Psalm 14 - The Faithfulness of God in Our Unfaithfulness | Summer of Psalms

As I said in the beginning of service, we have now gone back to book one of the

summer of Psalms, which if you remember, I know all of you remember that six

summers ago that we ended on Psalm 13. So we are starting with Psalm 14,

but I have a question. We say this term in kind of reform theology and our

understanding of catechism and those in the building blocks of what we believe

and why we believe what we believe. There's something called the three forms

of unity. Okay, so this is a little pop quiz. I'm not going to put, I'll put coffee

on it, that's fine. And Dan, you're not allowed to answer, wherever Arzma is

over there, or any of our catechism teachers. What are the three forms of

unity that we hold in kind of reform theology? I'll wait. Yeah, Randy. The

Belgian Confession. Oh yeah, oh yeah, maybe you should have thought about it

faster. Belgian Confession. Canons Adort. No, don't try to get into it someone else

trying to say it. No, this coffee is not for you. And the Heideberg Catechism. So

the Heideberg Catechism, the Canons Adort, the Belgian Confession, these are

writings for specific times and purposes when they were written, but still very

much alive today that help us understand the scriptures. Now some of you may say,

well why do I need that? Why don't I just read the Bible? And you'd be fine to do

that, but the Catechism, the Canons Adort, and the Belgian Confession are beautiful

documents that we hold true together because they stand on God's Word. And

this summer we're going to dive into all three of those in these Psalms because

there's a beautiful understanding that comes out of these that helps us grow as

believers. And one of the things I'm going to challenge you all with is over

this summer tap into one of the catechisms, or tap into one of our three

forms of unity, the Heideberg Catechism, the Belgian Confession. That is my, if I

had to pick a favorite, right, it would be the Belgian Confession. I love how it

reads and how it helps me understand God as faithful creator. And that's one of

the things we're looking at this summer is kind of the depths of God's

faithfulness. And what we're going to look at today is our unfaithfulness

despite God's faithfulness. But this thing about unity is important because as

churches we should be unified and it's clear in a lot of cases in our world

today we're not. But I'm going to bring that just to the governance level here at

Munster Church. Next week we're going to cast lots for elders and deacons. You

know, we're going to hopefully approve the slate today. We'll talk about that

afterwards. But the goal is to have unity in the room. Now that does not mean

yes men, right? Where's Roger Montman? Roger Montman, have you ever been known as,

I'm not going to ask you, Cheryl, has Roger ever been known as a yes man? Not

even to you. You've said that aloud now to everybody and it's on the internet.

Understand that a lot of times a lot of people think councils are yes men. April,

has Brad, is Brad a yes man? She's answering before I even ask the

question. That a lot of people think that the council when they come together that

the pastor just gets its say. I have been told no in the council room more

than I've been told yes. Can I get an amen from my council? Well at least three

of you are good. The rest of you wake up. But understand that unity in the room

that doesn't mean we're all going to agree. Even like on the staff level. But

elders, deacons, sometimes when we get in a room we don't agree and there's

a beautiful clashing that goes on. But that doesn't mean we're not unified. It

doesn't mean that if we are at odds in a room or a vote or whatever it doesn't

mean we don't take a bullet for our brothers as we walk out of there. One of

them is calling right now to answer. We hear that. They're calling to say no I'm

not a yes man. Don't call. Be in church. But understand I had a pastor, senior

pastor Joel Shears when I was his associate at Crown Point. And people that

know Joel and I know that we are, I don't use the term best friend much, but he

would be considered one of my closest friends. And there were times in our

ministry together that we warred in the room. We would disagree. We would be, we

would think our position was right or whatever. I would understand I'm the two

and so I got to be careful talking to the senior. But understand he

respected my opinion and we clashed. There were times we did this but the

church never knew about it. Because as we walked out of that room we were unified

in the essentials. We were unified in the non-negotiables. The negotiables we

showed grace. In the non-negotiables we unified. And I think that's where the

Psalms are gonna bring us this summer and I'm really excited about it. Because

as we look as the vision and the future of Munster Church is getting bigger and

changing a little bit over the years, I think we all, though we may disagree on

some things, we need to be unified together because I guarantee you Satan is

looking for the weak links. He's looking for those cracks. He's looking for to

make faithful people unfaithful to each other and ultimately to God because in

that he can just let it happen then. Once that snowball starts rolling down the

hill it takes, it doesn't take it much, take Satan much to keep it going because

we tend to self-destruct when it comes to that. And so we're gonna look at this

understanding of what it means to be unified given our three forms of unity

but also the faithfulness of God in the Psalms and it starts right off the bat.

We're gonna be the first three verses of Psalm 14. The fool says in his heart

there is no God. They are corrupt. Their deeds are vile. There is no one who does

good. The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are

anyone who understands, any who seek God. All have turned away. All have become

corrupt. There is no one who does good. Not even one. Okay, so let's break that

down. If you don't believe in God you're a fool. Fair enough. May the Lord bless

you and keep you. May his face shine in you. That could be the sermon but the

interesting thing about what the Psalm of David has to show us is that the fool

says it in their heart and what the Proverbs, what Solomon then tells us later

on, is out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. 2024, out of the

overflow of the heart the fingers type. They send emails. They post things.

Believe me, very much looking forward to that coming election

season said no one ever, especially pastors. Understand that you may say that

you believe in God but in your heart you may not and there is a clash there and

if that is the case maybe that's you or someone you know in your life there's

not a whole lot of good things that come out of that. There's no fruit of being a

fool. They're corrupt. They do abominable deeds. There is none who does good. The

Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man to see that

there, to see if there are any who understands who seek after God. They have

all turned aside. They've all become corrupt. What does that word mean? In your

definition what does the word corrupt mean? Polluted. That's a good word.

Interesting Larry. Others. Evil. Selfish. Broken. Vile. Tainted. Yeah. Not all good

things, right? Not all good things because when a corrupt heart takes over

every part of the body becomes corrupt. A little yeast ruins the entire dough. If

you allow that act of sin in your life and we've talked about this most Sundays

you can't have a foot in the light and the foot in the dark then you've become

corrupt. If you open up the Belgian Confession and you look at the beginning

section of articles mainly articles 2 through 13 these articles speak about

God's revelation through creation and Scripture and his ongoing governance in

the world. It is really hard for me to reconcile a believer being corrupt when

if they recognize that God is the creator, sustainer, and preserver of the

world. But I think it's that third piece that throws us because we can look out

in the world today and it's all chaos and we go God you're not preserving

anything. I'm being hurt by the world or maybe you're the one doing the hurting.

We see the world just completely in chaos and go how in the world is God

preserving anything? And I think in some ways I have to say and I say this to

myself first how dare I look at it that way? Because there's then not only a lack

of faith that I have but then I'm also not trusting, faith and trust go hand in

hand that God is who he says he is. Now what the Belgian Confession brings us to

is a truth that despite humanity's rebellion and corruption God remains

faithful in sustaining creation. The world continues to function, seasons

change, and life persists all due to God's faithful providence. I could sit

down with each and every one of you and ask when has God been faithful in your

life or when has God's providence brought you through a situation and I

guarantee you all have one. Whether you realize it or not God has brought you

through something and it's the same God that brought you to it and giving

testimony to that is the power of the gospel in our life and the power of

faithful witness in the world. How do people know that you're a believer?

Because you go to Munster Church? No that's not enough. It's the faithful

witness of your life in the world. There's power in that. This is what God

has done in my life. Think now over the last month of your life and I know for

some of you don't remember what you had for tea yesterday but when is the last

time you told somebody this is what God has done or is doing in my life? It's one

of the best emails, text messages, conversations I can have as a pastor is

when a believer whether new believer, mature believer is saying God is working

something in me. I feel God pushing me somewhere or raising this gift up or

whatever and I love it. I just said I don't there's not a whole lot I can say

outside of amen. Yeah there are times that you know people are what they

believe is God might be an ego or a pride and my job is to check that a

little bit but it's not it's not my job to get in front of God's plan. It's not

our it's not your job to get in front of God's plan it's our job to get on board

with what the Holy Spirit's already doing. That takes trust. Did anyone fly

this week? Did anyone go on a plane? You went on a plane okay. Where were you? You

were coming here? From where? Texas. About how long of a flight is that? Two-ish

hours. Did you have any doubt on the pilots ability to get you from Texas to

did you fly into O'Hare? Midway okay into Midway? No no doubt. Why? You don't worry

that's yeah that's fantastic. That's you don't worry that's fantastic. How many of

you worried about the pilots ability to fly a plane? Be honest. Then why do you

fly? I know we're laughing but some of you like like I get it but why do you do

it? You will trust a pilot. I know some pilots. I don't fly when they're when

they're being pilots when they're piloting. Sure like I get that but you

still do it we still do it. It's it's we don't think about these things. That is

something very tangible right? How many of you enjoy driving downtown? That's the

right response. That is the right response. We'll work on the scuts right?

No one likes to because they're worried about all these different things yet we

still do it. Carrie and I are planning an anniversary just an overnight downtown

sometime this summer and my mom came to me and I love her for this and my mom is

one of my my prayer warriors and she goes I really don't like that you're

going downtown and I am old enough to say mom too bad we're gonna go downtown

right and then she grounded me I didn't know you can be grounded at 39 but she

did you know but understand we still do it we still step into it almost without

thinking yet there are times we will look at the providence of the creator of

the world the one that said star there star there this is when the Sun comes up

this is when the moon goes down this is when the tides are gonna go this is how

a baby is born right from the first couple seconds all of these things and

we're gonna go I just don't know if I can trust that plan yeah that silence

seems right because we will put our faith in material worldly things yet we

will remove it from heavenly spiritual things for whatever reason what we need

to recognize and give thanks simply for every day is God's provision in your

life how do I know somebody like you don't know that God's providing for me

yeah I do how can I how can I know that because I'm looking out at all of you

and you're all closed and I thank God for that we have a policy here much like

Burger King no shirt no shoes no service now I could care less if you don't wear

shoes for the person next to you might but you're all clothed when's the last

time you thank God for clothing and I'm looking at myself I opened up my closet

and I didn't go wow Lord you are great I know my wife doesn't like when I wear

these but I don't care like when's the last time you thank God for that right I

see our farmer I'm gonna go to the farm right when's the last time did you thank

God to stop rain today or do you still want more rain we need to know who to

blame you're finished with rain okay Jesse's done with rain the Smedberg

weather gauge hopefully we don't have any more but I mean think about that we

talked a little bit about it last week that in the Smedberg house they have to

wait on weather for their job I've never thought about that I've thought about

man it's raining I don't know if I need I don't know if I can make my don't don't

hate on me Jesse my seven-minute drive to church because it's raining never

thought that but understand that these things that we take for granted you have

to we still have to give God praise for that and thanks for that those daily

provisions in life we need to recognize and give thanks for that because when we

don't what happens we start taking them for granted and I think that that is

something that is being illuminated when the fool says there is no God they're

not thankful for anything because it's all on them what if life was all based

on you your choices all the things you bring to the table our lives would be

terrible regardless of how good you are as a person but then we pick up on

verses 4 through 6 still going on the fools for they have no lot no knowledge

all our evil do all our evildoers who eat up my people as they eat bread and

do not call upon the Lord there there they are in great terror going to verse

6 for God is with the generations of the righteous you who shame the plans of the

poor but the Lord is his refuge all you evildoers know nothing none of you

regardless of your relationship with Jesus can say that today because you've

understood as best we can the table of our Lord you have been preached to now

about a truth in God's Word so all of none of you can say you have no

knowledge I the question that gets me and a lot of the pastors that we would

when we get together we talk about we'll always have someone that says well what

about the Aborigines that's never had any social interaction or anybody come

and bring them the gospel what about their lives does God save them tell me

pastor Jim what happens when they die I don't know I'm not there and I'm not God

I guarantee you someone's gonna still gonna ask me this by the end of the

summer but understand that if God's bringing to mind those questions God's

not wasting that in you why are you why are you thinking about that why is God

putting that into your brain why is God putting that into your heart maybe it's

to be a missionary maybe it's to get you out of the comfort zone and not worry so

much about random aborigines in Timbuktu but maybe it's the neighbor

across the street that you know doesn't know Jesus maybe that's what this

understanding of hey let's not make people fools maybe that's what the Psalm

is talking about the Hedibur cataclysm is a great kind of question and answer

cataclysm that really helps us work through some of the things of faith and

there are a lot of questions that focus on our comfort in life and in death we

we talked about that already this morning that Lord's Day one but it's a

reminder that God is not only faithful but he is a faithful father and redeemer

of people that he is a faithful father a father that wants the best for his

children a father that isn't always a tyrant you know a father that isn't the

easygoing do whatever dad but he is a faithful father to provide for you to

give you what you stand in need of that is a job of a father and what the

hardware catechism especially in the beginning sections really help us center

on is despite us being sinful human beings God's faithfulness shines through

his redemptive work while we were still sinners Christ died for you and for me

for us while we were still sinners that's important because it means we're

never going to stop sinning friends we do not believe in a life of perfection

on this side of the world on this side of eternity in glory yes what we see lit

dimly in the mirror we will see face to face but we are striving towards that

faithfulness striving Ford striving toward those things that pop out in our

life that God is my refuge and my salvation he is the one that I call out

to when hell on earth shows up it takes belief it takes faith to lean into God

during those times doesn't it it holds no comfort when things are going wrong

in life and Satan comes in and says see that's not real God clearly doesn't care

about you because you're going through this suffering you're going through this

trial you're going through this conflict you're going through insert

whatever he's the one that's reminding you that God isn't in it yet God has

said I am with you always to the very end of the day when you walk through

the waters I'll be with you through the waves the fire the chaos of life I am

there yet we forget about it one of the things that we need to do in our faith

is not only thank God for the provisions of life but embrace the assurance of

salvation through Jesus Christ in times of feeling overwhelmed by personal

failures or the brokenness of the world we need to rest in the knowledge that

God's faithfulness in redemption is unwavering though we waver like crazy our

redemption through Christ is unwavering I was looking at potential examples of

this and John Newton does anyone know who John Newton was yep yeah he wrote

Amazing Grace the author of that Newton was once a slave trader living a life

far from God however through a series of events including a terrifying storm at

sea he began to reflect on his life and ultimately experienced a profound

conversion to Christianity Newton's life transformed dramatically as he became a

prominent advocate against the slave trade and a devoted minister of the

gospel his story exemplifies the redemptive power of God's grace despite

his sinful past God's faithfulness reached him offering redemption and a

new purpose Joe casting the powerful truth that God can redeem and restore

anyone who turns to him I don't know about you friends but that is powerful

so let's jump to verse 7 that wraps it all up oh that salvation for Israel will

come out of Zion when the Lord restores the fortunes of his people let Jacob

resort rejoice let Israel be glad is the process friends this isn't something

we're all gonna get every time that there are gonna be days that you feel

like you've taken three steps back and no steps forward but then they're gonna

be days that you feel like you take three steps forward and no steps back

and we're feeling high we have the camp I the retreat I God's at work

everything seems to be going right it's the reminder that when things don't go

right God is still there we can still have that connection God never left if

you read the canons of Dort the heading number five the section deals with the

perseverance of the Saints that would be the P in tulip right or the H in

faith as we talked about during lent held by God perseverance of the Saints

which affirms that God preserves the chosen ones in faith that if you claim

Christ as Lord and Savior God is preserving your life though you may pass

away in this life he is preserving you he is keeping you together even when you

feel like you're falling apart the truth of that word is that God's

faithfulness extends to preserving his people even when we falter God ensures

that those he has called were persevere to the end nobody knew that Friday night

around 11 o'clock Jim Wiltshire was going to meet his Savior from what Jim

Jr. told me they had put him to bed they went back about an hour later and they

they found him gone he is he was in glory that I bet if we could have asked

him that Jim Wiltshire senior would have been praising the name of his Savior up

to that last point and I guess that's the challenge for all of us today none

of you know even if you've gotten some kind of diagnosis where the doctor has

to give you a timeline which I know they're kind of backing away from doing

a lot with the advancements and cancer treatments and all that stuff but none

of us know friend it could be tomorrow friend it could be at three o'clock

today none of us know and I don't say that to scare you but how you standing

knowing that God is providing for you his provision over your life is there

his redemptive work is going on through you and he is persevering you to the

very very end for when we know that oh and this is big when we understand that

God is persevering me it's not me persevering God God needs no

preservation I do because I falter because I fall because I get knocked

down God's the one preserving me it really should give us perspective in

life that the anger we feel isn't the biggest thing in our world the hurt that

we're feeling I don't want to minimize hurts because we all get hurt and we all

do hurting but if God is persevering us if it's God preserving you if his salt

is preserving your life can one person take that away no can two people take

that away sometimes I hate to say can a church even take that away and I know

for some of you've been hurt by the church but the church does not

substitute God's provision in your life it can't it won't but it gives us

perspective it causes us to step back to count to ten to look at what God is

doing in a situation now a lot of us are like me and we like to react right we

like to shoot from the hip we like to react 17 years 17 and a half years in

the ministry I've learned I can't do that because it rarely goes well because

I'm an idiot and a lot of times when I do this idiot comes out not pastor and

so understand that what God is preserving in me in this season is to

sit back is to try to understand try to reflect try to bring together what I

think God is doing I'm gonna ask that you join me in that let's talk about

corporately for just two minutes what is God calling Munster Church to be friend

we've not made it there's no making it as a church so if you have that

understanding take it out flush it it's done what is God calling Munster Church

to be here at 214 Ridge Road what is he called it to be when it was over there a

hundred and fifty almost 54 years ago when they moved it when it burned down

all of those pastors over there what has been the call well that's easy to love

God and love people great that's what Jesus called all of us to be that's what

Jesus called all of us to do in Matthew 28 but what does it mean for this space

what does it mean for this place and it's not that Jim does all the work

believe me it's not and it's not that to the elders and the deacons do all the

work though they do a lot it's that all of us are getting to work so what are

you passionate about what is God preserving in your life when you think

of the church what comes to mind take note of that because for some of you

it's all the things that we do wrong it's all the things that I don't like

it's all the let me just put this out there right I may get fired tomorrow

but I'm gonna put it out there the church is not here to meet all of your

needs it's not the church is here to provide the mission of the gospel for a

world that desperately needs it and guess what he's called all of us to get

involved he's called all of us to say hey go and make disciples so what is God

calling you what is God gifting you in no another shameful plug until all of

you take it I'm going to plug it right the spiritual gifts inventory it's not

gospel truth but it's a helpful tool to have those conversations and Mike has

done a great job where you can start interpreting it yourself I'd still love

to meet with you okay done with that but it will come back next week unless we

get 300 of them this week but what is he asking of you what is he looking at you

and saying hey this is where we need to work on your faith but this is where we

need to take your faith out into the streets this is where Munster Church

needs your gift this is where you need to go and help this or that because if

you're if you're just sitting here sitting on the sidelines it's going I've

been in this church all my life let the new kids do it that is counterintuitive

to what the Bible says the old men see dream dreams the young men see visions a

church of acts every generation was moving forward even the babies so what

is God asking for you and what is God asking of you this summer friend don't

waste the summer the summer with these Psalms are going to be a tremendous time

for us to not only dive into God's Word these specific Psalms we're gonna hear

from some other preachers and that's gonna be exciting too some new ones I've

never preached here before and that's exciting what is God asking of you God's

gonna change the life of six people next week when we cast lots we don't know who

it is we love the Holy Spirit does that's six out of 350 so that's six if my

math is correct that leaves oh my 346 of you no well I added two there would be

two new ones calm down I knew that was bad from the beginning I should not

publicly do math not have the call of the Deacon that's for sure at least the

treasure Jesse amen amen to that yeah you know you would understand what is

God calling you to do never once does it say God's calling you to be on the

sideline what does it mean for you to get in the game and let's dive in and

not only God's words but our confessions to help lead us to whatever that is

a new thing I'm gonna do for this summer of Psalms because that kind of comes out

it did at least this week as I was writing I'm gonna ask that you please

stand I'm gonna ask that we pray this closing prayer together it'll be on the

screens three two one Heavenly Father we thank you for your unwavering

faithfulness help us to trust in your providence rest in your redemption and

find confidence in your preserving grace strengthen our faith and guide us into

living lives that reflect your glory in Jesus name we pray amen and may the