WEBVTT 00:00:03.300 --> 00:00:06.639 Before we continue, just by way of clarity for 00:00:06.639 --> 00:00:08.339 the Christian Education Fund, that is one of 00:00:08.339 --> 00:00:10.800 the two funds that our diaconate oversees. They 00:00:10.800 --> 00:00:12.939 oversee the Christian Education Fund and they 00:00:12.939 --> 00:00:15.599 oversee the Benevolent Fund that we have in the 00:00:15.599 --> 00:00:18.500 church. And as I was recognizing just the different 00:00:18.500 --> 00:00:20.660 kind of faith -based schools that we have in 00:00:20.660 --> 00:00:23.250 the area, the CEF Fund is an associative... fund 00:00:23.250 --> 00:00:26.750 for our Reform Christian Day Schools. So that 00:00:26.750 --> 00:00:28.329 would be your Lansing's, your Highland, your 00:00:28.329 --> 00:00:30.170 Crown Point, and your Ileana. That that fund 00:00:30.170 --> 00:00:32.750 is there to help promote and sustain those schools. 00:00:32.969 --> 00:00:35.070 My recognition of knowing that there are other 00:00:35.070 --> 00:00:37.710 kind of private faith -based schools in our area 00:00:37.710 --> 00:00:40.189 mainly is because right now there's a lot of 00:00:40.189 --> 00:00:42.329 wait lists going on in a lot of those churches. 00:00:42.450 --> 00:00:44.570 God is doing, or in those schools, God is doing 00:00:44.570 --> 00:00:47.289 an amazing work in a lot of those schools. And 00:00:47.289 --> 00:00:48.850 I don't know if you guys are aware, but Highland 00:00:48.850 --> 00:00:51.469 Christian, the association, there's a lot more 00:00:51.469 --> 00:00:54.429 to approve. over the last couple months, a sale 00:00:54.429 --> 00:00:57.210 and a purchase of a school in Hammond. And so 00:00:57.210 --> 00:00:58.549 one of the things we're going to see is kind 00:00:58.549 --> 00:01:00.670 of the extension of that Reformed Christian Day 00:01:00.670 --> 00:01:03.710 covenant kind of school day model in Hammond, 00:01:03.710 --> 00:01:05.609 which is exciting, and that's going to be a new 00:01:05.609 --> 00:01:07.650 chapter for everyone, but I just wanted to cover 00:01:07.650 --> 00:01:09.469 that, especially as we brought in new deacons. 00:01:09.530 --> 00:01:11.769 You still have to come to orientation, deacons, 00:01:11.769 --> 00:01:13.510 tomorrow, but that is one piece that you will 00:01:13.510 --> 00:01:15.829 learn about. Today we celebrate a significant 00:01:15.829 --> 00:01:18.290 moment, right? In the life of Munster Church, 00:01:18.390 --> 00:01:20.510 we just witnessed and were a part of actively 00:01:20.510 --> 00:01:23.909 the installation of elders and deacons. People 00:01:23.909 --> 00:01:26.890 called to serve and to shepherd and to lead. 00:01:27.469 --> 00:01:30.049 This is not just a formalized process that we 00:01:30.049 --> 00:01:33.409 do kind of just for whatever. It is a reminder 00:01:33.409 --> 00:01:36.030 that leadership in the church is the matter of 00:01:36.030 --> 00:01:40.760 divine calling. God in his sovereignty. gives 00:01:40.760 --> 00:01:43.760 us this process and we can trust it, as the Bible 00:01:43.760 --> 00:01:48.420 says, a trustworthy process. But in contrast, 00:01:48.480 --> 00:01:51.319 as we kind of mark this important occasion, we're 00:01:51.319 --> 00:01:53.400 also reminded that leadership within the church 00:01:53.400 --> 00:01:55.439 goes hand in hand with the relationships we build 00:01:55.439 --> 00:01:58.439 with the body of believers. I always say that 00:01:58.439 --> 00:02:01.780 you guys called me to lead, that if I'm leading 00:02:01.780 --> 00:02:04.140 and no one's behind me, you guys have not called 00:02:04.140 --> 00:02:07.079 me just to go for a walk by myself. Same goes 00:02:07.079 --> 00:02:09.099 with the elders and deacons that are already 00:02:09.099 --> 00:02:10.879 installed, the new ones that have been installed 00:02:10.879 --> 00:02:13.620 as we go and start this new chapter of leadership. 00:02:13.900 --> 00:02:16.639 So whether it's elder or deacon or member or 00:02:16.639 --> 00:02:19.500 pastor, we need to be intentional about how we 00:02:19.500 --> 00:02:23.259 live together in Christ. I think that is the 00:02:23.259 --> 00:02:26.919 key piece, is in Christ. And Psalm 54 speaks 00:02:26.919 --> 00:02:31.139 to the trust that we have, especially in moments 00:02:31.139 --> 00:02:33.719 of celebration, and as we're going to see today, 00:02:33.919 --> 00:02:37.500 hardship. These are tough psalms for David to 00:02:37.500 --> 00:02:39.979 write. There has been slander, there has been 00:02:39.979 --> 00:02:42.460 gossip, there has been trust that has been broken. 00:02:43.039 --> 00:02:46.000 In this psalm, David is facing betrayal from 00:02:46.000 --> 00:02:50.520 the Zephanites. They went to Saul to kind of 00:02:50.520 --> 00:02:54.360 give David up. And what we see is he turns to 00:02:54.360 --> 00:02:56.800 God in prayer. And I think that that reaction 00:02:56.800 --> 00:02:59.560 to me, you know, when people wrong me or when 00:02:59.560 --> 00:03:03.080 people harm me, we have just a very kind of flesh 00:03:03.080 --> 00:03:07.680 -like reaction to want to harm them, right? And 00:03:07.680 --> 00:03:10.060 that's where I, especially in kind of counseling 00:03:10.060 --> 00:03:12.759 psychological terms, we learned very early on 00:03:12.759 --> 00:03:17.280 in my degree was hurt people hurt people. And 00:03:17.280 --> 00:03:19.439 I know for a lot of us, we've been unfortunately 00:03:19.439 --> 00:03:21.979 victims of that, or we may have been the cause 00:03:21.979 --> 00:03:24.819 of some of that hurt. But that cycle of hurt 00:03:24.819 --> 00:03:28.500 is there. Until you bring God into the equation, 00:03:28.659 --> 00:03:31.219 until there's a prayer for forgiveness and a 00:03:31.219 --> 00:03:33.620 turning of whatever thought, word, or deed it 00:03:33.620 --> 00:03:37.620 is. David's situation wasn't just about survival, 00:03:37.719 --> 00:03:40.419 but for his need for community, his need for 00:03:40.419 --> 00:03:42.740 God's people to care for one another in times 00:03:42.740 --> 00:03:46.780 of distress. So as we walk through this psalm 00:03:46.780 --> 00:03:49.979 today, it's a prayer that I'm sure all of us 00:03:49.979 --> 00:03:52.520 have prayed or I can guarantee one day you will 00:03:52.520 --> 00:03:59.210 pray. Asking for God's deliverance. God's deliverance 00:03:59.210 --> 00:04:01.530 is such a powerful thing in our life, whether 00:04:01.530 --> 00:04:06.250 he's delivering you from some hurt and pain that 00:04:06.250 --> 00:04:08.449 you've caused yourself or other people have caused 00:04:08.449 --> 00:04:11.650 on you, or delivering you for stop hurting other 00:04:11.650 --> 00:04:15.409 people. That deliverance works both ways. When 00:04:15.409 --> 00:04:20.050 God opens our eyes to our sin, that's a big deal. 00:04:20.699 --> 00:04:22.839 We shouldn't just be like, all right, and just 00:04:22.839 --> 00:04:27.040 kind of move on. No, that is a big deal. That 00:04:27.040 --> 00:04:30.120 God's deliverance is a necessity in life. And 00:04:30.120 --> 00:04:33.500 it's a necessity for us to create intentional 00:04:33.500 --> 00:04:36.120 and supportive relationships in the body of Christ. 00:04:36.560 --> 00:04:40.800 The body of Christ. And here's how you know that 00:04:40.800 --> 00:04:42.980 the body of Christ is active and doing a good 00:04:42.980 --> 00:04:45.639 job. When they are there for you in difficult 00:04:45.639 --> 00:04:48.180 times. Even difficult times that you've caused. 00:04:49.550 --> 00:04:52.569 The church should be a place where we know we're 00:04:52.569 --> 00:04:54.949 going to screw up. We're going to hurt each other. 00:04:55.970 --> 00:04:58.029 Sheep are going to bite sheep. It happens all 00:04:58.029 --> 00:05:00.709 the time. Shepherds bite sheep. Sheep bite shepherds. 00:05:00.709 --> 00:05:02.470 We could get into the analogy all day, but it 00:05:02.470 --> 00:05:04.870 would probably get weird. But understand that 00:05:04.870 --> 00:05:08.810 God's deliverance is there for all of us. Myself 00:05:08.810 --> 00:05:11.230 included. The five that were installed included 00:05:11.230 --> 00:05:15.050 in all of us. But the first is when life gets 00:05:15.050 --> 00:05:17.370 difficult, it's recognizing the difficulties, 00:05:17.589 --> 00:05:20.930 not making it more difficult, and at first, stopping. 00:05:21.290 --> 00:05:24.329 When we talk about repentance, you talk about 00:05:24.329 --> 00:05:27.490 it as turning 180, and it's not always just this. 00:05:27.550 --> 00:05:30.470 Sometimes it is. But I think there's a really 00:05:30.470 --> 00:05:33.310 holy moment when we're walking, whether in a 00:05:33.310 --> 00:05:35.990 sin or whatever, that point where we have to 00:05:35.990 --> 00:05:39.689 pause and we have to reflect. of what God is 00:05:39.689 --> 00:05:41.670 doing. That God may be bringing this up, may 00:05:41.670 --> 00:05:44.170 be bringing a correction, a discipline, or calling 00:05:44.170 --> 00:05:46.189 you to help and love and support. You have to 00:05:46.189 --> 00:05:48.970 pause first. I don't know about you, I love just 00:05:48.970 --> 00:05:51.129 walking. I don't want to pause. I don't want 00:05:51.129 --> 00:05:54.730 to stop. I don't want to reflect. And unfortunately, 00:05:54.850 --> 00:05:56.410 then God has to do it in a pretty aggressive 00:05:56.410 --> 00:05:59.629 way, and it hurts. So let's start first with 00:05:59.629 --> 00:06:02.389 a prayer for rescue. First two verses that David 00:06:02.389 --> 00:06:06.170 has, a prayer for rescue. Psalm 54, starting 00:06:06.170 --> 00:06:10.240 with verse 1. O God, save me by your name and 00:06:10.240 --> 00:06:14.120 vindicate me by your might. O God, hear my prayer. 00:06:14.319 --> 00:06:19.279 Give ear to the words of my mouth. I think this 00:06:19.279 --> 00:06:21.420 is a beautiful way to start. It's a plea for 00:06:21.420 --> 00:06:24.800 rescue. David recognizes that he is surrounded 00:06:24.800 --> 00:06:27.699 by the enemies who have betrayed him, but he 00:06:27.699 --> 00:06:32.300 knows that his only hope lies in God's deliverance. 00:06:33.399 --> 00:06:36.370 And here's the thing. For the believer, That 00:06:36.370 --> 00:06:38.850 deliverance can look one of two ways, maybe three. 00:06:39.430 --> 00:06:43.089 He can deliver you out of it. Those people can 00:06:43.089 --> 00:06:45.610 accomplish their goal, which ultimately for David 00:06:45.610 --> 00:06:47.889 was to kill him, and David knew he'd be with 00:06:47.889 --> 00:06:51.410 God forever. Or that third way be some kind of 00:06:51.410 --> 00:06:54.589 reconciliation. I don't think that's what David's 00:06:54.589 --> 00:06:57.050 looking for this time around, the third one. 00:06:57.129 --> 00:07:00.069 It was either take my life, oh Lord, or deliver 00:07:00.069 --> 00:07:04.029 me out of this by getting the people that are 00:07:04.029 --> 00:07:07.939 hurting him. Save me, O Lord, by your name. Vindicate 00:07:07.939 --> 00:07:11.220 me by your might. His prayer is a cry for immediate 00:07:11.220 --> 00:07:14.779 action from God. Let's pause there for a minute. 00:07:15.800 --> 00:07:18.879 That word immediate is a funny word. That word 00:07:18.879 --> 00:07:21.180 immediate is a stressful word, is a frustrating 00:07:21.180 --> 00:07:23.720 word. It's a word that we can get angry by because 00:07:23.720 --> 00:07:27.519 we want God to answer us or to deliver us or 00:07:27.519 --> 00:07:32.240 to free us from immediately. And why do we do 00:07:32.240 --> 00:07:35.240 that? Ever thought about that? Why do we want 00:07:35.240 --> 00:07:37.759 immediate deliverance? Anyone want to take a 00:07:37.759 --> 00:07:39.240 stab at it? If you're a guest here, I like to 00:07:39.240 --> 00:07:41.899 ask questions and wait for responses. If they're 00:07:41.899 --> 00:07:44.259 really hard, I'll put dinner or lunch or coffee 00:07:44.259 --> 00:07:46.459 on it. There's a weight to the scale of reward. 00:07:48.019 --> 00:07:52.100 Why do we want it immediately? Because we're 00:07:52.100 --> 00:07:54.620 what? We're scared about something. If it's done 00:07:54.620 --> 00:07:56.199 immediately, I don't have to be scared anymore. 00:07:56.740 --> 00:08:08.860 Someone else? Say that again, Doug. I think that's 00:08:08.860 --> 00:08:11.000 what Rick was talking about being scared of. 00:08:11.180 --> 00:08:14.480 We don't want to suffer. All this bad stuff's 00:08:14.480 --> 00:08:16.279 been happening to me. I don't want to suffer. 00:08:16.339 --> 00:08:20.399 I want it out. And what kind of God are you that 00:08:20.399 --> 00:08:26.199 makes me suffer a little while longer? Or, we're 00:08:26.199 --> 00:08:28.899 the one doing the hurting and the pain, and we 00:08:28.899 --> 00:08:30.720 just want to stop. We want it to be okay. We 00:08:30.720 --> 00:08:33.000 want the forgiveness. We just want to act like 00:08:33.000 --> 00:08:37.700 nothing happened. Both hold true. We want it 00:08:37.700 --> 00:08:39.759 done immediately because we're scared and we 00:08:39.759 --> 00:08:44.700 don't want to suffer because we don't like consequences 00:08:44.700 --> 00:08:50.139 for our actions. I whisper that because I could 00:08:50.139 --> 00:08:51.879 say it loudly but half of you would probably 00:08:51.879 --> 00:08:56.299 leave because we all do it. But our actions have 00:08:56.299 --> 00:08:58.700 consequences. The actions of those that were 00:08:58.700 --> 00:09:02.019 betraying David had consequences. We see it throughout 00:09:02.019 --> 00:09:05.139 the scripture. David's cry is an acknowledgement 00:09:05.139 --> 00:09:08.639 that he is not alone in his struggles. His enemies 00:09:08.639 --> 00:09:11.740 have sought to isolate him, to destroy him, but 00:09:11.740 --> 00:09:13.720 he knows that God's deliverance will restore 00:09:13.720 --> 00:09:18.080 him. Where the enemy wants to destroy, even if 00:09:18.080 --> 00:09:21.879 you're the one at fault, the Lord wants to restore. 00:09:23.179 --> 00:09:26.179 God is about restoration. He's about raising 00:09:26.179 --> 00:09:28.620 you up, putting you back together, even when 00:09:28.620 --> 00:09:31.320 you are your own humpty dumpty and you fall and 00:09:31.320 --> 00:09:34.460 you break. He wants to be there to put you together. 00:09:35.799 --> 00:09:40.059 David's prayer is for rescue. In essence, it's 00:09:40.059 --> 00:09:42.059 a prayer for restoration, to be brought back 00:09:42.059 --> 00:09:44.179 into that right relationship with God and his 00:09:44.179 --> 00:09:47.580 people. This is crucial when we think about leadership 00:09:47.580 --> 00:09:51.580 and community in Munster Church. No matter what 00:09:51.580 --> 00:09:53.279 board you're on, whether you're on a committee, 00:09:53.460 --> 00:09:55.460 whether you're an elder or a deacon, maybe you're 00:09:55.460 --> 00:09:57.059 going to be one of the three cadet counselors 00:09:57.059 --> 00:09:59.620 or one of the teachers going into Lighthouse. 00:10:00.139 --> 00:10:05.120 You are a part of a team. And that's why leadership 00:10:05.120 --> 00:10:07.379 is so important. Because it's not just about 00:10:07.379 --> 00:10:10.200 managing tasks. It's about being present for 00:10:10.200 --> 00:10:16.139 one another in times of distress. Elders, deacons, 00:10:16.139 --> 00:10:19.080 especially the five new guys. I can't promise 00:10:19.080 --> 00:10:22.240 you an easy orientation is going to be fun. We're 00:10:22.240 --> 00:10:23.620 going to talk about a lot of stuff tomorrow, 00:10:23.940 --> 00:10:26.799 right? But I have no idea what the next day is 00:10:26.799 --> 00:10:30.059 going to be. That's unfortunate about it. You 00:10:30.059 --> 00:10:32.080 already signed your name. But that's the unfortunate 00:10:32.080 --> 00:10:36.539 thing about the life of the church because it's 00:10:36.539 --> 00:10:40.740 filled of sinners. It's led by a sinner. Its 00:10:40.740 --> 00:10:45.279 leadership are sinners. Elders and deacons, leaders 00:10:45.279 --> 00:10:47.139 in the church are called to build relationships 00:10:47.139 --> 00:10:50.500 that reflect God's justice, mercy, and compassion. 00:10:51.740 --> 00:10:54.080 I don't care if you're, like I said, a teacher 00:10:54.080 --> 00:10:56.820 on a committee. I don't care if you're on building 00:10:56.820 --> 00:10:59.019 and grounds and your job is to help beautify 00:10:59.019 --> 00:11:02.320 the church or fix the doorstop back there that 00:11:02.320 --> 00:11:07.759 breaks every other week. Whatever it is, we are 00:11:07.759 --> 00:11:10.600 called to reflect those things. There's a responsibility 00:11:10.600 --> 00:11:14.879 there. Lord's Day 12 teaches us that the name 00:11:14.879 --> 00:11:18.000 of Christ is a powerful name. That it is in Christ's 00:11:18.000 --> 00:11:20.960 name alone that we are rescued from sin and evil. 00:11:21.940 --> 00:11:24.220 Just as David prayed for rescue by God's name 00:11:24.220 --> 00:11:26.620 too, we are reminded that our salvation is found 00:11:26.620 --> 00:11:31.159 in Christ alone. That is the name by which we 00:11:31.159 --> 00:11:33.820 gather as a church. It's the name that unites 00:11:33.820 --> 00:11:37.559 us as a body. And it is through his name that 00:11:37.559 --> 00:11:40.570 we are... power to build those intentional relationships 00:11:40.570 --> 00:11:45.409 that reflect his love. But here's the flip side 00:11:45.409 --> 00:11:48.350 to that restoration, that God's name, Christ's 00:11:48.350 --> 00:11:51.210 name, is also about reconciliation. He came to 00:11:51.210 --> 00:11:54.649 restore broken relationships between God and 00:11:54.649 --> 00:11:57.649 humanity and among his people. If you are in 00:11:57.649 --> 00:12:00.490 Christ, and I am in Christ, and we are in conflict, 00:12:00.570 --> 00:12:03.210 hurt and pain, both ways, one way, doesn't matter. 00:12:03.639 --> 00:12:06.639 If you are in Christ, I am in Christ, we should 00:12:06.639 --> 00:12:09.960 be able to restore, but there's still fear and 00:12:09.960 --> 00:12:14.120 there's still consequences. Yes, would I love 00:12:14.120 --> 00:12:15.940 it if we could just take a portal out of that 00:12:15.940 --> 00:12:18.440 conflict, bloop, right, and go over and find 00:12:18.440 --> 00:12:21.259 ourselves without all of it? Absolutely. Not 00:12:21.259 --> 00:12:26.220 going to happen until we're in glory. We are 00:12:26.220 --> 00:12:28.240 called to reflect Christ's reconciling work, 00:12:28.399 --> 00:12:31.019 ensuring that no one in our community is left 00:12:31.019 --> 00:12:34.799 isolated or forgotten. You're going to see some 00:12:34.799 --> 00:12:37.220 changes over the next couple months and years 00:12:37.220 --> 00:12:41.059 in the way elders engage their districts, right? 00:12:41.139 --> 00:12:43.360 The way that we want to be intentional with getting 00:12:43.360 --> 00:12:46.940 together as a body of Christ. You're going to 00:12:46.940 --> 00:12:48.240 see that. You're going to hear that. We want 00:12:48.240 --> 00:12:50.639 you to be a part of that. It's very exciting. 00:12:52.360 --> 00:12:54.039 But we need to know that God is the one who's 00:12:54.039 --> 00:12:56.360 doing the restoration, and we need to reflect 00:12:56.360 --> 00:13:00.919 on that work. And it starts with prayer. One 00:13:00.919 --> 00:13:05.559 of the things, and we started Evan, and you're 00:13:05.559 --> 00:13:06.820 going to hear more about it at the congregational 00:13:06.820 --> 00:13:09.000 meeting, but starting in July, Evan is going 00:13:09.000 --> 00:13:11.899 to become our pastoral intern. He's in seminary, 00:13:11.899 --> 00:13:13.840 and that's going to be part of his role. And 00:13:13.840 --> 00:13:16.580 one of the things that Evan will be tasked with 00:13:16.580 --> 00:13:20.320 in his internship is to resurrect, good church 00:13:20.320 --> 00:13:23.679 word, our prayer ministry. And I know that there 00:13:23.679 --> 00:13:25.299 are many of you that have been a part of that. 00:13:25.360 --> 00:13:28.139 It actually made it on our history board about 00:13:28.139 --> 00:13:29.980 how intentional we are to pray. And it's not 00:13:29.980 --> 00:13:32.480 that we've forgotten how to pray. It's not that 00:13:32.480 --> 00:13:34.179 we just don't pray at this church. We do it every 00:13:34.179 --> 00:13:36.580 Sunday. But one of the things that I'm excited 00:13:36.580 --> 00:13:40.100 about starting again is the praying apart. That 00:13:40.100 --> 00:13:41.879 we're going to have a rotation of people for 00:13:41.879 --> 00:13:44.539 a half an hour before service come and lift this 00:13:44.539 --> 00:13:46.740 church up in prayer. And then the beautiful thing 00:13:46.740 --> 00:13:48.679 is that it's going to be raised then to prayer 00:13:48.679 --> 00:13:50.659 with the elders and deacons in intentional time 00:13:50.659 --> 00:13:53.950 right before service. Right? That I then take 00:13:53.950 --> 00:13:56.549 the prayers of those, of that group to my seat 00:13:56.549 --> 00:13:58.450 as I'm preparing for the service. And really 00:13:58.450 --> 00:14:00.350 what I'm doing is just playing over and over 00:14:00.350 --> 00:14:03.889 the 1990s Bulls entry, like just to get myself 00:14:03.889 --> 00:14:06.610 hyped up for coming up. Don't worry about it. 00:14:06.629 --> 00:14:09.769 It's my curse. But understand that we want to 00:14:09.769 --> 00:14:11.990 be praying as a people. We want a prayer night 00:14:11.990 --> 00:14:13.789 during the week. These are things that we need 00:14:13.789 --> 00:14:16.309 to get back to. And David reflects that today. 00:14:16.529 --> 00:14:20.070 He reflects why we need to do it. Praying not 00:14:20.070 --> 00:14:22.809 only for our own needs, but the needs of those 00:14:22.809 --> 00:14:26.330 around us. So in this season of leadership transition, 00:14:26.669 --> 00:14:29.470 ministry transition, new ministry starting up, 00:14:29.529 --> 00:14:33.190 ministries continuing this fall, we need to bring 00:14:33.190 --> 00:14:36.009 it to God in prayer. We need to commit to praying 00:14:36.009 --> 00:14:38.909 for our leaders and one another. We need to bathe 00:14:38.909 --> 00:14:41.710 in the name and authority of Jesus to 14 Ridge 00:14:41.710 --> 00:14:43.730 Road and all of the ministries that come out 00:14:43.730 --> 00:14:46.659 of this. I was reminded by a congregation member 00:14:46.659 --> 00:14:48.700 a couple months ago, you know, that as these 00:14:48.700 --> 00:14:51.220 ministries are starting up, Satan is set to attack 00:14:51.220 --> 00:14:54.639 them. Of course. Why not attack during the startup 00:14:54.639 --> 00:14:57.039 mode? Because it's easier than to just let it 00:14:57.039 --> 00:14:59.179 go. It's too hard. It's too bad. We don't have 00:14:59.179 --> 00:15:02.220 the right people. Done. We need to ask God to 00:15:02.220 --> 00:15:04.500 guide us in building those relationships to reflect 00:15:04.500 --> 00:15:07.779 love and mercy and justice. But first, we need 00:15:07.779 --> 00:15:10.740 to acknowledge something. The reality of betrayal 00:15:10.740 --> 00:15:17.740 and evil. Verses 3 and 4 remind us of that. When 00:15:17.740 --> 00:15:20.059 David writes this, For strangers have arisen 00:15:20.059 --> 00:15:23.559 against me. Ruthless men seek my life. They do 00:15:23.559 --> 00:15:26.879 not set God before themselves, Selah. Behold, 00:15:26.919 --> 00:15:29.659 God is my helper, and the Lord is the upholder 00:15:29.659 --> 00:15:33.360 of my life. David acknowledges that evil surrounds 00:15:33.360 --> 00:15:36.620 him. His enemies are not just hostile, but active 00:15:36.620 --> 00:15:39.720 in plotting against him. These are not strangers, 00:15:39.879 --> 00:15:43.080 but those who know him. that have betrayed him. 00:15:43.200 --> 00:15:46.379 In the face of this betrayal, David does not 00:15:46.379 --> 00:15:49.600 deny the reality of evil and calls it for what 00:15:49.600 --> 00:15:53.840 it is, wickedness. The wickedness that seeks 00:15:53.840 --> 00:15:56.940 to destroy him. And here's the rub, friend. You 00:15:56.940 --> 00:16:00.639 and I have wickedness in us. I don't revel in 00:16:00.639 --> 00:16:03.799 saying that, right? We don't have the, you know, 00:16:03.799 --> 00:16:06.200 what would wickedness do, right? That would be... 00:16:07.379 --> 00:16:09.879 WWWD, and that's just dumb. But understand that 00:16:09.879 --> 00:16:13.200 we have that war going on in us, and it's which 00:16:13.200 --> 00:16:15.039 one are you going to feed today? Which one are 00:16:15.039 --> 00:16:17.320 you going to feed tomorrow, your wickedness or 00:16:17.320 --> 00:16:20.279 your righteousness? All of that is the work of 00:16:20.279 --> 00:16:23.139 the Holy Spirit. Not that the Holy Spirit's calling 00:16:23.139 --> 00:16:25.480 you to be wicked. Don't hear that. But when we 00:16:25.480 --> 00:16:28.000 are being wicked, we have that conviction. That's 00:16:28.000 --> 00:16:30.379 the Holy Spirit saying, stop what you're doing, 00:16:30.539 --> 00:16:34.870 pause, and turn. Because, friend, we have that 00:16:34.870 --> 00:16:38.110 inside of us each and every day. Betrayal and 00:16:38.110 --> 00:16:41.149 evil are real. And we are not exempt from experiencing 00:16:41.149 --> 00:16:45.649 them. And we're not exempt from doing them. Betraying 00:16:45.649 --> 00:16:49.750 others, right? Being evil towards one another. 00:16:50.289 --> 00:16:53.110 Yet despite this betrayal, David still trusts 00:16:53.110 --> 00:16:57.740 in God that he will deliver him. David's honesty 00:16:57.740 --> 00:17:00.039 in acknowledging the evil he faces is an invitation 00:17:00.039 --> 00:17:02.419 for us to do the same. That's what I love about 00:17:02.419 --> 00:17:05.880 David. That's why he kept his anointing. Life 00:17:05.880 --> 00:17:07.779 within the church as a community is not free 00:17:07.779 --> 00:17:10.420 from difficulties. At times, there might be a 00:17:10.420 --> 00:17:12.240 betrayal. There might be a misunderstanding or 00:17:12.240 --> 00:17:16.539 a hurt. But again, if you're in Christ and I'm 00:17:16.539 --> 00:17:20.009 in Christ, we can figure this out. But you want 00:17:20.009 --> 00:17:22.450 to know what kills that? Rumors. You want to 00:17:22.450 --> 00:17:25.009 know what kills that? Gossip. There's a reason 00:17:25.009 --> 00:17:27.329 why discipline in the church, a mark of the true 00:17:27.329 --> 00:17:30.450 church, is done in a confidential way. Did you 00:17:30.450 --> 00:17:33.509 hear how both were charged this morning? Keep 00:17:33.509 --> 00:17:38.029 all sensitive matters among you. That might be 00:17:38.029 --> 00:17:40.130 within their person. We try not to do that as 00:17:40.130 --> 00:17:42.230 elders and deacons for having one person carry 00:17:42.230 --> 00:17:46.250 that burden. That is too hard for any man. But 00:17:46.250 --> 00:17:48.569 within the small group of elders or the elders 00:17:48.569 --> 00:17:50.910 themselves, the diaconate, whether one, two, 00:17:50.970 --> 00:17:54.849 or all of them, or the council, the thing that 00:17:54.849 --> 00:17:57.230 hurts the most as I work with pastors throughout 00:17:57.230 --> 00:17:59.609 our denomination and outside of our denomination 00:17:59.609 --> 00:18:02.950 are pastors that can't trust their leadership. 00:18:03.470 --> 00:18:06.329 They can't trust their leadership when things 00:18:06.329 --> 00:18:10.589 of confidential natures get breached. What a 00:18:10.589 --> 00:18:13.650 mistrust, distrust, and breaking of trust when 00:18:13.650 --> 00:18:16.539 that stuff happens. The scripture makes it very 00:18:16.539 --> 00:18:19.259 clear that we are to be witnesses in the highs 00:18:19.259 --> 00:18:22.400 and lows of life. Maybe as we're working through 00:18:22.400 --> 00:18:25.500 a conflict in the church, what makes that conflict 00:18:25.500 --> 00:18:28.000 worse, what makes that scar last, what makes 00:18:28.000 --> 00:18:32.960 that bruise very visible? Gossip. When things 00:18:32.960 --> 00:18:36.819 go out into the church, people that should have 00:18:36.819 --> 00:18:39.660 no knowledge of what is going on because sensitive 00:18:39.660 --> 00:18:43.660 manners need to be taken seriously and sensitively 00:18:43.660 --> 00:18:49.259 get out. And you may say, oh, but I'm not a gossiper. 00:18:50.160 --> 00:18:52.880 But I will put that in a prayer request tomorrow. 00:18:53.640 --> 00:18:57.279 I may even make it anonymous. Some of the things 00:18:57.279 --> 00:18:59.759 that I've heard in the church in 20 years, right? 00:19:01.359 --> 00:19:05.039 It's astounding to me how people use prayer requests 00:19:05.039 --> 00:19:10.809 as gossip. You understand, I only say first names 00:19:10.809 --> 00:19:12.750 because you all say your last name's weird and 00:19:12.750 --> 00:19:14.710 I don't want to get it wrong, right? I don't 00:19:14.710 --> 00:19:16.769 go through diagnoses on stage because unfortunately 00:19:16.769 --> 00:19:18.990 I prayed the wrong cancer over somebody and people 00:19:18.990 --> 00:19:21.509 get upset. We keep it simple. Why? Because God's 00:19:21.509 --> 00:19:25.329 complex. He gets it. Our prayer list is simple, 00:19:25.490 --> 00:19:28.029 right? Because it's A, not our story to tell 00:19:28.029 --> 00:19:30.849 all the time, but God knows. You can pray for 00:19:30.849 --> 00:19:33.490 this person for being in the hospital. You don't 00:19:33.490 --> 00:19:36.150 have to pray that you just be with the hands 00:19:36.150 --> 00:19:40.269 of the doctors for that colonoscopy. You can 00:19:40.269 --> 00:19:42.170 laugh. That's weird. Why would we put that down 00:19:42.170 --> 00:19:45.549 there? Just pray for the procedure. God knows. 00:19:47.029 --> 00:19:50.630 When it comes to hurt and pain and gossip, I 00:19:50.630 --> 00:19:53.809 have heard it more times than not. In prayer 00:19:53.809 --> 00:19:55.910 groups, in small groups, all of these things. 00:19:56.789 --> 00:20:00.119 We just want to pray for the Smiths. As they 00:20:00.119 --> 00:20:04.440 go through their divorce. What? That information 00:20:04.440 --> 00:20:06.960 should not be shared. Yet we do it and guise 00:20:06.960 --> 00:20:10.319 it at prayer requests. That's so dumb. And it's 00:20:10.319 --> 00:20:12.559 hurtful. Why do we have to do that? Just say 00:20:12.559 --> 00:20:15.019 we pray for the Smiths. The Smiths are not getting 00:20:15.019 --> 00:20:17.140 divorced, by the way. That was just a name I 00:20:17.140 --> 00:20:18.740 made up. I don't even think we have Smiths here, 00:20:18.819 --> 00:20:20.859 so it doesn't matter. But understand, we do that. 00:20:21.039 --> 00:20:25.259 And that is how sheep can hurt sheep. Let's get 00:20:25.259 --> 00:20:27.900 to our catechism. Lord's Day 12 speaks of the 00:20:27.900 --> 00:20:30.519 reality of sin and evil in the world. Christ 00:20:30.519 --> 00:20:35.079 is our prophet, priest, and king, actively confronts 00:20:35.079 --> 00:20:38.400 evil on our behalf. Through his death and resurrection, 00:20:38.680 --> 00:20:41.859 he overcomes the power of sin and death. Even 00:20:41.859 --> 00:20:44.799 the sin and death we cause each other. As members 00:20:44.799 --> 00:20:47.339 of the body, we are too called to confront the 00:20:47.339 --> 00:20:50.690 evil in the world around us. relying on Christ's 00:20:50.690 --> 00:20:53.390 victory to equip us in the battle, and that is 00:20:53.390 --> 00:20:56.789 not just sharing someone else's thought online, 00:20:57.009 --> 00:21:01.069 but actively confronting, actively talking, actively 00:21:01.069 --> 00:21:04.150 working through that reconciliation. Acknowledging 00:21:04.150 --> 00:21:06.630 the reality of evil does not mean giving in to 00:21:06.630 --> 00:21:09.589 the fear or the despair, the fear or the consequences, 00:21:09.910 --> 00:21:13.200 right? As Rick and Doug talked about, and those 00:21:13.200 --> 00:21:16.460 are true. We are not called to flee those. Sometimes 00:21:16.460 --> 00:21:19.420 God needs to sit us there in front of all of 00:21:19.420 --> 00:21:23.039 that to teach us. I guarantee most, if not all 00:21:23.039 --> 00:21:24.420 of us, have been on the receiving end of that 00:21:24.420 --> 00:21:27.259 look in the mirror. And we ask you guys to do 00:21:27.259 --> 00:21:29.900 that, and myself included, the last week of every 00:21:29.900 --> 00:21:33.170 month. As a community, we must support one another 00:21:33.170 --> 00:21:35.430 in this battle and build relationships that are 00:21:35.430 --> 00:21:38.529 honest and open about struggles we face while 00:21:38.529 --> 00:21:42.210 pointing each person to the victory of the cross. 00:21:44.630 --> 00:21:47.049 Building those relationships and creating community 00:21:47.049 --> 00:21:51.269 that is honest first starts with confessing our 00:21:51.269 --> 00:21:53.710 sins and our struggles. Not trying to put on 00:21:53.710 --> 00:21:55.809 our Sunday best, not trying to put lipstick on 00:21:55.809 --> 00:21:59.309 a pig, but being honest with where we are in 00:21:59.309 --> 00:22:03.059 our lives. our struggles. So let's commit to 00:22:03.059 --> 00:22:05.420 walk with one another through life's challenges, 00:22:05.559 --> 00:22:09.380 knowing what David knew, that God is faithful 00:22:09.380 --> 00:22:12.440 to deliver us. And as we land the plane, we land 00:22:12.440 --> 00:22:14.900 the plane in confidence, right? Confidence in 00:22:14.900 --> 00:22:17.980 God's deliverance. Verses five through seven, 00:22:18.140 --> 00:22:24.000 where David writes, he will put the evil to my 00:22:24.000 --> 00:22:26.480 enemies. In your faithfulness, put an end to 00:22:26.480 --> 00:22:29.039 them. With a freewill offering, I will sacrifice 00:22:29.039 --> 00:22:32.519 to you. I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, 00:22:32.660 --> 00:22:37.079 for it is good. For he has delivered me from 00:22:37.079 --> 00:22:40.579 every trouble, and my eye has looked in triumph 00:22:40.579 --> 00:22:45.240 on my enemies. Now that's an interesting way 00:22:45.240 --> 00:22:47.660 to put it, right? That David is looking for God 00:22:47.660 --> 00:22:50.220 to intervene and deliver him from his enemies. 00:22:50.279 --> 00:22:52.900 There are things, right? There are imprecatory 00:22:52.900 --> 00:22:57.740 psalms that David wrote. 16 maybe, in all of 00:22:57.740 --> 00:23:00.059 the Psalms. And that is literally, God destroy 00:23:00.059 --> 00:23:03.519 my enemies. And you could read that a little 00:23:03.519 --> 00:23:05.900 bit here. In our context, I don't think we're 00:23:05.900 --> 00:23:07.900 going to pray that, right? Especially if our 00:23:07.900 --> 00:23:10.740 enemies are one another in the church. That prayer 00:23:10.740 --> 00:23:12.720 ministry is going to be real bad if that's what 00:23:12.720 --> 00:23:15.440 our goal is, right? So -and -so said this about 00:23:15.440 --> 00:23:18.460 me, get him. That should not be our prayer ministry. 00:23:19.200 --> 00:23:22.799 Deliver me, but first look inward. We need to 00:23:22.799 --> 00:23:25.839 look inward, as David did, expresses his confidence 00:23:25.839 --> 00:23:29.319 in God's deliverance, even before his enemies 00:23:29.319 --> 00:23:32.039 are defeated. David speaks with the assurance 00:23:32.039 --> 00:23:34.759 that God will repay the wicked and deliver him 00:23:34.759 --> 00:23:38.859 from their hands. But David doesn't direct God 00:23:38.859 --> 00:23:42.759 in how to do it. Friends, we love to do that. 00:23:43.079 --> 00:23:45.980 When someone hurts us, or when we get brought 00:23:45.980 --> 00:23:49.519 into a conflict, we love. to try to direct as 00:23:49.519 --> 00:23:52.440 a conductor to the band of how God should sick 00:23:52.440 --> 00:23:56.579 him. That's not our role. Our role is to give 00:23:56.579 --> 00:23:58.660 it to God, to leave it in his hands, and allow 00:23:58.660 --> 00:24:02.660 him to do the work. David's confidence in God's 00:24:02.660 --> 00:24:06.359 faithfulness is unwavering, and he responds to 00:24:06.359 --> 00:24:11.160 God's true deliverance with gratitude and with 00:24:11.160 --> 00:24:14.220 worship. Confidence in God's deliverance is not 00:24:14.220 --> 00:24:17.279 based on current circumstances, but on God's 00:24:17.599 --> 00:24:20.839 proven faithfulness. God has been faithful in 00:24:20.839 --> 00:24:24.599 your life. Lean on those times when life gets 00:24:24.599 --> 00:24:28.220 hard. Lord's Day 12 teaches us that Christ is 00:24:28.220 --> 00:24:31.220 our ultimate deliverer. His victory over sin 00:24:31.220 --> 00:24:34.259 and death gives us complete confidence that God 00:24:34.259 --> 00:24:37.000 will deliver us from all harm. In Christ, we 00:24:37.000 --> 00:24:39.400 have the assurance that God's promises are true 00:24:39.400 --> 00:24:45.180 and we can confidently trust in him, even when 00:24:45.180 --> 00:24:48.640 we're walking in that sin. As a church, we are 00:24:48.640 --> 00:24:51.019 called to live with the same confidence, knowing 00:24:51.019 --> 00:24:54.059 that Christ already has secured the victory. 00:24:54.740 --> 00:24:56.960 His confidence should shape the way we relate 00:24:56.960 --> 00:24:59.880 to one another, encouraging others to always 00:24:59.880 --> 00:25:03.240 trust in God's deliverance, to live with hope, 00:25:03.380 --> 00:25:08.200 no matter the trials that we face. So let's commit 00:25:08.200 --> 00:25:10.339 to being a church that builds relationships of 00:25:10.339 --> 00:25:13.900 hope and encouragement. Our relationships should 00:25:13.900 --> 00:25:17.630 reflect the hope that we have in Christ. Check 00:25:17.630 --> 00:25:19.990 those relationships this week, friends. If your 00:25:19.990 --> 00:25:21.710 relationship with one another here in the church 00:25:21.710 --> 00:25:25.250 is based on gossip or drama or whatever, stop 00:25:25.250 --> 00:25:27.930 it. Because that doesn't reflect the call of 00:25:27.930 --> 00:25:30.470 Christ. That does not reflect and do justice 00:25:30.470 --> 00:25:33.450 to the deliverance that God has given us in this 00:25:33.450 --> 00:25:38.650 life. And whether we're here today in this and 00:25:38.650 --> 00:25:41.009 it's a small thing that we really can easily 00:25:41.009 --> 00:25:43.990 do or it's massive and go, this is going to hurt. 00:25:44.150 --> 00:25:47.460 This is going to take some work. God deliverance 00:25:47.460 --> 00:25:50.099 is real, and we need to live with confidence 00:25:50.099 --> 00:25:54.640 in that faithfulness. Psalm 54 calls us to trust 00:25:54.640 --> 00:25:56.940 in God's deliverance, especially in times of 00:25:56.940 --> 00:26:00.779 hardship, betrayal, and opposition. It also calls 00:26:00.779 --> 00:26:03.720 us to build a community that reflects God's faithfulness 00:26:03.720 --> 00:26:06.839 and deliverance, supporting one another through 00:26:06.839 --> 00:26:09.660 life's challenges. So as we celebrate the installation, 00:26:10.410 --> 00:26:12.529 of new elders and deacons, as we walk into this 00:26:12.529 --> 00:26:15.269 week with your opportunity to start praying for 00:26:15.269 --> 00:26:18.809 them and their families daily, let us remember 00:26:18.809 --> 00:26:21.410 that we pray for all of us, that we all have 00:26:21.410 --> 00:26:23.369 an active part in the body of Christ. The toenail 00:26:23.369 --> 00:26:25.789 can't say to the earlobe, I don't need you, so 00:26:25.789 --> 00:26:28.589 we need to pray for all of us as we try to do 00:26:28.589 --> 00:26:31.869 this thing called church here at 214 Ridge Road. 00:26:31.950 --> 00:26:35.309 So my summer challenge. Let's commit this week 00:26:35.309 --> 00:26:37.210 to building intentional relationships within 00:26:37.210 --> 00:26:40.130 our church family. Let's seek out those who are 00:26:40.130 --> 00:26:44.009 in need of support, offer a listening ear, a 00:26:44.009 --> 00:26:46.410 word of encouragement, a prayer for deliverance. 00:26:46.869 --> 00:26:49.789 Together as a community, we will grow in faith, 00:26:50.029 --> 00:26:55.029 trust, and confidence in God's faithful deliverance. 00:26:55.089 --> 00:26:55.710 Let's pray.