December 1, 2024 - Sunday Morning Service

Looking forward to seeing Bruce and Amy.

He's going to be coming here and preaching at the end of the month.

That's right.

Thank you.

Psalm 2 deals with

man's rebellion against the Lord.

I think that's an interesting

topic when you think about it

that here we are just creatures,

people, objects of God's creation, and yet we

rebel against His creation, His authority over us.

We can be very stubborn.

The history of man is the history of His pushing His own will over that

of the Father. And we are

looking at Sunday School about God's goodness to us.

We are so blessed that

we have a Savior who loves us and has told us to love one another, to be giving

ourselves toward each other. And we're very

blessed. We're looking at Psalm 2 and I'm just going to read through it.

And then the last part, we'll be in the last four verses or so.

Verses 10 through 12, we're finishing up.

And I appreciate your patience with this. This is kind of a

running experience for me, studying these verses and the passages

and trying to go through them. And even trying to do it at work

sometimes. I can't really take a lot of time there, but I can think about

these things and they'll be on your mind.

It's kind of a meditation which is a good thing to do

and God is good to us. So the verse begins starting out

that there are, in that first paragraph, while the nations rage

and the peoples meditate on a vain thing, the kings of

the earth take their stand and the rulers take counsel together.

That

counsel that stand, that motivation

and that verse is reflected in the next verse when it says

that these things are against Yahweh and against

His anointed, His Messiah. And they are asking

there to let us tear their feathers apart and cast away the

courts from us. We've looked at that. We noticed that there are

four groups that are mentioned, nations, peoples, kings

and counselors. And we noted that two

of those are actually groups of people. The nations

are groups of people and the peoples represent

the rebellion of individuals and peoples.

But there are also two represented

leaders there. One is kings of the earth. They take their stand. They set

up their position in battle array against

the Lord. And not only the kings but the counselors, the rulers,

those who deal with authority, who

behind the scenes, they have their assembly, their private meetings

and they're coming together with their necessary

decisions to do whatever they can to stop the control

of Yahweh over their lives. And so

here you have this rebellion that's beginning

through a question that starts out as why. And that's

a good question. Why do we do that? I ask myself that

question over and over again. I know that I have a self-centered

will and I know I want to live for self

and that does not honor the Lord and it's very interesting

and I thought about this a lot throughout this text is that when I

live for self I'm not living for the Lord.

The two are almost against each other.

And so anyway, they are asking

and seeking to have the fetters torn apart

and the cords cast away from us. And when you think about it

those fetters and those cords that

tie us under God's control are actually

fetters and cords of mercy and grace that they really bring us

under a condition of being

blessed and profitable

not only to the Lord but to each other

and to the church and those cords, those restraints

if we throw them off we are throwing off

to a large degree God's blessing and God's mercy

and God's control. The judgment

that comes in Romans, if you remember, we looked at it the other day

is that God gives people over to their sin.

He releases them into their own rebellion,

their own stubborn will. That being

released by God into their own will is a form

of judgment that comes from God's hand. So it's a good thing

the restraint that comes from the Lord is a good

thing, it's a blessing. Second part of that verse, not only do we

see earth's rebellion but we see heaven's reaction

notice the one who is enthroned in heaven

his response is he laughs. The reason that that is

significant is that rebellion by man toward God

is such a hard

thing to realize. I read it before

think of the example of John in the book of

the Revelation where John is there and he sees

the scroll that is in the hand of God being given over

to the Lamb and he sees that scroll and it needs someone to

break the seals and before it's given over to the Lamb

there was a search made who is worthy to take the scroll

and John's response to that when no one was

found worthy is that he wept and he just really

wept bitterly, audible, pouring out

real emotional sorrow over that.

And the question that comes to mind is why is

he so emotionally distraught? Why is he torn up

so much? Why is this particular thing

such a travesty in him? And I know there are different answers

like the salvation, his salvation hangs in the balance

and things but I really think the main issue is that

he sees the majesty, the greatness, the character

the purpose of God now kind of hanging in the balance

that the most unbelievable thing that could possibly

be imagined is that there is rebellion against the

Creator, there is rebellion against the Lord and this is so wrong

and so out of sync with what is proper.

I don't know how to draw a parallel to that

do you think of, I was thinking of different movies where the hero gets

killed and suffers and it comes out exactly opposite of what

it should. This is much worse than that. This is that the Creator

that everything obeys him. Remember he speaks

and things, light comes into being or creation

and here he is, his voice has been disobeyed

by the creature that he has created and this is a

real serious travesty. What is God's response?

Well God's response is here

in this text is that he laughs. Not because it's

funny like a joke but it's because he can

handle it so easily. It's not pressure, it's not something that has brought

his plan to a close.

He is absolutely sovereign, he is on the throne and his work

is being brought past. So it says he laughs and he also mocks

that is that there is a

a Briticule if you will, there is some degree of

content perhaps toward them and then not only does he mock

but he speaks. Remember that

when the Lord speaks, the spoken

word that the Lord has, that when he speaks and communicates

vocally, verbally, that is his tool of

creation, that is his tool of activity. We use

hammers, nails, saws,

tape measures and things like that as tools to build things, whatever.

God uses his word, he speaks and he says that there be light

and there was light. He brings things into

being. I think this is my opinion now

I think that this is one of the reasons

why he is so silent at times, sometimes when there are questions

that are being raised against him, why he doesn't come to his defense

and he is very silent because he could speak the word

and things would be destroyed, it's the power of what he says.

And so in mercy, he refrains

from that sometimes even with his enemies. And so

here he is and he is now addressing those and

he is speaking to them in his anger and he is

my translation says, terrifies

the way it is constructed there

probably would be translated, he alarms them quickly

so that there is this quick response

and it's a trembling, a terrifying, it

alarms them and I don't know how

to describe it other than that, that this is an alarming

thing and it's happened in his fury, the word

fury there, I think I mentioned it before, is the

word that is the only word that's really, it's not the only word

but it is a word that's always used to speak of God's anger.

And so he terrifies them quickly

in his anger, his wrath

and he is saying to them, but as for me, notice the three

uses of the pronoun me, as for me, I have installed

my King upon my holy mountain. So here is the

Lord and his response now to this

rebellion in addition to laughing is that he

is now installed and noticed the security of that. He's not

asking for permission, he's

challenging the world by installing his

Messiah, his King on his holy mountain. So

I guess maybe what

what kind of comes out in the text is

the certainty of the greatness of God's purpose and

plan and activity, that there's not a question

of if it's going to happen, he is on the throne

and his will will be done and so Heaven's reaction

is that he is installed his Messiah on the throne.

We get to the third section which relates to the brain

of the Messiah and he says, I will surely tell of the

decree of Yahweh, the decree there has to do with an official

announcement and the way he's wording it

at the beginning, I will surely tell

seems to

infer that this is a glorious response, this is a glorious

response to what man is doing, I will surely tell

of the decree of Yahweh that

and he said to me, you are my son, this is

maybe a double application, obviously it's written for David

and that he is to be an inaugurated

king but ultimately would apply to Messiah

who would be the Messiah and who is the Messiah, not

would be but is God's Messiah and he is the one that

was mentioned back up previously is the one who was installed

and so he said, I will gloriously, this glorious announcement

tell or confirm the decree, the official

announcement if you will, of Yahweh

and he said to me, you are my son

you are my son

if you have your Bible let me get you

to look up a couple of verses for me, one of you look up Hebrews

Hebrews 1, 5 and 6 and

someone else who acts 13, 33 and 34

which you have Hebrews 1, 5 and 6

let me see here your hand or something like that, okay you got it

alright and then Acts 13, 33 and 34

who has that, okay

what does Hebrews 1, 5 and 6 say

doesn't matter, Sandy you got it

okay, does anyone have Hebrews 1, 5 and 6

I can look it up

well God never said to any angel what He said to Jesus, you are my son

today I have become your father

okay that's a quote from our passage in the Old Testament

it's a New Testament quote from that passage in the Old Testament

where he is referring to his birth

who has Acts 13, 13 and 34

okay I'm going to read 32 to be good

we tell you the good news what God promised our ancestors

He has fulfilled for us their children by raising up Jesus

as it is written in the second song

well that's cool, you are my son today I have become your father

okay so there are two places one dealing with the referring

being applied to Jesus in his birth

and the other one in his resurrection and by the way this passage

here is the only Old Testament passage

that links the father and the son together in the Trinity

directly it's a very interesting combination there

and so he is identifying him he says

today notice that phrase today

refers to space and time today I have

asked of you, ask of me

and I will surely give you

I'm sorry ask of me and I will surely give the nations

as your inheritance and the ends of the earth is your possession

we looked at this before you shall break them

the rebels of the world you shall break them with the rod of

iron you shall shatter them like a potter's

vessel so the Messiah speaks and he

acknowledges that he is my son today

in space and time he has been begotten

brought into this is an interesting statement and I can understand

Pete looking at that little baby and thinking about God

becoming flesh like that that's really

in one sense kind of a luring himself

and humbling himself and laying aside the

display of his glory for us

and the process of his working with our hearts working in our hearts

he's so good to us he's just so good to us

and very humble very thankful to the Lord

for who he is and what he's done so here we have rebellion

the rebellion that is acknowledged at the beginning

the nations raging people imagining vain things

kings of the earth taking the stand the counselors coming together

against the Lord and against his anointed we have this rebellion that's

met as it were by heaven where it does not

dislodge the Lord from his throne he is still

on the throne he laughs he's ridiculing those

and the heavens reaction is that he has in spite of this installed

his man his messiah now let's look at the last section

that's beginning in verse 10 says so now

oh kings show insight and take warning

oh judges of the earth serve

Yahweh with fear and rejoice with trembling kiss

the sun lest he become angry and you perish in the way

for his wrath may soon be kindled how blessed

are all who take refuge in him

so now this is kind of a grammatical way

of saying here is a conclusion to this this is the conclusion

of what we've been looking at and he identifies two

groups there and remember these are the groups that are

mentioned at the beginning not the peoples not the nations but two groups

the kings and the rulers or the judges the counselors

that are behind the scenes and so he addresses them

and he says oh kings show

insight that's actually a text that means to show wisdom

and that's one of the things that Solomon

prayed for and that's one of the things that I pray for for our leaders

is that God would give them wisdom and that he would

work in their hearts for righteousness because it's not

just enough to have some kind of authority but you want to make

the decisions that are wise you want to have wisdom to know how to respond to things

like that and so that's what he says he says now oh kings

show insight or wisdom

and take warning that's the idea is

he could be translated to chasing or correct or instruction

even allow for

punishment oh kings take warning take instruction

take teaching understand these

things take I guess what he says is show insight

wisdom and be instructed

and then not only the kings but oh

judges of the earth

um

the judges seem to

identify with as the counselors those that sit down in their

private meetings they're the ones that seem to have the

power even though they may not be on the headlines

and I think it's interesting that God holds even

these powerful people accountable that they're going to answer

to him he says oh judges of the earth

serve Yahweh that word serve

has to do with and probably would be good translated

being enslaved to Yahweh

does God use politicians and people like

that in authority as his slaves yes he does

in fact he uses everybody and everything according

to his will and according to his purpose and that's a good thing

that's a good thing I'm glad that

he is not with the rebellion that's going on

and the resistance that's going on

I'm glad that he is not giving up or moving

over to the side or that there's no change of who is

on the throne that we know who is on the throne we understand this

and so he tells the kings to show wisdom

to take warning or take instruction and then to the

judges these leaders behind the scenes that were going to stand

before him they will answer to him he tells him to be

serve or to be enslaved to Yahweh

and he says he uses the word fear

being enslaved to Yahweh with fear and

rejoice with trembling I like that phrase

the word fear maybe a good I like John's definition

in the cross that he says when you fear God it means

to take him with ultimate seriousness and boy

I'll tell you what that is really important to do that

to really fear God my sister's husband that was one of

the things that he didn't like about being a Christian

was he didn't like the idea of fear in God but

he's a healthy one to fear he really is and so

he says serve the Lord with fear

with submission with

serious reverence if you will and not only serve

the Lord but listen to this and rejoice the idea of being

glad not only to serve the Lord but rejoice and be

glad and he says there be glad with trembling

afraid of the judgments

you know I remember

Jayburn McGee commenting when he was speaking

California and I happened to be out there and I was speaking he had been lipping

when he said this but he said that sometimes Christians

act like they've been weaned on a deal pickle

and that's because sometimes we can be real sour

in our expression and stuff like that and he said we really have a lot to be

thankful for and he's right we really do have a lot to be thankful for

we just finished the celebration of Thanksgiving we talked

about Thanksgiving and I am aware

of the fact that probably the great

sin of man is according to Romans 1 is he's not thankful

and we need to be thankful we need to recognize who

is the source of our blessing and so here the

text says to rejoice to be glad with reverence

with trembling to fear him in that good sense

then he says one other thing he says kiss the son

that means not just

puckering up and kissing him but show homage embrace him

with respect focus on him

boy I'll tell you what that is something that I would like

I really would like to do all the time and it's just

sometimes it's hard for me to concentrate on the son to have so many other things

in my mind and doing a lot of things but Jesus

needs to be the focal point of our love and the focal point of our

service and focal point of our worship and I encourage you in your

quiet time like that to spend time in God's Word and to read I usually

give out to people when I'm and I give out sometimes

Bibles not a lot I'm not boasting on that but the thing

I tell people is read the Gospels and focus on Jesus

and get to know him really get to know him because he's worthy

of your affection and your worship he's worthy of my affection

and my worship and he makes a difference in your heart and your life

he gives us this joy that we're talking about so he says kiss the son

and he's a homage to the son

lest he become angry and you perish in the way

which tells us this

that God does command us to respect and to love him

and that we need to do that we're commanded to obey the Gospels

and if we fail to do that

he is angered justly so because he is the creator he is the one that has

us and we respond to him we need to do that we need to

to put him first because he is first

he is the sovereign of our lives and it's not so much that he's got this ego

trip and that he has to have his ego scratched

but it is rather who he is he is absolutely almighty

God he is the creator if you go through Revelation

over and over again he is attributed there praising him because he created

everything that he is the creator and he is the creator

of us and he is the creator of you and so we need to

really worship him and to put him first and so he says kiss the son

lest he become angry lest he be angry with you

and you perish

in the way you die in the way

for his wrath you don't want to experience his wrath

his wrath may soon be kindled

and so here is this warning that is given to the kings and to the judges

to take God seriously to show insight

to serve him

as a slave if you will with fear and also

not only serving him but rejoicing

rejoicing with trembling respond to him

embrace him kiss him in the sense that he is

worthy of our worship and worthy of our affection

that is another part of kissing is to hold him

in a position of affection and I have mentioned

that before that I really want to love the Lord

and I find out myself that I love myself

instead of him and you can pray for me with that

and the Lord will help me to love him more because that is really where the focal point

is that is where worship really begins

and seeing him and bowing before him

and so that is what he says there in that text

that he kissed the son lest he become angry and you perish

you die in the way and so that is a pretty stiff penalty

for refusing to worship him and honor him

is how blessed are all who take refuge

in him there is a serious

response here in the text to worshiping the Lord

to taking him first to putting him on the throne of your life

and taking him seriously and there is a serious response to those

who do not do that who fail to do that I'm thinking of

I've been trying to think

of passages that deal with the Lord and His wrath and I've looked at

Revelation 20 let me just read a couple of verses there

John writing in Revelation from the Isle of Pampmos

and he's describing what he's seeing

so he's actually telling us things that he sees and he says

then I saw heaven opened and behold white horse

and he who sits on it is called faithful

and true and in righteousness he judges

and wages war his eyes

are a flame of fire and on his head

are many diadems having a flame and having a name

written on them which no one knows except himself

and being clothed with a garment dipped in blood

his name also is called the word of God

and the garments which are in heaven clothed with fine linen

white and clean we're following him on white horses

and from his mouth comes a sharp sword so that with it

he may strike down the nations and he will rule them with a rod

of iron and he treads the wine press of the wrath

of the rage of God the Almighty

and he has on his garment and on his thigh a name written

King of Kings and Lord of Lords

then I saw an angel standing in the sun

and he cried out with a loud voice saying to all the birds who fly

in mid heaven come and assemble for the great supper of God

so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh

of commanders and the flesh of strong men and the flesh of

horses and of those who sit on them the flesh of

all men both free and slaves and

small and great and then I saw the beast and the

kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war with him who sits

on the horse and with his army

so that this is a serious scene it's taking place in the book of Revelation

I ran across and probably most people don't know it

but the battle hymn words were taken from this passage in Revelation

which let me just read a couple of verses to you and then we'll close

My eyes have seen the glory

of the coming of the Lord he is trampling out the vintage

with the grapes of wrath are stored

he is loose the faithful lightning of his terrible swift sword

his truth is marching on

he is sounded forth to trumpet that shall never sound retreat

he is sifting out the hearts of man before his judgment

seat oh be swift my soul to answer him

be jubilant my feet our God

is marching on he is coming like the glory

like the coming of the wave he is wisdom to the mighty

he is succor to the brave so the world shall see his

footstool and the soul of time his slave

our God is marching on

we have that to look forward to he is actually coming back and we want to respond

to that we want to I want to love him

I really do want to love him and I find that I struggle with that

probably you do too let's have a word of prayer

Father do thank you for this psalm

and the rebellion that is met

for the earth that is met from heaven and has dealt that you have

installed your king you have not finished with this planet

I know that I know that you're working in the hearts of men

I ask you to work in my heart forgive me

of my rebellion and my sin I pray for us that you would forgive

us of our rebellion our casual approach sometimes

help us to take you seriously to know you better to love you more

and first thank you so much for your mercy

and your grace and your kindness to us

and thank you for these people thank you for this season of the year it's a very

good time both thanksgiving as well as Christmas

ask your blessing now upon us as we part and bring us back tonight

also thank you for the music we'll be singing and practicing the choir

in a little bit thank you for that thank you that we have a purpose

and a joy for singing and we have a hope

which gives us that joy and we're very thankful for that so I ask your blessing upon this time

and I pray in Jesus name amen