand that. Anybody else? Foolishness. 00:04:10.800 --> 00:04:14.719 What comes to mind? Silliness. Thank you, Ron. 00:04:15.000 --> 00:04:17.980 Yes. Silliness. I don't know why you had to look 00:04:17.980 --> 00:04:19.660 at your neighbor when you said that, but that's 00:04:19.660 --> 00:04:25.819 awkward. Anyone else? Crazy. Sure. The craziness. 00:04:25.879 --> 00:04:28.180 Because what's crazy? The craziness is that we 00:04:28.180 --> 00:04:30.100 see the path forward, we see the good things 00:04:30.100 --> 00:04:32.800 promised, and the grace to really walk it, and 00:04:32.800 --> 00:04:35.600 we decide to do the opposite. A psalm that, and 00:04:35.600 --> 00:04:37.680 I don't have it with me right now, but as a dog 00:04:37.680 --> 00:04:41.339 returns to his vomit, so we return to our sin. 00:04:42.280 --> 00:04:47.180 That is foolishness. Right? How many people, 00:04:47.199 --> 00:04:48.680 it's going to be gross, but deal with it. The 00:04:48.680 --> 00:04:50.980 Bible said it first. Right? How many people would 00:04:50.980 --> 00:04:54.699 have a meal, regurgitate it, and then go, I'm 00:04:54.699 --> 00:04:58.839 going to eat that again. Hey, the Bible said 00:04:58.839 --> 00:05:02.720 it first. Right? Like, who would do that? Not 00:05:02.720 --> 00:05:05.300 too many people would do that. And there are 00:05:05.300 --> 00:05:08.620 people that will still try to justify that. But 00:05:08.620 --> 00:05:12.319 the Bible calls that foolishness. The psalm now, 00:05:12.420 --> 00:05:15.120 starting with verse 3, says this. The fool says 00:05:15.120 --> 00:05:18.180 in his heart, there is no God. They are corrupt, 00:05:18.420 --> 00:05:22.300 doing abominable iniquity. There is none who 00:05:22.300 --> 00:05:25.120 does good. God looks down from heaven on the 00:05:25.120 --> 00:05:29.100 children of man to see if there are any who understand, 00:05:29.360 --> 00:05:34.339 who seek after God. They have fallen away. Together 00:05:34.339 --> 00:05:37.420 they have become corrupt. There is none who does 00:05:37.420 --> 00:05:42.120 good, not even one. What if we put that on our 00:05:42.120 --> 00:05:46.720 sign on Ridge Road? How inviting would that look 00:05:46.720 --> 00:05:50.639 like as a church, right? Nobody can do good in 00:05:50.639 --> 00:05:53.300 front of God. Come and join us in worship at 00:05:53.300 --> 00:05:56.699 930 on Sunday mornings. It would be a hard conversation. 00:05:58.689 --> 00:06:00.850 Probably would get people's attention. Someone 00:06:00.850 --> 00:06:03.310 may even take a bat to it, only proving the point. 00:06:03.430 --> 00:06:06.829 But understand that this psalm begins with a 00:06:06.829 --> 00:06:09.949 declaration of foolishness. For those who say 00:06:09.949 --> 00:06:13.290 in their heart there is no God. This claim is 00:06:13.290 --> 00:06:15.850 not merely intellectual, though it sounds like 00:06:15.850 --> 00:06:21.050 it. It's moral. All right, I brought up the word, 00:06:21.089 --> 00:06:25.310 so let's talk about it. The moral nature of the 00:06:25.310 --> 00:06:30.100 believer. A moral, the moral believer lives moral 00:06:30.100 --> 00:06:32.800 lives. Well, Pastor, moral sounds very earthly. 00:06:32.920 --> 00:06:36.879 Absolutely it does. Yet, the entire world, right, 00:06:36.939 --> 00:06:39.759 the entire world, in essence, abides by the Ten 00:06:39.759 --> 00:06:41.660 Commandments. You can try to fight it culturally, 00:06:41.899 --> 00:06:44.439 however, but those Ten Commandments, I'm not 00:06:44.439 --> 00:06:46.019 talking about the rest of the Levitical Code 00:06:46.019 --> 00:06:48.040 or the law, even though a lot of the world still 00:06:48.040 --> 00:06:51.660 follows or looks to those. Those Ten Commandments 00:06:51.660 --> 00:06:54.579 really kind of cut to the quick, doesn't it? 00:06:55.470 --> 00:06:59.050 Like, I don't know too many cultures that as 00:06:59.050 --> 00:07:04.069 a whole go, no, it's okay to murder. Do not murder. 00:07:04.209 --> 00:07:07.230 No, we're going to murder. Do not commit adultery. 00:07:07.290 --> 00:07:10.370 No, we're going to commit adultery. Do not lie. 00:07:10.449 --> 00:07:12.029 No, we love lying, so we're going to continue 00:07:12.029 --> 00:07:15.579 to do it. If you look at a world... that is going 00:07:15.579 --> 00:07:18.360 to operate the opposite of the Ten Commandments. 00:07:18.540 --> 00:07:22.259 The worlds that come to mind is Las Vegas, right? 00:07:22.339 --> 00:07:25.720 Is Paris, is Tortuga, right? That's a make -believe 00:07:25.720 --> 00:07:27.360 one from the Pirates of the Caribbean. Okay, 00:07:27.480 --> 00:07:29.879 I'm a nerd, it's fine. But really, if you look 00:07:29.879 --> 00:07:32.160 at it, it was Corinth at the time. And we're 00:07:32.160 --> 00:07:34.939 going to get there in two years, I believe. Which, 00:07:35.019 --> 00:07:37.399 I like that one, I may bring it sooner. But the 00:07:37.399 --> 00:07:39.220 idea of Corinth, I mean, it was unbelievable 00:07:39.220 --> 00:07:42.439 that there are people that, and here's the rub. 00:07:43.040 --> 00:07:44.740 There are people that are going to stand up here 00:07:44.740 --> 00:07:48.860 as a believer and say, I love the Lord. I love 00:07:48.860 --> 00:07:51.459 Jesus. He is my Lord and Savior. But I'm going 00:07:51.459 --> 00:07:54.500 to do the exact opposite of what God has told 00:07:54.500 --> 00:07:57.680 me not to do. That's the foolishness of what? 00:07:59.060 --> 00:08:04.360 The Garden of Eden. Isn't it? You can eat any 00:08:04.360 --> 00:08:07.810 other thing except that one tree. I don't know 00:08:07.810 --> 00:08:09.629 how many. So let's just say there are 12 trees. 00:08:09.889 --> 00:08:11.310 There's probably more in Eden. I was not there. 00:08:11.350 --> 00:08:13.569 Neither were you. But God said, this one you 00:08:13.569 --> 00:08:17.750 cannot eat. And just that snake, right? Surely 00:08:17.750 --> 00:08:21.629 you won't die. There's something there. And so 00:08:21.629 --> 00:08:24.850 let's go a little further. Surely the Lord's 00:08:24.850 --> 00:08:26.769 not going to hate you if you do this little sin 00:08:26.769 --> 00:08:29.069 on the side, right? Surely, you know, you're 00:08:29.069 --> 00:08:30.689 going to think these things about this person. 00:08:30.910 --> 00:08:32.789 That's okay. You're not going to die. God's going 00:08:32.789 --> 00:08:35.480 to ultimately forgive you. One of the greatest 00:08:35.480 --> 00:08:38.039 tactics of Satan is for you to buy into cheap 00:08:38.039 --> 00:08:40.919 grace. I've talked about that many times. You 00:08:40.919 --> 00:08:42.500 want to really talk about it, go to Dietrich 00:08:42.500 --> 00:08:45.000 Bonhoeffer. He talks about cheap grace all the 00:08:45.000 --> 00:08:47.779 time. But the fool here is not someone simply 00:08:47.779 --> 00:08:50.360 lacking knowledge, but someone who is actively 00:08:50.360 --> 00:08:53.899 rejecting the truth of God's existence and rule. 00:08:54.539 --> 00:08:57.620 This denial leads to a society that is morally 00:08:57.620 --> 00:09:02.820 bankrupt, where corruption and evil spread unchecked. 00:09:03.179 --> 00:09:06.460 The fool in rejecting God also rejects the moral 00:09:06.460 --> 00:09:10.539 foundation that sustains human flourishing. Because 00:09:10.539 --> 00:09:12.340 if you're going to go ahead and take all those 00:09:12.340 --> 00:09:14.700 Ten Commandments and break them, the first thing 00:09:14.700 --> 00:09:17.539 that happens outside of loss of life is the breaking 00:09:17.539 --> 00:09:21.779 of trust. Right? You have that. You have that 00:09:21.779 --> 00:09:23.460 with the people closest to you. You have that 00:09:23.460 --> 00:09:26.120 in the organizations you work in, the churches 00:09:26.120 --> 00:09:29.100 you're in. If all of a sudden all you did was 00:09:29.100 --> 00:09:32.070 get lies, From leadership or whatever. What would 00:09:32.070 --> 00:09:34.029 it look like if one of the things that, and she 00:09:34.029 --> 00:09:35.950 doesn't do this, it's just a sermon illustration. 00:09:36.070 --> 00:09:37.309 You know, I'm not going to put it in Lighthouse, 00:09:37.350 --> 00:09:39.350 I'll put it in Catechism. Right? That what if 00:09:39.350 --> 00:09:41.549 we just taught your kids to lie in Catechism? 00:09:42.549 --> 00:09:47.750 And said that it was okay. There's one little 00:09:47.750 --> 00:09:50.669 saying of Jesus that kind of creeps up in the 00:09:50.669 --> 00:09:53.669 back of my mind that terrifies me. Anyone want 00:09:53.669 --> 00:09:56.090 to guess what it is? With the illustration of 00:09:56.090 --> 00:10:00.049 teaching in Catechism? This goes for anybody 00:10:00.049 --> 00:10:02.029 that has ever been in a teaching role in the 00:10:02.029 --> 00:10:04.450 Bible. I'm sorry, I'm not. I'm bringing it to 00:10:04.450 --> 00:10:08.389 you via God's word. For Jesus says it's, nope, 00:10:08.490 --> 00:10:14.409 better to tie a millstone around your neck and 00:10:14.409 --> 00:10:17.389 just hang out? Nope. What do you do with it? 00:10:19.169 --> 00:10:23.570 Jump off a cliff, right, doubles down than it 00:10:23.570 --> 00:10:30.470 is to mess with the faith of a child. New elders, 00:10:30.570 --> 00:10:33.710 how are you feeling? But we're going to work 00:10:33.710 --> 00:10:35.549 on this together. We're going to walk this through 00:10:35.549 --> 00:10:39.169 as faithfully as we can. Lord's Day 3 of the 00:10:39.169 --> 00:10:41.629 Hyderabad Catechism reminds us that the fall 00:10:41.629 --> 00:10:44.309 into sin has affected every aspect of humanity. 00:10:44.789 --> 00:10:47.009 Sin is not simply what we do. It is something 00:10:47.009 --> 00:10:49.629 that has corrupted us deeply. It affects our 00:10:49.629 --> 00:10:52.470 hearts, our minds, and our wills. What Lord's 00:10:52.470 --> 00:10:55.409 Day 3 reminds us is this sin leads to and can 00:10:55.409 --> 00:11:02.190 continually to a rejection of Not just in thought, 00:11:02.289 --> 00:11:05.009 but in action as well. In rejecting God's authority, 00:11:05.169 --> 00:11:09.429 humanity lives as though it was autonomous. Oh, 00:11:09.669 --> 00:11:11.929 and there are some of you that love that word. 00:11:12.269 --> 00:11:15.470 I love to be my own self. I'm my own individual. 00:11:15.710 --> 00:11:18.029 No one's going to tell me what to do. No one's 00:11:18.029 --> 00:11:19.750 going to tie me down. No one's going to hold 00:11:19.750 --> 00:11:21.809 me down. I think that's a song. You know, we 00:11:21.809 --> 00:11:27.009 have that individualistic mentality. Or the believer. 00:11:27.789 --> 00:11:32.029 You cannot live that way. You cannot live that 00:11:32.029 --> 00:11:34.909 way. It is incompatible with the word of God. 00:11:35.029 --> 00:11:38.149 How in the world can you be dependent on someone 00:11:38.149 --> 00:11:42.330 when you want to be dependent on no one? Because 00:11:42.330 --> 00:11:44.169 there's a recognition of the fact that you're 00:11:44.169 --> 00:11:46.629 a sinner. So if you're a sinner, you need someone. 00:11:47.309 --> 00:11:51.429 You need a savior. You're not it. I'm not it. 00:11:51.470 --> 00:11:53.509 The person in front of you isn't it. The person 00:11:53.509 --> 00:11:56.990 behind you isn't it. Those three new elders and 00:11:56.990 --> 00:12:01.350 two new deacons aren't it. Jesus is it. Psalm 00:12:01.350 --> 00:12:03.909 53 calls us to confront the foolishness of rejecting 00:12:03.909 --> 00:12:07.330 God in our lives. While this denial is most often 00:12:07.330 --> 00:12:10.029 apparent in the world, we must also reflect on 00:12:10.029 --> 00:12:13.690 how we as the church may subtly reject God's 00:12:13.690 --> 00:12:18.120 rule in our actions and in our attitudes. Real 00:12:18.120 --> 00:12:20.200 quick, for lunch and a conversation with Pastor 00:12:20.200 --> 00:12:23.539 Jim, what are the three marks of the true church 00:12:23.539 --> 00:12:27.299 when it comes to the Belgic Confession? One of 00:12:27.299 --> 00:12:29.940 the confessions we use to help us interpret our 00:12:29.940 --> 00:12:32.740 scripture. Anyone understand or anyone want to 00:12:32.740 --> 00:12:38.360 guess what those three are? Biblical preaching, 00:12:38.559 --> 00:12:40.700 I'm going to say it's a true preaching of the 00:12:40.700 --> 00:12:43.019 gospel. So I think you're kind of saying that. 00:12:43.100 --> 00:12:48.299 We could just get apps. What? You can't just 00:12:48.299 --> 00:12:50.480 say sacraments. That's not the answer. Someone 00:12:50.480 --> 00:12:53.860 help Nikki with sacraments. The pure administration 00:12:53.860 --> 00:12:56.039 of the sacraments. All right, so Roger's paying. 00:12:56.220 --> 00:12:59.259 Good job. He helped you out. And what's the third 00:12:59.259 --> 00:13:07.620 one? Super exciting. Church discipline. Well, 00:13:07.700 --> 00:13:11.919 why do we use the marks of the true church? Because 00:13:11.919 --> 00:13:15.019 as a believer, as a reformed believer, We can 00:13:15.019 --> 00:13:16.820 look at the Heidelberg Catechism who's standing 00:13:16.820 --> 00:13:18.860 on the word of God, right? Standing on the word 00:13:18.860 --> 00:13:20.740 of God. Without the word of God, our confessions 00:13:20.740 --> 00:13:25.120 mean nothing. But you should be able to walk 00:13:25.120 --> 00:13:28.100 into a church and be able to find out real quick 00:13:28.100 --> 00:13:31.360 whether they're a true church or not. Do they 00:13:31.360 --> 00:13:33.860 have the pure preaching of the gospel? A pure 00:13:33.860 --> 00:13:36.320 understanding and a pure use and administration 00:13:36.320 --> 00:13:41.059 of the sacraments? And when things arise, do 00:13:41.059 --> 00:13:44.950 they use church discipline? This isn't a disciplined 00:13:44.950 --> 00:13:47.610 sermon. This isn't a sacrament sermon. This is 00:13:47.610 --> 00:13:49.450 a gospel sermon, because all of them should be. 00:13:50.730 --> 00:13:53.370 But that's all part of what it means to live 00:13:53.370 --> 00:13:56.610 as a non -foolish believer. This rejection is 00:13:56.610 --> 00:13:59.309 often not an outright denial of God, but a subtle 00:13:59.309 --> 00:14:03.309 shift into what we prioritize in life. The fool 00:14:03.309 --> 00:14:08.009 prioritizes self, my own desires, right? My own 00:14:08.009 --> 00:14:11.570 preferences are wisdom above God's word. Friend, 00:14:11.669 --> 00:14:15.570 you don't have wisdom above this. So stop trying. 00:14:15.750 --> 00:14:18.730 If you're trying to live higher than God's word, 00:14:18.970 --> 00:14:24.269 I don't think that's compatible, right? As we 00:14:24.269 --> 00:14:28.350 see the election of elders and deacons, we're 00:14:28.350 --> 00:14:30.610 reminded that leadership is rooted in God's truth. 00:14:31.100 --> 00:14:33.679 The integrity of the church depends on recognizing 00:14:33.679 --> 00:14:36.480 that our lives, our decisions, and our actions 00:14:36.480 --> 00:14:40.440 must be accountable to him. That the church is 00:14:40.440 --> 00:14:45.139 called to be a community of the faithful. A community 00:14:45.139 --> 00:14:47.799 of those that are striving just cross -eyed, 00:14:47.860 --> 00:14:50.299 right? Just searching after God in all things. 00:14:50.480 --> 00:14:52.120 Are we going to get in each other's way? Absolutely. 00:14:52.500 --> 00:14:54.139 Are we going to make a mess of it? Probably. 00:14:55.700 --> 00:14:57.519 But if we're doing it that way, then the grace 00:14:57.519 --> 00:15:00.580 of God is also there. to meet us on our left 00:15:00.580 --> 00:15:03.320 and on our right. Because sin has an impact. 00:15:03.700 --> 00:15:06.500 When there's sin, it separates. It hurts. It 00:15:06.500 --> 00:15:09.639 can devastate. But if it's done, if discipline 00:15:09.639 --> 00:15:11.600 and forgiveness and all of those things, the 00:15:11.600 --> 00:15:13.980 sacraments, the gospel is done in the right way, 00:15:14.080 --> 00:15:16.440 let's play this out quick. This is a rabbit trail, 00:15:16.559 --> 00:15:20.740 right? What do we do when I remember the last 00:15:20.740 --> 00:15:23.980 Sunday of every month? We try to do what in the 00:15:23.980 --> 00:15:26.690 service? Prep Sunday. Stop answering all the 00:15:26.690 --> 00:15:28.350 questions, Nikki. Give other people an opportunity. 00:15:29.610 --> 00:15:32.230 Prep Sunday. Does anyone know what Prep Sunday 00:15:32.230 --> 00:15:39.610 is? When we do communion, Prep Sunday is the 00:15:39.610 --> 00:15:43.850 reading of the... Wow, I'm going to make some 00:15:43.850 --> 00:15:45.570 notes. We've got to go over some of these things. 00:15:46.200 --> 00:15:48.100 Prep Sunday is the reading of the Ten Commandments, 00:15:48.139 --> 00:15:50.480 or sometimes I pick one or two to kind of talk 00:15:50.480 --> 00:15:52.460 through. It is that time that we're preparing 00:15:52.460 --> 00:15:54.480 our hearts to come to the table. It's why we 00:15:54.480 --> 00:15:57.779 do it. We try as best we can to do it every last 00:15:57.779 --> 00:15:59.759 Sunday of the month to prepare our hearts and 00:15:59.759 --> 00:16:02.019 our minds. What that isn't is, oh, that's the 00:16:02.019 --> 00:16:03.779 window of the month or the year that you get 00:16:03.779 --> 00:16:05.779 to get all your sins forgiven so you can come 00:16:05.779 --> 00:16:08.080 to the table, only to then start sinning afterwards. 00:16:08.279 --> 00:16:11.059 That's not how that works. But Paul calls us 00:16:11.059 --> 00:16:13.539 to look in the mirror, to be honest with where 00:16:13.539 --> 00:16:17.200 we fall. So then we don't take communion unto 00:16:17.200 --> 00:16:20.059 our damnation. More on that in probably another 00:16:20.059 --> 00:16:23.000 sermon series. We do that because then we start 00:16:23.000 --> 00:16:25.919 every month at the Lord's table where we receive 00:16:25.919 --> 00:16:33.059 grace. A fool needs grace. How do I know? I've 00:16:33.059 --> 00:16:37.500 lived 40 years like it. We need that grace. The 00:16:37.500 --> 00:16:41.399 fool needs that grace. Because the community 00:16:41.399 --> 00:16:43.980 of faith needs that grace. Because we need to 00:16:43.980 --> 00:16:51.340 live out the example of forgiven sinners. Christianity 00:16:51.340 --> 00:16:56.399 is the only world religion where to hold a membership 00:16:56.399 --> 00:17:00.460 card, you have to be a sinner. Because guess 00:17:00.460 --> 00:17:02.580 what? If you don't think you're a sinner, if 00:17:02.580 --> 00:17:04.480 you think you're perfect and you're doing life 00:17:04.480 --> 00:17:07.680 right, you don't need Munster Church. You really 00:17:07.680 --> 00:17:10.740 don't need my words every week. You're good, 00:17:10.799 --> 00:17:15.599 says the fool. And that's not to loft my words 00:17:15.599 --> 00:17:18.759 up. That's any preaching. Because sin has an 00:17:18.759 --> 00:17:22.240 impact. Verse 4 and 5. Sin has an impact. Have 00:17:22.240 --> 00:17:25.839 those who work evil no knowledge? Who eat up 00:17:25.839 --> 00:17:28.779 my people as they eat bread and do not call upon 00:17:28.779 --> 00:17:32.619 God? There they are in great terror where there 00:17:32.619 --> 00:17:35.660 is no terror. For God scatters the bones of him 00:17:35.660 --> 00:17:38.500 who encamps against you. You put them to shame, 00:17:38.539 --> 00:17:47.059 for God has rejected them. That's a hard thing 00:17:47.059 --> 00:17:50.779 to read. Because some of you in your life, maybe 00:17:50.779 --> 00:17:54.059 right now, you feel like God has rejected you. 00:17:55.000 --> 00:17:59.240 But there's qualifiers to that, friend. God hasn't 00:17:59.240 --> 00:18:01.140 rejected you because you've sinned this week. 00:18:03.149 --> 00:18:05.750 God hasn't rejected you. God has made a way and 00:18:05.750 --> 00:18:08.710 has called you to live a life of repentance. 00:18:10.369 --> 00:18:12.990 But the best way that I can say it in 2025 to 00:18:12.990 --> 00:18:15.930 church is you have people that just kind of look 00:18:15.930 --> 00:18:19.069 at God as that grace, forgiveness ATM. That, 00:18:19.130 --> 00:18:22.130 okay, I'll ask for it on Sunday. I'll be good 00:18:22.130 --> 00:18:26.809 Monday. Maybe even Tuesday. But Wednesday? No 00:18:26.809 --> 00:18:29.170 holds barred to sin. I'm going to dive into it. 00:18:29.170 --> 00:18:30.750 I'm going to plan it. I'm going to enjoy it. 00:18:30.809 --> 00:18:31.970 I'm going to worship it. It's going to become 00:18:31.970 --> 00:18:34.349 a part of who? Who I am because I get to go through 00:18:34.349 --> 00:18:37.329 the holy car wash on Sunday and just get dusted 00:18:37.329 --> 00:18:40.250 up then for the rest of the week. You may think 00:18:40.250 --> 00:18:43.150 you're clever. You may think you're sly. You're 00:18:43.150 --> 00:18:47.450 not. You're a fool. That's not my words. That's 00:18:47.450 --> 00:18:50.230 God's words. For he just said, for those that 00:18:50.230 --> 00:18:52.509 continually do it, he's going to scatter their 00:18:52.509 --> 00:18:59.130 bones. For they have rejected God. That's a hard 00:18:59.130 --> 00:19:01.819 truth. But that's the impact of sin. For the 00:19:01.819 --> 00:19:08.160 wages of sin is death. Why do we want that? Why 00:19:08.160 --> 00:19:11.279 do we go, we think death's a better way, says 00:19:11.279 --> 00:19:14.519 the fool. Sin does not only impact the individual, 00:19:14.619 --> 00:19:17.480 but the entire community. Those who reject God's 00:19:17.480 --> 00:19:22.839 rule are unable to see the harm they do not see, 00:19:22.920 --> 00:19:26.160 the harm they cause to others. Their actions 00:19:26.160 --> 00:19:29.099 perpetuate evil. leading to oppression and injustice. 00:19:29.859 --> 00:19:32.700 This is why the psalmist laments the state of 00:19:32.700 --> 00:19:34.920 the world. Friend, we could lament the state 00:19:34.920 --> 00:19:38.380 of the world until Jesus comes back. The world 00:19:38.380 --> 00:19:43.599 is a foolish place. My hope is one day the world 00:19:43.599 --> 00:19:46.400 will turn to the people that say they're believers, 00:19:46.680 --> 00:19:49.700 that are loving those who think they're unlovable, 00:19:49.819 --> 00:19:52.380 seeing those who think they're invisible, clothing 00:19:52.380 --> 00:19:55.180 the naked, feeding the hungry, whether physically 00:19:55.180 --> 00:19:59.559 or spiritually. Baptizing. Matthew 25, Matthew 00:19:59.559 --> 00:20:05.460 28. That's the church's mission. But the rejection 00:20:05.460 --> 00:20:08.400 of God leads to widespread suffering and oppression. 00:20:10.059 --> 00:20:12.460 Again, going back to Lord's Day 3, teaches us 00:20:12.460 --> 00:20:15.359 that the fall has corrupted every human being, 00:20:15.440 --> 00:20:18.220 leaving us in a state of total depravity. This 00:20:18.220 --> 00:20:20.559 depravity manifests not only in individual actions, 00:20:20.700 --> 00:20:23.579 but also in the systems and structures of society. 00:20:24.410 --> 00:20:26.069 Ooh, you throw that one out, you're going to 00:20:26.069 --> 00:20:28.549 get people attaching it left to right, right? 00:20:29.069 --> 00:20:31.309 Elephant, donkey, all of those political things, 00:20:31.390 --> 00:20:33.730 we'll attach to that all day with what we believe 00:20:33.730 --> 00:20:36.690 is right. But if what you believe is right starts 00:20:36.690 --> 00:20:41.269 with, because they're wrong, I... Stop. Friend, 00:20:41.390 --> 00:20:44.990 you're a fool. You are looking to political systems 00:20:44.990 --> 00:20:47.630 to give either justification for your life or 00:20:47.630 --> 00:20:50.369 definition for your life. You don't need it if 00:20:50.369 --> 00:20:53.750 you're a believer. Your life has already been 00:20:53.750 --> 00:20:58.490 defined. But I don't like that, Pastor. I want 00:20:58.490 --> 00:21:01.349 to define my own life. Okay, fool, go ahead. 00:21:03.490 --> 00:21:06.049 As Munster Church, we're called to counteract 00:21:06.049 --> 00:21:08.170 the effects of sin by living according to God's 00:21:08.170 --> 00:21:11.890 word, seeking justice, building a community that 00:21:11.890 --> 00:21:14.890 values the dignity of every person. In the light 00:21:14.890 --> 00:21:18.109 of Psalm 53, let's commit to being a church that 00:21:18.109 --> 00:21:21.150 reflects God's righteousness in our relationships, 00:21:21.869 --> 00:21:24.670 One with another, the outside world, those that 00:21:24.670 --> 00:21:26.930 come in for the very first time, or the 50th 00:21:26.930 --> 00:21:31.349 first time, whatever it is. What does it look 00:21:31.349 --> 00:21:35.809 like to live life as a repentant sinner who's 00:21:35.809 --> 00:21:40.450 been given that new life? Because then that gives 00:21:40.450 --> 00:21:44.990 us the greatest thing we have in this life. Hope. 00:21:46.569 --> 00:21:50.970 For when we're stuck in sin, The fool longs for 00:21:50.970 --> 00:21:54.089 hope like they long for water in the desert. 00:21:55.230 --> 00:21:58.690 A hope for definition, a hope for life, a hope 00:21:58.690 --> 00:22:01.849 for direction, a hope for restoration. Whether 00:22:01.849 --> 00:22:04.630 it's in a marriage, in a family relationship, 00:22:04.750 --> 00:22:07.190 in your job, in that annoying neighbor next to 00:22:07.190 --> 00:22:10.569 you, right? You hope for a lot of things. And 00:22:10.569 --> 00:22:13.349 if we're being honest, some of us, our hopes 00:22:13.349 --> 00:22:16.069 are more sinful than they are salvatic, right? 00:22:16.150 --> 00:22:18.539 Especially about that annoying neighbor. You've 00:22:18.539 --> 00:22:23.339 probably thought some things, right? I know my 00:22:23.339 --> 00:22:27.220 wife has. No, I have as well. But understand, 00:22:27.380 --> 00:22:30.160 like we can trip into that. Does anyone have 00:22:30.160 --> 00:22:32.220 a couch I can sleep on? Because I already feel, 00:22:32.460 --> 00:22:35.640 like I'm feeling it right now. Yeah, so just, 00:22:35.839 --> 00:22:37.660 yeah, please just anonymously put it under my 00:22:37.660 --> 00:22:41.920 door. Understand that hope for the fool is the 00:22:41.920 --> 00:22:45.079 only thing they can cling to. But it's never 00:22:45.079 --> 00:22:48.079 going to be in reach. If you're living life for 00:22:48.079 --> 00:22:52.559 yourself. If you're rejecting these words. Because 00:22:52.559 --> 00:22:56.359 verse 6 talks about hope. Where verse 6 says 00:22:56.359 --> 00:23:00.119 this. Oh, that salvation for Israel will come 00:23:00.119 --> 00:23:05.380 out of Zion. When God restores the fortunes of 00:23:05.380 --> 00:23:09.799 his people. Let Jacob rejoice. Let Israel be 00:23:09.799 --> 00:23:14.240 glad. Verse 6 presents a note of hope. I'm going 00:23:14.240 --> 00:23:17.319 to end here. After the psalmist has detailed 00:23:17.319 --> 00:23:20.440 the foolishness of the wicked and the devastation 00:23:20.440 --> 00:23:24.000 that comes in rejecting God, he ends with a cry 00:23:24.000 --> 00:23:29.059 for salvation. Oh, that the salvation for Israel 00:23:29.059 --> 00:23:32.839 would come out of Zion. What does he mean by 00:23:32.839 --> 00:23:37.160 that? He's longing for the restoration of God's 00:23:37.160 --> 00:23:40.640 people historically, but for us, it's the hope 00:23:40.640 --> 00:23:44.140 that only God can rescue us. From our folly. 00:23:44.200 --> 00:23:47.920 You're not going to get it out yourself. To the 00:23:47.920 --> 00:23:51.259 person who's been in that sin life, who's been 00:23:51.259 --> 00:23:55.440 convicted and stops. What are you stopping? You're 00:23:55.440 --> 00:23:57.259 stopping the foolishness. You're stopping the 00:23:57.259 --> 00:24:01.180 destruction. You're stopping. And you're turning, 00:24:01.319 --> 00:24:03.980 hopefully 180, not 360, because then you're back 00:24:03.980 --> 00:24:06.220 here. Right? My math is good on that. Right, 00:24:06.279 --> 00:24:09.259 Jeremiah? Thank you. 180. Actually, I'm going 00:24:09.259 --> 00:24:14.470 to go here. 180 to the cross. Keep your eyes 00:24:14.470 --> 00:24:18.029 on the cross, the author and perfecter of our 00:24:18.029 --> 00:24:20.650 faith, as Hebrew says. Even the midst of the 00:24:20.650 --> 00:24:23.549 darkest moments, when the wicked seem to prosper, 00:24:23.690 --> 00:24:27.450 sin reigns, or you feel great in your sin. Because, 00:24:27.470 --> 00:24:30.210 friends, sin doesn't always hurt, right? We love 00:24:30.210 --> 00:24:34.069 it. But it will devastate in time. Everything 00:24:34.069 --> 00:24:38.410 in the dark will be brought to the light. That 00:24:38.410 --> 00:24:41.480 is the hope of the gospel. That though humanity 00:24:41.480 --> 00:24:44.519 has rejected God, God has not abandoned us, but 00:24:44.519 --> 00:24:47.980 promises to redeem and restore his people through 00:24:47.980 --> 00:24:50.500 justice and love. One little word on that is, 00:24:50.519 --> 00:24:53.559 you don't get to say what that restoration and 00:24:53.559 --> 00:24:55.779 that hope looks like. You don't get to define 00:24:55.779 --> 00:24:58.519 it, because the fool will define it in a foolish 00:24:58.519 --> 00:25:04.960 way. The psalm concludes with a powerful reminder 00:25:04.960 --> 00:25:07.980 that God ultimately will bring justice and salvation. 00:25:08.619 --> 00:25:11.420 This salvation is not just a future hope, but 00:25:11.420 --> 00:25:16.019 something that shapes how we live today. As we 00:25:16.019 --> 00:25:19.180 reflect, maybe take time and reflect, how has 00:25:19.180 --> 00:25:22.759 the Lord restored you? Looking back in your life, 00:25:22.859 --> 00:25:26.339 how has the Lord restored you? He's probably 00:25:26.339 --> 00:25:29.039 restored you in some amazing ways. Give testimony 00:25:29.039 --> 00:25:33.720 to that. Hear yourself say it. Maybe then you'll 00:25:33.720 --> 00:25:36.220 actually believe it. This life should lead us 00:25:36.220 --> 00:25:38.339 to a life of repentance, gratitude, and accountability. 00:25:39.059 --> 00:25:42.000 We are no longer slaves to sin, so stop acting 00:25:42.000 --> 00:25:45.660 like one. Free to live in the truth and the justice 00:25:45.660 --> 00:25:47.980 of God's kingdom. What does that mean for us 00:25:47.980 --> 00:25:49.339 as a church? We'll get to the summer challenge 00:25:49.339 --> 00:25:52.000 in a second. As a church, we are called to live 00:25:52.000 --> 00:25:54.559 as a community that embodies the hope of restoration. 00:25:55.420 --> 00:25:58.059 This means living out God's justice, working 00:25:58.059 --> 00:26:00.720 toward reconciliation, and embodying the love 00:26:00.720 --> 00:26:04.230 and grace that we have received. Just as God 00:26:04.230 --> 00:26:08.769 has restored us, we're called to restore others. 00:26:10.390 --> 00:26:13.470 Think about that for a minute. You are called 00:26:13.470 --> 00:26:18.230 to restore others. Not out of your own personal 00:26:18.230 --> 00:26:20.950 authority or power, because you don't have any. 00:26:21.410 --> 00:26:25.410 We've laid that down. But our testimonies point 00:26:25.410 --> 00:26:28.849 us to the cross. As we reflect on the restoration 00:26:28.849 --> 00:26:31.710 that God promises, we are reminded. that our 00:26:31.710 --> 00:26:35.609 salvation is secure in Christ. As a church, we 00:26:35.609 --> 00:26:37.650 are called to live as a community that embodies 00:26:37.650 --> 00:26:41.789 that hope. And Psalm 53 challenges us to recognize 00:26:41.789 --> 00:26:46.569 the foolishness of rejecting God and to confront 00:26:46.569 --> 00:26:49.789 the reality of sin in our lives. But it also 00:26:49.789 --> 00:26:52.910 points us to the hope of salvation. So here's 00:26:52.910 --> 00:26:56.670 our challenge for this week. This week, take 00:26:56.670 --> 00:26:59.450 time to reflect on the ways that you may have 00:26:59.450 --> 00:27:02.269 subtly rejected God's authority, or maybe not 00:27:02.269 --> 00:27:05.329 so subtly, or fail to live in faithfulness to 00:27:05.329 --> 00:27:09.369 his word, repent, commit to living out the light 00:27:09.369 --> 00:27:12.849 of God's restoration, reflecting his love and 00:27:12.849 --> 00:27:15.630 justice in all that you do. Because here's the 00:27:15.630 --> 00:27:19.789 kicker, friend. You can't be about justice and 00:27:19.789 --> 00:27:24.829 the ways of Christ and still do this stuff. We've 00:27:24.829 --> 00:27:26.269 said it before, we'll say it again. First John 00:27:26.269 --> 00:27:29.259 tells us, if your foot's in the light, And where 00:27:29.259 --> 00:27:30.519 I'm at, there's light right here and there's 00:27:30.519 --> 00:27:35.059 dark right here. What doesn't know you? The light. 00:27:36.599 --> 00:27:39.460 Because what is that called? It's called hypocrisy. 00:27:40.539 --> 00:27:43.880 How in the world can we teach that way? It doesn't 00:27:43.880 --> 00:27:47.140 work. Restoration needs to take time, and we 00:27:47.140 --> 00:27:50.539 need to reflect his love and justice in all that 00:27:50.539 --> 00:27:52.539 we do. Let's pray.