Word: Joy/Guide/Truth
Series: A SUMMER OF PSALMS
Speaker: James Barnett
Date: 19th January 2019
00:00:00 --> 00:00:01 Good morning, everyone.
00:00:02 --> 00:00:10 If you want to know where your heart is, look to where your mind goes when it wanders.
00:00:10 --> 00:00:13 Have you heard that kind of saying again? Let me read it again.
00:00:13 --> 00:00:19 If you want to know where your heart is, look to where your mind goes when it wanders.
00:00:19 --> 00:00:21 Hopefully your mind isn't going there just yet.
00:00:22 --> 00:00:27 But have you heard this kind of overly sweet, kind of romantic type of comment?
00:00:27 --> 00:00:32 They're really nice, but I don't think they're that helpful.
00:00:33 --> 00:00:35 Who knows where my mind goes when it wanders?
00:00:36 --> 00:00:41 Probably thinking about the cricket and how bad it is in this country at the moment.
00:00:42 --> 00:00:45 Maybe I'm thinking about the things I have to do when I get home.
00:00:45 --> 00:00:48 Maybe about the long list of things I need to fix.
00:00:49 --> 00:00:56 It's a nice and pithy statement, but should this kind of comment really guide my future?
00:00:56 --> 00:01:03 If I'm trying to figure out what I do, I don't think I should trust my wandering brain.
00:01:05 --> 00:01:07 So then, where is our heart?
00:01:08 --> 00:01:09 What brings us joy?
00:01:10 --> 00:01:12 And what should be our guide?
00:01:14 --> 00:01:20 If you don't know Jesus, you might not have any idea what should be bringing you joy and what should be your guide.
00:01:20 --> 00:01:22 Maybe that's why you're here with us this morning.
00:01:22 --> 00:01:31 Maybe you've been going around in circles looking for joy and satisfaction and purpose, but you haven't found any.
00:01:32 --> 00:01:37 Maybe you're checking out church and checking out Jesus to see if you can find that.
00:01:37 --> 00:01:43 Well, it is wonderful to have you today because Jesus does indeed bring joy.
00:01:43 --> 00:01:47 And he does guide us and bring us purpose in our life.
00:01:48 --> 00:01:54 If you're a Christian here, I'm hoping you're thinking that kind of classic answer to the question,
00:01:54 --> 00:01:56 what brings you joy and guides you?
00:01:56 --> 00:02:00 It's the question I hear answered by all the Sunday school kids on a Sunday morning.
00:02:01 --> 00:02:02 It's God, Jesus, Bible.
00:02:03 --> 00:02:05 It's going to be one of those and you remix them together.
00:02:05 --> 00:02:09 God is the one who satisfies you.
00:02:09 --> 00:02:12 God is the one who brings joy because he's the one that saved me.
00:02:12 --> 00:02:14 God is the one that guides me.
00:02:15 --> 00:02:21 But I fear that even for Christians, we know that God should be our joy.
00:02:22 --> 00:02:24 We know that he should be our guide.
00:02:25 --> 00:02:29 But there are things that pull us away from God.
00:02:29 --> 00:02:34 Today, we're continuing in our series in the summer of Psalms.
00:02:34 --> 00:02:37 And we've come to the longest Psalm in the Bible.
00:02:38 --> 00:02:40 It's the longest chapter in the Bible.
00:02:40 --> 00:02:45 But this chapter takes us to the very heart of this Psalmist.
00:02:45 --> 00:02:51 We see his delight, his joy, and what guides his steps.
00:02:52 --> 00:02:53 It's a wonderful piece of poetry.
00:02:54 --> 00:02:56 I'm not a particular fan of poetry.
00:02:56 --> 00:02:58 Is anybody here into poetry?
00:03:00 --> 00:03:00 I have got one.
00:03:00 --> 00:03:01 Can I get two?
00:03:02 --> 00:03:02 Three, four.
00:03:02 --> 00:03:03 Okay, wonderful.
00:03:04 --> 00:03:06 This is a wonderful piece of poetry.
00:03:07 --> 00:03:08 It's an acrostic poem.
00:03:09 --> 00:03:11 Can someone tell me what an acrostic poem is?
00:03:12 --> 00:03:13 Yes, this man down the front.
00:03:17 --> 00:03:18 Gary, yes.
00:03:19 --> 00:03:20 Yeah, you nailed it, brother.
00:03:20 --> 00:03:26 So this chapter is broken up into 22 sections.
00:03:27 --> 00:03:29 There's 22 chapters within this chapter.
00:03:29 --> 00:03:32 And each of the first lines starts with the same letter.
00:03:32 --> 00:03:35 So the first one is Aleph or A.
00:03:36 --> 00:03:40 And every letter, every first word, starts with that same letter.
00:03:40 --> 00:03:42 And it goes all the way through.
00:03:42 --> 00:03:46 And it's really clever and poetic and wonderful.
00:03:47 --> 00:03:50 And it has one consistent theme.
00:03:50 --> 00:03:52 God's word.
00:03:52 --> 00:03:56 The author uses many different words to describe this theme.
00:03:56 --> 00:04:00 He uses precepts, commands, word, law.
00:04:01 --> 00:04:02 And they're mostly synonymous.
00:04:02 --> 00:04:09 And this author shows us a meditation on why he needs God's word.
00:04:10 --> 00:04:13 This psalm is going to challenge us today to read our Bibles.
00:04:14 --> 00:04:15 It's not going to nag us.
00:04:16 --> 00:04:20 It's not just going to be me standing up here for 25-odd minutes saying,
00:04:20 --> 00:04:21 read your Bibles.
00:04:21 --> 00:04:25 I'm not going to convince you to try and do this.
00:04:25 --> 00:04:29 But the psalmist reveals why we should read the Bible.
00:04:30 --> 00:04:31 Why we should prioritize it.
00:04:31 --> 00:04:34 Why we should get up early and read it.
00:04:34 --> 00:04:38 Why we should not watch that extra TV show that just comes on automatically with Netflix,
00:04:38 --> 00:04:41 which is both a blessing and a curse.
00:04:42 --> 00:04:45 But we should go to bed early to read the Bible.
00:04:45 --> 00:04:49 And this is because God's word is a joy.
00:04:49 --> 00:04:51 Because God's word is our guide.
00:04:52 --> 00:04:54 So let me pray as we jump into this.
00:04:55 --> 00:04:58 Dear Heavenly Father, as we come before your word this morning,
00:04:59 --> 00:05:05 give us an open heart to understand what your word truly is to us.
00:05:06 --> 00:05:13 That it is amazing that you speak to us and help us to find joy from reading your word together, Lord.
00:05:13 --> 00:05:13 Amen.
00:05:13 --> 00:05:22 So one of the reoccurring themes in this psalm is the psalmist's love and delight in God's word.
00:05:23 --> 00:05:26 It's a little bit like, is it Marie Kondo?
00:05:26 --> 00:05:26 Marie Kondo?
00:05:27 --> 00:05:29 Has anybody heard of the...
00:05:29 --> 00:05:30 What's her name, Sam?
00:05:31 --> 00:05:31 Marie Kondo?
00:05:32 --> 00:05:34 She's the Japanese decluttering expert.
00:05:35 --> 00:05:36 She's got a new show on Netflix.
00:05:36 --> 00:05:40 And she goes into people's houses and says,
00:05:40 --> 00:05:44 Get rid of your things if it doesn't spark joy.
00:05:44 --> 00:05:44 Okay?
00:05:44 --> 00:05:46 So, you know, you find something.
00:05:46 --> 00:05:47 Does this spark joy?
00:05:47 --> 00:05:48 Yes, it sparks joy.
00:05:48 --> 00:05:49 So I'll keep this.
00:05:49 --> 00:05:50 This doesn't spark joy.
00:05:50 --> 00:05:51 Throw it away.
00:05:52 --> 00:05:53 And it's fascinating.
00:05:53 --> 00:05:59 But for the psalmist, he grabs God's word and all of it sparks joy.
00:05:59 --> 00:06:04 He doesn't want to get rid of any of God's word, even the tough stuff.
00:06:06 --> 00:06:08 The psalmist says in verse 97,
00:06:09 --> 00:06:12 Oh, how I love your law.
00:06:12 --> 00:06:15 I meditate on it all day long.
00:06:16 --> 00:06:20 Verse 103, how sweet are your words to my taste.
00:06:20 --> 00:06:22 Sweeter than honey to my mouth.
00:06:22 --> 00:06:28 Verse 112, my heart is set on keeping your decrees to the very end.
00:06:29 --> 00:06:32 This is a man who deeply meditates on God's word.
00:06:32 --> 00:06:34 He devours it.
00:06:34 --> 00:06:38 It's more satisfying than the sweetest thing they had, which was honey.
00:06:39 --> 00:06:42 You know, for us, it's sweeter than a Krispy Kreme donut.
00:06:42 --> 00:06:46 I've had a couple too many of them lately, and they're very sweet.
00:06:46 --> 00:06:53 But the fact here is, is God, he is a God who loves his people.
00:06:53 --> 00:06:57 He speaks, and it brings immeasurable joy.
00:06:57 --> 00:06:59 Our God is not mute.
00:06:59 --> 00:07:01 He is not a silent statue.
00:07:02 --> 00:07:05 He is not a dead person or ancestor to be worshipped.
00:07:06 --> 00:07:07 All of these cannot respond.
00:07:08 --> 00:07:13 This is the God who has crafted and made a universe.
00:07:13 --> 00:07:14 He is still involved with it.
00:07:14 --> 00:07:17 He saves it, and he speaks to it.
00:07:18 --> 00:07:19 It is amazing.
00:07:20 --> 00:07:23 And the psalmist rejoices in his words, in his law.
00:07:24 --> 00:07:26 He rejoices, and he loves God's law.
00:07:28 --> 00:07:29 Could we do that?
00:07:31 --> 00:07:34 Sure, we could say that we rejoice in Jesus.
00:07:34 --> 00:07:37 We rejoice in God.
00:07:37 --> 00:07:37 We love God.
00:07:39 --> 00:07:44 We're thankful that Jesus died for us, that he brought us salvation and forgiveness.
00:07:44 --> 00:07:46 He's shown us God's grace.
00:07:46 --> 00:07:49 We could even sing that old song, which is going to date me a little bit.
00:07:49 --> 00:07:50 I'll see if you can finish it.
00:07:51 --> 00:07:52 Rejoice in the Lord always.
00:07:52 --> 00:07:55 Again, I say, rejoice.
00:07:55 --> 00:07:56 That wasn't too bad.
00:07:56 --> 00:07:57 That was fine, I suppose.
00:07:58 --> 00:08:00 That old song, rejoice in the Lord always.
00:08:00 --> 00:08:01 Again, I say, rejoice.
00:08:01 --> 00:08:06 But the psalmist is not just rejoicing in God.
00:08:07 --> 00:08:11 He's rejoicing and being satisfied with God's word.
00:08:13 --> 00:08:16 I saw a good quote recently about God's word.
00:08:16 --> 00:08:24 The way we treat the word of God is the way we treat the God of the word.
00:08:24 --> 00:08:30 The way we treat the word of God is the way we treat the God of the word.
00:08:31 --> 00:08:36 Well, if we want to know how we treat God, what does our relationship look like with God,
00:08:36 --> 00:08:41 a really good indicator for us is how we treat his word.
00:08:41 --> 00:08:44 Do we listen intently to God's word?
00:08:45 --> 00:08:48 Are we deaf to parts of it that we don't like?
00:08:49 --> 00:08:53 Like any good relationship, it's built on good communication.
00:08:54 --> 00:08:59 I saw an image that illustrates what a breakdown in communication looks like.
00:09:00 --> 00:09:01 It'll come up on the screen.
00:09:02 --> 00:09:03 You never listen to me.
00:09:03 --> 00:09:05 You only hear what you want to hear.
00:09:06 --> 00:09:07 Yeah, sure, I'll have a beer.
00:09:09 --> 00:09:10 It's selective listening.
00:09:11 --> 00:09:12 It's bad communication.
00:09:13 --> 00:09:16 Does anybody have selective listening in their household?
00:09:16 --> 00:09:18 Trying not to look at the parents.
00:09:19 --> 00:09:20 Maybe it's not just parents.
00:09:20 --> 00:09:22 Maybe it's husbands and wives finding the same thing.
00:09:24 --> 00:09:26 But we shut out voices that we don't like.
00:09:27 --> 00:09:29 So how do we treat God?
00:09:29 --> 00:09:35 That quote again, the way we treat the word of God is the way we treat the God of the word.
00:09:35 --> 00:09:42 Here at church, we really value Christ-centered Bible saturation.
00:09:43 --> 00:09:45 We read the Bible every week.
00:09:45 --> 00:09:46 We've read it twice today.
00:09:46 --> 00:09:49 We sing songs that have the Bible.
00:09:49 --> 00:09:51 We read the Bible in community groups.
00:09:51 --> 00:09:54 And it shows how much we value it.
00:09:55 --> 00:10:00 Imagine if that husband and wife flipped their relationship.
00:10:00 --> 00:10:03 If the husband was actually listening to his wife.
00:10:03 --> 00:10:07 She would know how much he loved and appreciated her.
00:10:07 --> 00:10:12 It is clear that this psalmist loves God.
00:10:13 --> 00:10:15 God is what his heart is set on.
00:10:15 --> 00:10:18 God is the one who satisfies him like honey.
00:10:18 --> 00:10:23 Because the very words he speaks, he listens intently.
00:10:23 --> 00:10:25 They are a delight to him.
00:10:27 --> 00:10:30 It's still about the middle of January.
00:10:31 --> 00:10:34 Many of us would have started a New Year's resolution to read the Bible.
00:10:36 --> 00:10:38 Maybe we started in Genesis.
00:10:39 --> 00:10:41 Maybe it's been going well for the 20 or so days.
00:10:42 --> 00:10:43 Genesis is quite interesting.
00:10:44 --> 00:10:46 But what happens when we get to Leviticus?
00:10:46 --> 00:10:48 What happens when we get to Deuteronomy?
00:10:48 --> 00:10:50 You know, the law.
00:10:51 --> 00:10:55 How easy do we find delighting in God's word?
00:10:56 --> 00:11:00 I think one of our issues is that we are overfed.
00:11:01 --> 00:11:04 And we become fat with God's word.
00:11:04 --> 00:11:07 And we don't appreciate what we have.
00:11:07 --> 00:11:11 If you can cast your minds back about a month to Christmas.
00:11:11 --> 00:11:14 Did any of us eat too much over Christmas?
00:11:15 --> 00:11:17 I know I certainly did.
00:11:17 --> 00:11:20 I can see some young people being honest.
00:11:20 --> 00:11:20 Thank you, brother.
00:11:22 --> 00:11:27 Christmas, it gets to the point where food is just no longer delicious.
00:11:27 --> 00:11:33 And you're sitting there and there's this giant ham in front of you.
00:11:33 --> 00:11:38 And it's just like, well, it's Christmas, so I'll have my fourth serving of ham.
00:11:39 --> 00:11:44 And someone next to you, maybe your husband or wife, you know, puts the elbow in and says,
00:11:44 --> 00:11:45 Why are you having that?
00:11:45 --> 00:11:47 You don't need that.
00:11:47 --> 00:11:50 And it's just, well, it's there.
00:11:51 --> 00:11:53 It's not really nourishing me at this point.
00:11:54 --> 00:11:55 It's not bringing me joy.
00:11:55 --> 00:11:56 It's not satisfying.
00:11:57 --> 00:11:58 It's just there.
00:11:59 --> 00:12:02 After my fourth bowl of Christmas pudding and ice cream,
00:12:02 --> 00:12:05 I forget how amazing and delightful it is.
00:12:05 --> 00:12:08 And it's just going into the face.
00:12:08 --> 00:12:16 But to a starving person, desperate for any morsel or crumb,
00:12:17 --> 00:12:21 any small piece of bread, regardless of how stale it is,
00:12:21 --> 00:12:24 is an absolute delight to the senses.
00:12:25 --> 00:12:27 Psalm 119, verse 103,
00:12:27 --> 00:12:33 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth.
00:12:35 --> 00:12:40 How are we going delighting in God's word to us, loving and being joyful?
00:12:41 --> 00:12:46 Because the God who is so distant and far from us has made himself known.
00:12:46 --> 00:12:49 But not only that, he speaks to us.
00:12:49 --> 00:12:51 He makes himself known.
00:12:51 --> 00:12:54 And he talks to us, his creation.
00:12:54 --> 00:12:57 Is it possible we need to take a step back
00:12:57 --> 00:13:03 and to appreciate how privileged we are that God speaks to us?
00:13:04 --> 00:13:08 Of how starved we really are of God's word
00:13:08 --> 00:13:10 and how in need we are.
00:13:10 --> 00:13:15 To realize that in our country we have it easy.
00:13:15 --> 00:13:18 We've got Bibles everywhere.
00:13:18 --> 00:13:20 They don't have to be smuggled into our country.
00:13:20 --> 00:13:26 How would our relationship change to God and to God's word
00:13:26 --> 00:13:30 if we fully understood the gift that we had
00:13:30 --> 00:13:35 in our Bibles and in our phones that we carry around with us every day?
00:13:37 --> 00:13:41 God's word and the way we treat it reflects our relationship with God.
00:13:42 --> 00:13:44 It shows whether our joy and delight is in him.
00:13:44 --> 00:13:52 The second theme from this psalm is that God guides and teaches us through his word.
00:13:52 --> 00:13:56 The psalmist paints an image here that God is a counselor.
00:13:57 --> 00:13:58 He is a guide.
00:13:59 --> 00:14:01 And he puts the psalmist on the right path.
00:14:02 --> 00:14:04 And he's better than any earthly guide.
00:14:05 --> 00:14:06 Have a look from verse 97 with me.
00:14:07 --> 00:14:09 I'm going to read this whole letter.
00:14:09 --> 00:14:12 Oh, how I love your law.
00:14:12 --> 00:14:15 I meditate on it all day long.
00:14:15 --> 00:14:19 Your commands are always with me and make me wiser than my enemies.
00:14:20 --> 00:14:25 I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes.
00:14:25 --> 00:14:29 I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts.
00:14:30 --> 00:14:36 I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey your word.
00:14:36 --> 00:14:41 I have not departed from your laws, for you yourself have taught me.
00:14:41 --> 00:14:46 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth.
00:14:47 --> 00:14:52 I gain understanding from your precepts, therefore I hate every wrong path.
00:14:52 --> 00:14:58 This is an awesome picture of God's teaching being better than any other.
00:14:59 --> 00:15:02 God makes the psalmist wiser than any elder.
00:15:03 --> 00:15:06 He's better than any philosopher or teacher.
00:15:06 --> 00:15:09 Even at school or university, God is wiser.
00:15:10 --> 00:15:16 And the psalmist knows how to follow God in the midst of a world that is against God.
00:15:17 --> 00:15:23 He knows how to avoid going down evil paths because God's word is a guide.
00:15:24 --> 00:15:29 And then we have the most famous line from this psalm, verse 105.
00:15:29 --> 00:15:36 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
00:15:37 --> 00:15:40 The ancient world didn't have lights like we do.
00:15:40 --> 00:15:44 They didn't all have an iPhone, a Samsung, a Huawei phone in their pocket.
00:15:44 --> 00:15:47 They could just come out and flick the torch on.
00:15:47 --> 00:15:54 They carried little clay dishes which had oil and a wick in them.
00:15:54 --> 00:15:59 And the light from it illuminated their feet and their step.
00:15:59 --> 00:16:00 There will be a picture here.
00:16:00 --> 00:16:03 Imagine it's pitch black outside.
00:16:03 --> 00:16:08 There's no moon to light the path to the toilet outside.
00:16:08 --> 00:16:12 And you've got this little clay dish.
00:16:12 --> 00:16:13 It fits in your hand.
00:16:13 --> 00:16:14 You can see there's a little wick.
00:16:14 --> 00:16:16 There's a little bit of oil.
00:16:16 --> 00:16:18 And there's a very small light.
00:16:19 --> 00:16:20 And what does it show?
00:16:21 --> 00:16:22 It shows your feet.
00:16:22 --> 00:16:26 And it shows one step ahead.
00:16:27 --> 00:16:29 God's word is a lamp to my feet.
00:16:30 --> 00:16:31 Literally feet.
00:16:32 --> 00:16:34 It's a light for the path ahead.
00:16:35 --> 00:16:36 But we don't see the whole route.
00:16:37 --> 00:16:40 We see one step at a time.
00:16:41 --> 00:16:47 God's word is not a high-powered, you know, kangaroo-spotting, shoulder-mounted torch
00:16:47 --> 00:16:51 to see, you know, a kilometer in the distance.
00:16:52 --> 00:16:55 It doesn't shoot down the pathway of light and go,
00:16:56 --> 00:17:00 this is every step that you have to take in the next 50 years of following God.
00:17:01 --> 00:17:06 God's word to us shows us a picture of what the future will be like.
00:17:06 --> 00:17:08 That God is in control.
00:17:08 --> 00:17:09 That we'll be with him.
00:17:10 --> 00:17:14 That he has an eternity for us who follow him.
00:17:14 --> 00:17:18 But it doesn't point out every single step of the way.
00:17:18 --> 00:17:24 We walk following God one step at a time.
00:17:25 --> 00:17:29 Each act of obedience shows us the next step.
00:17:29 --> 00:17:30 And the next step.
00:17:32 --> 00:17:36 It's not much light, but it is trustworthy.
00:17:36 --> 00:17:38 It does not run out of oil.
00:17:38 --> 00:17:39 It does not run out of battery.
00:17:39 --> 00:17:49 Jesus, when he was tempted by Satan, is a wonderful illustration of how the word of God is an awesome guide.
00:17:50 --> 00:17:56 If you remember the scene, Jesus has been starving for 40 days and 40 nights.
00:17:57 --> 00:17:58 And Satan comes to him at the end.
00:17:59 --> 00:18:02 And Jesus, human, is hungry.
00:18:02 --> 00:18:06 I can imagine how I get after four hours.
00:18:06 --> 00:18:08 Jesus had been there for 40 days.
00:18:08 --> 00:18:09 He was hungry.
00:18:10 --> 00:18:11 And the devil turns up to tempt him.
00:18:12 --> 00:18:18 And he says, come on, if you're really God, turn this stone into bread.
00:18:19 --> 00:18:22 He's tempted with a physical, fleshly desire.
00:18:22 --> 00:18:23 And where does Jesus turn?
00:18:24 --> 00:18:27 He goes back to God's word to light his path.
00:18:27 --> 00:18:32 No, I don't need to satisfy my physical cravings.
00:18:32 --> 00:18:34 He quotes Deuteronomy to him.
00:18:35 --> 00:18:38 What we might find a particularly difficult book to read.
00:18:39 --> 00:18:42 Tested by the devil to see if God is again faithful.
00:18:42 --> 00:18:45 Jesus goes back to his guide and defense.
00:18:45 --> 00:18:47 I don't need to prove anything.
00:18:48 --> 00:18:50 And he quotes Deuteronomy again.
00:18:51 --> 00:18:54 Finally, the devil says, I'll give you everything if you just bow down to me.
00:18:54 --> 00:19:00 Trying to get Jesus to take the easy path of ruling the world.
00:19:01 --> 00:19:04 Jesus doesn't give in to the prideful and easy option.
00:19:04 --> 00:19:08 But again, Deuteronomy is his guide and defense.
00:19:10 --> 00:19:14 God's word is readily available as his defense.
00:19:15 --> 00:19:17 And it guides Jesus out of temptation.
00:19:17 --> 00:19:27 It is easy in one sense to say, go, read God's word, follow him, follow like Jesus.
00:19:29 --> 00:19:31 But it can be really difficult not knowing what's ahead.
00:19:33 --> 00:19:40 If we are in a painful season of life, a season of loneliness, a season of despair,
00:19:40 --> 00:19:45 it can be hard following God, not knowing what is ahead.
00:19:46 --> 00:19:51 Being guided and satisfied with his word that says, I'm enough, I'm your joy.
00:19:52 --> 00:19:56 It can be hard when we don't know what our position in life is.
00:19:58 --> 00:20:03 We can hear in one word, you know, God says, I love you, you are my child.
00:20:03 --> 00:20:07 But when we are in a season of despair, it can feel tough.
00:20:08 --> 00:20:15 There can be a struggle when we don't know what the next year will hold for us, let alone the next day.
00:20:16 --> 00:20:20 Following God means that God is in control.
00:20:20 --> 00:20:23 And we won't always know what's ahead.
00:20:24 --> 00:20:26 It is tempting to go in the opposite direction.
00:20:26 --> 00:20:36 Instead of following God with that very small light, I'm going to turn around and I'm going to use a high beam torch to chase my own desires.
00:20:37 --> 00:20:38 Because do you know what?
00:20:38 --> 00:20:41 I can set my own path away from God.
00:20:42 --> 00:20:48 To follow God is to trust that he knows the path ahead for us.
00:20:48 --> 00:20:51 That God knows what he has in store.
00:20:51 --> 00:20:57 Against that bright light of satisfying our own desires.
00:20:57 --> 00:21:00 Because it's easier when we are in control.
00:21:01 --> 00:21:05 God has given us his word to use as a guide for the path ahead.
00:21:06 --> 00:21:07 But we are not in control.
00:21:08 --> 00:21:13 God doesn't always say, these are the exact next 35 steps you need to take in life.
00:21:13 --> 00:21:14 Buy this house.
00:21:14 --> 00:21:15 Marry this person.
00:21:16 --> 00:21:16 Get this job.
00:21:16 --> 00:21:17 Eat this for breakfast.
00:21:17 --> 00:21:24 First, more often than not, God will say, I'm in control.
00:21:25 --> 00:21:26 Trust me.
00:21:26 --> 00:21:27 I know it's scary.
00:21:27 --> 00:21:29 But this is the way to go.
00:21:30 --> 00:21:37 If we know God's word like Jesus, it will show how much we value God.
00:21:38 --> 00:21:40 And he will help guide us.
00:21:41 --> 00:21:42 Now, I could stop there.
00:21:42 --> 00:21:47 I could stop there saying, you know, know God's word.
00:21:47 --> 00:21:48 Delight in God's word.
00:21:49 --> 00:21:53 Know God's word so that he can guide you in those tough seasons.
00:21:53 --> 00:21:54 I could stop there.
00:21:54 --> 00:21:57 We could think, yes, I've got some things to work on.
00:21:58 --> 00:22:00 I'm going to go home and meditate on God's word.
00:22:00 --> 00:22:02 I've been challenged and encouraged.
00:22:02 --> 00:22:03 You know, new year, new me.
00:22:03 --> 00:22:05 I'm going to read God's word a bit more.
00:22:05 --> 00:22:05 Great.
00:22:07 --> 00:22:09 But there is something that can get in the way.
00:22:09 --> 00:22:12 Something we may not even be aware of.
00:22:13 --> 00:22:17 It's the air that we live and breathe in here in Sydney.
00:22:18 --> 00:22:22 It's the cultural phenomenon of being post-truth.
00:22:23 --> 00:22:25 Have you heard this term, post-truth?
00:22:26 --> 00:22:29 It was the Oxford Dictionary's word of the year in 2016.
00:22:30 --> 00:22:33 I wasn't even really aware that they had their favorite word.
00:22:33 --> 00:22:36 How do you decide which word of the year is?
00:22:36 --> 00:22:39 But the Oxford Dictionary defines it as this.
00:22:40 --> 00:22:46 Objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion
00:22:46 --> 00:22:49 than appeals to emotion and personal belief.
00:22:50 --> 00:22:56 So post-truth is where personal preferences and emotions
00:22:56 --> 00:23:00 shape our opinions more than facts.
00:23:00 --> 00:23:04 Objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion
00:23:04 --> 00:23:08 than appeals to emotion and personal beliefs.
00:23:08 --> 00:23:12 You only have to think about the US President, Donald Trump,
00:23:12 --> 00:23:14 and his war against fake news.
00:23:15 --> 00:23:16 Here's one of his many, many tweets.
00:23:17 --> 00:23:20 The fake news media is officially out of control.
00:23:21 --> 00:23:23 They will do or say anything in order to get his attention.
00:23:24 --> 00:23:25 Never been a time like this.
00:23:25 --> 00:23:29 I thought about trying to do his accent, but I'm glad I didn't.
00:23:29 --> 00:23:31 Nick will do it for us later.
00:23:31 --> 00:23:31 Don't worry.
00:23:33 --> 00:23:38 So Trump, you know, the aim of good reporting is that it reports truth,
00:23:39 --> 00:23:40 objective truth.
00:23:41 --> 00:23:45 But there's a line been drawn now between news and fake news.
00:23:46 --> 00:23:48 Fake news is anything I don't like.
00:23:49 --> 00:23:53 It's not unlike those many magazines that we see,
00:23:53 --> 00:23:54 men and women's magazines,
00:23:54 --> 00:24:00 but they seem to craft fictional stories about celebrities dating or breaking up.
00:24:00 --> 00:24:04 You know, they have the hot goss on the latest, you know,
00:24:04 --> 00:24:07 royal marriage or, you know, this person's pregnant.
00:24:08 --> 00:24:11 But a lot of it is, it's post-truth.
00:24:11 --> 00:24:13 They're creating stories.
00:24:14 --> 00:24:17 And so we live in a post-truth age
00:24:17 --> 00:24:21 where truth is true as long as it fits me.
00:24:21 --> 00:24:25 That is true if I like it and it fits my personal preferences.
00:24:26 --> 00:24:29 If the evidence fits what I already believe
00:24:29 --> 00:24:31 and what I want to believe, then it's good.
00:24:32 --> 00:24:36 If I see evidence for something that doesn't fit my preferences,
00:24:36 --> 00:24:37 well, it's offensive.
00:24:38 --> 00:24:40 And I'm against that and you're wrong.
00:24:40 --> 00:24:47 We let our desires and our feelings decide what our version of truth is.
00:24:47 --> 00:24:50 And then we pick and choose the facts to support us.
00:24:52 --> 00:24:55 I've recently started using Twitter a little bit more.
00:24:55 --> 00:24:56 Does anybody use Twitter?
00:24:57 --> 00:24:58 Yeah, yeah.
00:24:58 --> 00:25:01 Well, we've got, you know, one man who's all about Twitter.
00:25:02 --> 00:25:03 I really like it.
00:25:04 --> 00:25:09 I really like seeing what my favorite cricket players are talking about,
00:25:09 --> 00:25:12 what my favorite TV and movie celebrities are going on about.
00:25:14 --> 00:25:16 I've realized one of the reasons why I enjoy it
00:25:16 --> 00:25:21 is because I can carefully curate what I want to see.
00:25:22 --> 00:25:24 I only see things from people that I like.
00:25:26 --> 00:25:30 And I only hear from voices that I want to hear from.
00:25:30 --> 00:25:34 So I'm not seeing any celebrities who have a different opinion to me.
00:25:34 --> 00:25:36 It's just the ones that I like.
00:25:37 --> 00:25:38 No wonder I like it so much.
00:25:39 --> 00:25:41 No wonder I'm not going to make any comments about our dear brother Jacob
00:25:41 --> 00:25:42 and why he likes it.
00:25:44 --> 00:25:45 Facebook's a bit more hit and miss
00:25:45 --> 00:25:50 because Facebook is about what my, you know, friends believe.
00:25:50 --> 00:25:52 And so they're going to put on different things.
00:25:52 --> 00:25:56 But Twitter, it's a little bit more about what I believe.
00:25:56 --> 00:26:02 And what it can easily do is create this thing called confirmation bias.
00:26:03 --> 00:26:08 Confirmation bias is where I see articles that confirm what I believe.
00:26:09 --> 00:26:13 Okay, so I believe that, let's go with, what's something,
00:26:14 --> 00:26:15 bacon is good for you.
00:26:16 --> 00:26:16 Can I get an amen?
00:26:16 --> 00:26:17 Amen?
00:26:18 --> 00:26:18 No.
00:26:19 --> 00:26:22 Let's see, I believe, I want to eat a lot of bacon.
00:26:22 --> 00:26:26 And so I'm going to believe that bacon is good for me.
00:26:26 --> 00:26:29 And then whenever I see an article that says bacon's good for me,
00:26:29 --> 00:26:30 I'm like, yes.
00:26:31 --> 00:26:35 Pork fat has recently been in the news that it's a superfood.
00:26:35 --> 00:26:36 So I'm going to believe that.
00:26:36 --> 00:26:40 And then if I see an article that says bacon's bad for you,
00:26:40 --> 00:26:42 I'm just going to ignore that.
00:26:42 --> 00:26:43 Confirmation bias.
00:26:44 --> 00:26:46 I'll believe the things that suit my preferences.
00:26:48 --> 00:26:51 On Twitter, I can just engage with people that agree with me.
00:26:52 --> 00:26:55 In life, I can just engage with people that agree with me,
00:26:55 --> 00:26:57 friends who are like me.
00:26:58 --> 00:27:03 It is easy for us to let our feelings and desires
00:27:03 --> 00:27:05 take over and usurp the truth.
00:27:06 --> 00:27:08 Whether this is on Twitter,
00:27:08 --> 00:27:10 whether this is talking with people in our lives,
00:27:10 --> 00:27:15 only reading the newspaper about things that I agree on,
00:27:16 --> 00:27:20 our preferences and our emotions cloud the truth.
00:27:21 --> 00:27:26 The problem for us is that I've made two very strong truth claims.
00:27:27 --> 00:27:31 First, we should delight in God's word.
00:27:31 --> 00:27:35 And second, God's word should be our guide.
00:27:35 --> 00:27:39 These are both big truth claims.
00:27:40 --> 00:27:45 It would be easy for us to chop and change and take parts out of the Bible
00:27:45 --> 00:27:46 that don't delight us.
00:27:47 --> 00:27:50 Maybe we'll just end up with the parts of the Bible that we like,
00:27:50 --> 00:27:53 the parts about love and forgiveness and joy.
00:27:53 --> 00:27:55 And we're going to cut out all those things about wrath.
00:27:55 --> 00:27:59 But if we cut out those parts,
00:27:59 --> 00:28:02 we'll miss seeing God's wrath,
00:28:02 --> 00:28:06 but also God's grace and love at the same time.
00:28:07 --> 00:28:08 We can't make sense of the cross
00:28:08 --> 00:28:11 if we don't understand the consequence for sin.
00:28:12 --> 00:28:15 If we read the Bible in a post-truth way,
00:28:16 --> 00:28:18 we won't let God's word be our guide.
00:28:18 --> 00:28:22 We'll just pick and choose the parts that already support my view.
00:28:23 --> 00:28:28 Jesus clarifies all of this for us when he says in John 14,
00:28:28 --> 00:28:45 There is only one truth,
00:28:45 --> 00:28:47 that God has made the world.
00:28:48 --> 00:28:50 He is sovereign over it.
00:28:50 --> 00:28:54 And he is known in only one way,
00:28:54 --> 00:28:56 and that's through his son who died
00:28:56 --> 00:29:00 so that we could be brought into God's family.
00:29:01 --> 00:29:03 It doesn't really matter how we feel about this.
00:29:04 --> 00:29:06 Our emotions don't change this truth
00:29:06 --> 00:29:10 because Jesus says he is truth.
00:29:10 --> 00:29:13 So regardless of how we feel about Jesus,
00:29:13 --> 00:29:14 he is still God's son,
00:29:14 --> 00:29:15 he still loves us,
00:29:15 --> 00:29:17 and he still died for us.
00:29:18 --> 00:29:20 So for us to go anywhere,
00:29:21 --> 00:29:24 we need to submit to God's truth.
00:29:24 --> 00:29:25 We need to submit to God.
00:29:26 --> 00:29:30 The post-truth mindset comes out of a selfish desire
00:29:30 --> 00:29:31 to be in control
00:29:31 --> 00:29:34 so that we're not ruled by other people.
00:29:35 --> 00:29:36 I'm going to ignore that evidence.
00:29:36 --> 00:29:38 I want to eat this food,
00:29:38 --> 00:29:39 so I'm going to ignore that.
00:29:39 --> 00:29:42 I can see how Donald Trump is doing that.
00:29:42 --> 00:29:45 He doesn't want to have people contradicting him.
00:29:46 --> 00:29:48 I can see how I do that myself.
00:29:49 --> 00:29:51 I don't want to read this part of the Bible
00:29:51 --> 00:29:53 because it disagrees with me
00:29:53 --> 00:29:54 and how I want to live my life.
00:29:54 --> 00:29:57 It speaks hard truth to me.
00:29:58 --> 00:30:00 I had a situation recently
00:30:00 --> 00:30:02 where I was trying hard
00:30:02 --> 00:30:05 to block out the truth of God's word to me.
00:30:06 --> 00:30:07 About six weeks ago,
00:30:07 --> 00:30:09 we bought a new TV.
00:30:09 --> 00:30:11 There was the Black Friday sales
00:30:11 --> 00:30:13 in our country for some reason.
00:30:13 --> 00:30:14 I'm not really sure
00:30:14 --> 00:30:17 why we have Thanksgiving sales.
00:30:17 --> 00:30:19 We have this new tradition
00:30:19 --> 00:30:20 brought in by the Americans.
00:30:20 --> 00:30:22 But Alyssa and I bought a new TV
00:30:22 --> 00:30:23 for Christmas.
00:30:24 --> 00:30:26 It was one of those OLED TVs,
00:30:26 --> 00:30:26 very fancy,
00:30:27 --> 00:30:29 and I loved it very, very much.
00:30:30 --> 00:30:32 You can probably see where this is going.
00:30:32 --> 00:30:33 Hopefully not.
00:30:33 --> 00:30:37 And my dear son,
00:30:38 --> 00:30:40 one of my sons who I love very much,
00:30:41 --> 00:30:43 while I was out,
00:30:43 --> 00:30:43 I was at the gym
00:30:43 --> 00:30:44 and I came back home
00:30:44 --> 00:30:45 and we were about to go
00:30:45 --> 00:30:46 to visit another church
00:30:46 --> 00:30:47 last Sunday morning.
00:30:48 --> 00:30:49 And the time was about,
00:30:49 --> 00:30:51 no, I don't remember that much detail.
00:30:51 --> 00:30:52 And I came home
00:30:52 --> 00:30:54 and there's my very good wife
00:30:54 --> 00:30:55 standing at the door saying,
00:30:55 --> 00:30:57 one of your sons has done something.
00:30:57 --> 00:30:58 Micah has done something.
00:30:58 --> 00:30:59 It's very bad.
00:31:00 --> 00:31:00 Everything's okay,
00:31:00 --> 00:31:01 but something's happened.
00:31:03 --> 00:31:05 And Micah likes to hit things.
00:31:06 --> 00:31:09 And he had taken a knife sharpener.
00:31:09 --> 00:31:11 You know those really thick,
00:31:12 --> 00:31:12 heavy blocks of steel
00:31:12 --> 00:31:15 that you sharpen your knives with?
00:31:15 --> 00:31:16 And they make that great noise.
00:31:17 --> 00:31:17 Shing, shing.
00:31:17 --> 00:31:19 He'd taken one of those
00:31:19 --> 00:31:22 and in an effort to gain attention,
00:31:22 --> 00:31:23 because that's what we all do,
00:31:24 --> 00:31:25 in an effort to gain attention,
00:31:26 --> 00:31:28 he'd taken it to the TV.
00:31:29 --> 00:31:30 You're starting to feel my pain.
00:31:31 --> 00:31:31 That's good.
00:31:31 --> 00:31:31 That's good.
00:31:33 --> 00:31:36 And he'd put an almighty crack in it.
00:31:36 --> 00:31:37 And modern TVs,
00:31:38 --> 00:31:38 the way they are,
00:31:38 --> 00:31:39 they're very fragile.
00:31:41 --> 00:31:42 And it stopped working.
00:31:42 --> 00:31:43 So I came home
00:31:43 --> 00:31:46 and my good wife
00:31:46 --> 00:31:47 confronted me with this news
00:31:47 --> 00:31:48 and I just tried to block it out.
00:31:48 --> 00:31:49 No, we've got to go to the,
00:31:49 --> 00:31:50 we're going to church.
00:31:50 --> 00:31:51 So we went to church.
00:31:51 --> 00:31:52 The next day,
00:31:52 --> 00:31:54 I call up Panasonic
00:31:54 --> 00:31:54 in the repair center
00:31:54 --> 00:31:57 and the guy said,
00:31:57 --> 00:32:00 it's going to cost more to fix it
00:32:00 --> 00:32:02 than to buy a new one.
00:32:03 --> 00:32:05 And so I've got this wonderful paperweight now
00:32:05 --> 00:32:06 that is worth nothing.
00:32:06 --> 00:32:09 And all the while,
00:32:09 --> 00:32:12 I was feeling so much pain.
00:32:12 --> 00:32:13 This thing I love
00:32:13 --> 00:32:16 is gone.
00:32:17 --> 00:32:19 This thing I spent money on,
00:32:20 --> 00:32:21 a fair chunk of cash,
00:32:21 --> 00:32:22 it is destroyed.
00:32:23 --> 00:32:24 And all the while,
00:32:24 --> 00:32:26 I've got ringing in the back of my head,
00:32:26 --> 00:32:29 is this an idol?
00:32:31 --> 00:32:32 What do you really value?
00:32:33 --> 00:32:35 Do you really love me
00:32:35 --> 00:32:38 and love my son who died for me?
00:32:38 --> 00:32:40 Or do you love this pretty TV?
00:32:41 --> 00:32:43 Is Jesus really
00:32:43 --> 00:32:46 the thing that brings you joy?
00:32:46 --> 00:32:47 Does my word bring you joy?
00:32:47 --> 00:32:49 Is it sweeter than honey?
00:32:49 --> 00:32:50 Or is it just this thing
00:32:50 --> 00:32:52 you devour with your eyes?
00:32:52 --> 00:32:53 And do you know what?
00:32:53 --> 00:32:56 I tried hard not to listen.
00:32:56 --> 00:32:57 to God because
00:32:57 --> 00:33:01 because it was an issue.
00:33:03 --> 00:33:04 But this was me
00:33:04 --> 00:33:06 trying to
00:33:06 --> 00:33:08 shut out God's word
00:33:08 --> 00:33:10 and think that
00:33:10 --> 00:33:12 my truth that this thing is valuable
00:33:12 --> 00:33:14 was more important
00:33:14 --> 00:33:16 than what God says is valuable.
00:33:17 --> 00:33:19 We need to submit to God
00:33:19 --> 00:33:22 and that means submitting to the truth
00:33:22 --> 00:33:24 that His word
00:33:24 --> 00:33:26 is the way that He speaks to us.
00:33:26 --> 00:33:28 So let's go back
00:33:28 --> 00:33:29 to that first quote
00:33:29 --> 00:33:30 that we started today with.
00:33:32 --> 00:33:33 If you want to know
00:33:33 --> 00:33:34 where your heart is,
00:33:35 --> 00:33:37 look to where your mind goes
00:33:37 --> 00:33:37 when it wanders.
00:33:39 --> 00:33:40 I don't think that was
00:33:40 --> 00:33:41 a very good quote
00:33:41 --> 00:33:42 so let's change that.
00:33:43 --> 00:33:44 If you want to know
00:33:44 --> 00:33:47 where your heart should be,
00:33:47 --> 00:33:49 look to the one
00:33:49 --> 00:33:50 who guides it
00:33:50 --> 00:33:51 in His word.
00:33:51 --> 00:33:52 If you want to know
00:33:52 --> 00:33:53 where your heart should be,
00:33:54 --> 00:33:55 where your joy
00:33:55 --> 00:33:56 is found,
00:33:56 --> 00:33:57 look to the one
00:33:57 --> 00:33:58 who guides it
00:33:58 --> 00:33:59 in His word.
00:34:00 --> 00:34:02 That is our Lord,
00:34:02 --> 00:34:03 that is our God
00:34:03 --> 00:34:04 who speaks to us.
00:34:04 --> 00:34:05 Let me pray.
00:34:06 --> 00:34:07 Dear Heavenly Father,
00:34:08 --> 00:34:09 we live in a time
00:34:09 --> 00:34:09 where
00:34:09 --> 00:34:11 truth has become
00:34:11 --> 00:34:12 movable,
00:34:13 --> 00:34:14 where we believe
00:34:14 --> 00:34:15 things dependent
00:34:15 --> 00:34:17 upon our desires.
00:34:17 --> 00:34:19 remind us
00:34:19 --> 00:34:19 that Jesus
00:34:19 --> 00:34:21 is truth.
00:34:21 --> 00:34:22 That He helps us
00:34:22 --> 00:34:23 to see the world
00:34:23 --> 00:34:25 for what it really is.
00:34:27 --> 00:34:27 Lord,
00:34:27 --> 00:34:28 please help us
00:34:28 --> 00:34:28 to delight
00:34:28 --> 00:34:29 in Your words
00:34:29 --> 00:34:30 to us,
00:34:30 --> 00:34:31 to store them
00:34:31 --> 00:34:32 deep in our hearts
00:34:32 --> 00:34:34 so that when times
00:34:34 --> 00:34:35 of testing
00:34:35 --> 00:34:36 or question
00:34:36 --> 00:34:37 come,
00:34:38 --> 00:34:39 that You would
00:34:39 --> 00:34:39 guide us,
00:34:39 --> 00:34:39 Lord.
00:34:40 --> 00:34:40 Amen.
00:34:40 --> 00:34:40 Amen.
00:34:41 --> 00:34:41 Amen.
00:34:41 --> 00:34:41 Amen.
00:34:41 --> 00:34:42 Amen.
00:34:42 --> 00:34:42 Amen.
00:34:42 --> 00:34:42 Amen.
00:34:42 --> 00:34:42 Amen.
00:34:42 --> 00:34:42 Amen.
00:34:42 --> 00:34:42 Amen.
00:34:42 --> 00:34:43 Amen.
00:34:43 --> 00:34:43 Amen.
00:34:43 --> 00:34:43 Amen.
00:34:43 --> 00:34:43 Amen.