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Psalm 115 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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Psalm 115.
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You are never more as God intended you to be
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and we are worshipers.
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It is wired into our very being.
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If we do not worship the one true and living God,
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we will inevitably worship it something lesser.
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These two sets of three verses
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each serve as an inclusio
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for verses 4 through 15.
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These types of structures are important for us.
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They're meant to draw us
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to central things being taught.
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They bookend for us
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a juxtaposition between the worship of false gods
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and the strong confidence that we can have
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in worshiping the one true and living God.
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So here has been my prayer for you this morning.
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If you are of the nations,
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one of those who do not belong to God,
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who worships the creation rather than the creator,
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my prayer for you is that you will behold
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the steadfast love and faithfulness of God
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this morning toward his people
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and that you will be moved
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to place saving faith in the person and work
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of Jesus Christ, right?
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That you might be counted amongst his people.
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If you are already of God's people,
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if you've already placed this saving faith in Jesus Christ,
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my prayer for you is that you will behold
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the steadfast love and faithfulness of God
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afresh this morning.
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You will see it once again
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and that he will show you
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how inclined you are
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to still worship at the feet
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of the creation.
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Having been adopted into the family of God,
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how likely you are to turn back from him
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to lesser forms of worship.
2:14
So there are two points for this morning
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if you're a note taker.
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Our number one,
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the futility of false gods.
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And number two,
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the glory of the one true and living God.
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The psalmist here makes for us
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such a very clear point
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and he like stacks up the imagery for us
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to help us to understand
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the futility or uselessness
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of false gods.
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He says in verse four,
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their idols are silver and gold,
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the work of human hands.
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Idols are created things.
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The psalmist tells us in verse four
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they are the work of human hands.
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They are made of precious metals here
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in verse four,
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but they are made all the same.
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Made by human hands.
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And he elaborates this point
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with these accusations of uselessness.
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Verse five,
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they have mouths.
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That is an image of a mouth,
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but they don't speak.
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In juxtaposition to that,
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Genesis chapter one
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tells of God creating the world
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with mighty words.
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He has spoken and speaks,
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but idols are dumb.
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They cannot utter anything.
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Certainly not to tell us anything
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of any value whatsoever.
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They cannot speak words of promise
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or encouraging or threatening.
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They also have eyes,
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but do not see.
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Again,
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in juxtaposition,
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when Hagar is told by an angel
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of the Lord
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that she will bear a son,
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it was recorded in Genesis 16
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and verse 13.
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So she called the name of the Lord
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who spoke to her.
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You are a God of seeing.
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Our God sees.
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He takes in
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and he acts accordingly.
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Verse six says,
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they have ears,
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but they do not hear.
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Exodus chapter two
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and verse 24,
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we see God hear the groaning
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of his people in captivity
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in Egypt.
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And verse 24 says,
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and God remembered his covenant
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with Abraham,
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with Isaac,
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and with Jacob.
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A God who cannot hear
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is a God that is useless
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to pray to.
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There's no point in praying
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to an inanimate God.
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There is a God,
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a singular God,
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who hears and responds.
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Verse six goes on,
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they have noses,
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but do not smell.
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And this is likely a reference
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to God's acceptance of sacrifice.
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Genesis chapter eight
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records for us in verse 21,
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when Noah exits the ark,
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that he made an altar
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and he put on it a sacrifice.
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And verse 21 says,
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and when the Lord smelled
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the pleasing aroma,
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the Lord said in his heart,
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I will never again curse the ground
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because of man,
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for the intention of man's heart
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is evil from his youth.
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Neither will I ever again
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strike down every living creature
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as I have done.
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So we have a God
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who accepts the sacrifice of men.
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A God who cannot smell,
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cannot receive
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an acceptable sacrifice.
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Verse seven says,
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they have hands,
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but do not feel.
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False gods cannot sympathize
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with our weakness
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or bring us any comfort at all.
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The author of Hebrews writes
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in chapter four in verse 15,
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for we do not have a high priest
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who is unable to sympathize
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with our weaknesses,
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but one who in every respect
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has been tempted as we are,
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yet without sin.
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These idols have feet,
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but do not walk.
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False gods have no activity.
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But the one true and living God
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does all that he pleases.
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False gods do nothing.
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The prophet Amos records
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in chapter four in verse 13,
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for behold,
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he who forms the mountains
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and creates the wind
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and declares to man
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what is his thought,
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who makes the morning darkness
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and treads on the heights
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of the earth.
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Right?
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He walks on the heights
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of the earth.
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The Lord,
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the God of hosts,
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is his name.
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And these idols,
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verse seven tells us,
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make not a sound
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in their throat.
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Or,
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more literally,
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they don't muse.
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They have no thoughts.
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False gods are lifeless
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and useless.
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This is a comprehensive,
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charge list.
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Idols are utterly useless,
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and the worship of them
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and exercise in futility.
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To worship anything
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other than the one
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true and living God
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is wasted worship.
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In studying these chapters
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against false gods,
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my mind was drawn
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to the taunting words
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of Elijah
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to the prophets of Baal
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in 1 Kings 18,
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in verse 27.
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He says,
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cry aloud,
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for he is a god.
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Either he is musing
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or he is relieving himself
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or he is on a journey
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or perhaps he is asleep
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and must be awakened.
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Utter futility
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to worship anything other
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than God himself.
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The psalmist continues
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by telling us in
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verse eight,
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that those who make them
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become like them
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and so do all
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who trust in them.
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We become like
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the things
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that we worship.
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This is striking.
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It's incredible.
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And this kind of language
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is picked up
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all throughout the scripture
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of people who are not
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following God.
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Right?
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People who are
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without their senses.
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Right?
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They can't see
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and they don't hear.
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Jeremiah chapter 5,
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verse 21 and following.
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Hear this,
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O foolish and senseless people
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who have eyes
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but do not see,
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who have ears
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but hear not.
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Do you not fear me?
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Declares the Lord.
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Do you not tremble
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before me?
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I place the sand
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as the boundary
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for the sea.
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A perpetual barrier
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that it cannot pass.
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Though the waves
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toss,
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they cannot prevail.
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Though they roar,
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they cannot
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pass over it.
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And the sea
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was always seen
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by the Hebrew people
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as a great evil.
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Right?
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God is saying,
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I set the limit
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of that.
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Verse 23,
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But this people
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has a stubborn
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and rebellious heart.
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They have turned aside
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and gone away.
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They do not say
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in their hearts,
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Let us fear the Lord
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our God
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who gives the rain
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in its season,
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the autumn rain
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and the spring rain
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and keeps for us
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the weeks
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appointed
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for the harvest.
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Ezekiel chapter 12
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and verse 2.
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Ezekiel writes,
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Son of man,
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you dwell in the midst
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of a rebellious house
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who have eyes to see
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but see not,
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who have ears to hear
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but hear not,
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for they are a
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rebellious house.
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This is the end result
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of our idolatry.
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Not seeing,
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not hearing,
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being senseless,
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being rebels
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against God.
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And praise be to God
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that by His Spirit,
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He works faith
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in blind
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and deaf people.
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We once were blind,
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but now we see
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if we are in Christ.
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In Matthew chapter 13,
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Jesus responds
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to the apostles
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asking why He speaks
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in parables.
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Much of Jesus' language
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is so very confusing
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on the surface.
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Why not go around
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teaching more
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plainly?
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And in verse 11
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and following,
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He says,
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To you it has been given
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to know the secrets
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of the kingdom of heaven,
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but to them
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it has not been given.
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For to the one who has,
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more will be given
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and he will have
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an abundance,
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but from the one
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who has not,
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even what he has
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will be taken away.
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This is why I speak
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to them in parables
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because seeing,
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they do not see,
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and hearing,
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they do not hear,
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nor do they understand.
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Indeed, in their case,
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the prophecy of Isaiah
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is fulfilled that says,
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and this is Isaiah 6,
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verses 9 and 10,
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You will indeed hear,
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but never understand,
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and you will indeed see,
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but never perceive.
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For this people's heart
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has grown dull,
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and with their ears
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they can barely hear,
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and their eyes
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they have closed.
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Lest they should see
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with their eyes
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and hear with their ears
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and understand
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with their heart
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and turn,
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and I would heal them.
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But blessed are your eyes
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for they see
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and your ears
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for they hear.
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For truly I say to you,
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many prophets
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and righteous people
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long to see
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what you see
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and did not see it,
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and to hear
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what you hear
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and did not hear it.
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And beloved,
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if we are in Christ
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this morning,
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we have seen
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and heard.
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We have beheld
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Christ
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himself.
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we have been
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turned from our
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evil ways.
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We have been
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made less senseless.
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We have been
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turned to the
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Most High God
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we now see
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and we hear.
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And most of us
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do not find ourselves
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in a position
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to bow down
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to carved images.
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I don't know
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that this is
12:14
happening much,
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although this morning
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I was told
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that there's a
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large night hawk
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now on one of the
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UNG campuses
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that's getting
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prayed to
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and gifts given to it
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and touched for good luck.
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I was shocked
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to hear such a thing.
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It was more
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striking
12:29
considering Psalm 115
12:31
this week.
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This is not
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typically
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the shape
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that our
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idolatry takes
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but the Bible
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is relentless
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about the
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idolatry of our
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hearts
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because we're
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people created
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to worship
12:46
but to worship
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God
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alone.
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In the Decalogue
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Exodus 20
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in verse 3
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we are commanded
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you shall have
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no other
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gods
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before me.
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We have to be
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very careful
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that we don't
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see commands
13:03
like that
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that we don't
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read Psalm 115
13:05
and think
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I don't
13:07
bow down
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to any
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graven images.
13:10
There's no
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idolatry in my
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life that looks
13:13
like what's
13:13
being explained
13:14
here but I
13:15
would suggest
13:16
to you that
13:16
oh on the
13:17
contrary.
13:19
Charles Spurgeon
13:19
once said
13:20
and this is the
13:20
quote on your
13:21
bulletin this
13:21
morning if you
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happen to have
13:22
one,
13:23
quote,
13:23
if you love
13:24
anything better
13:26
than God
13:27
you are
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idolaters.
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If there's
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anything you
13:31
would not give
13:32
up for God
13:33
it is your
13:34
idol.
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If there's
13:35
anything that
13:36
you seek with
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greater fervor
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than you seek
13:38
the glory of
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God that is
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your idol.
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And conversion
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means a
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turning from
13:45
every idol.
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Beloved, an
13:49
idol is anything
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that we place
13:51
as the primary
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focus of our
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lives.
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idolaters.
13:55
And it's very
13:57
possible to do
13:58
this with good
13:59
things.
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We regularly
14:02
take good
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things and
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make them
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idols by
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loving them
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above God
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himself.
14:09
We do this
14:11
with security.
14:13
We do this
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with all
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sorts of
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material
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possessions.
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We do it
14:19
with knowledge.
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You bunch of
14:22
reformed
14:22
Baptists.
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We do it
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with our
14:25
political
14:25
ideologies,
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with control
14:27
and comfort.
14:30
We do it
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with our
14:31
health,
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pleasure.
14:34
We do it
14:35
with success
14:36
or significance.
14:39
I have
14:39
idolatrously
14:41
worshipped
14:42
being a
14:43
pastor.
14:44
Isn't it
14:44
good to be a
14:45
pastor?
14:45
Of course it's
14:46
good to be a
14:47
pastor.
14:47
It's not good
14:47
to worship
14:48
being a
14:49
pastor.
14:50
creator.
14:51
We do it
14:52
with our
14:52
physical
14:53
appearance,
14:54
our leisure
14:55
time,
14:55
our ambitions.
14:57
We do it
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even with our
14:59
family and
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our church.
15:04
We have to
15:05
be so very
15:06
careful where
15:08
we place our
15:09
affection.
15:11
Even the good
15:12
things can get
15:13
misaligned and
15:15
we can love
15:15
those things
15:16
more than the
15:17
very God who
15:18
grants them.
15:20
to us.
15:22
We've
15:22
recently studied
15:23
James.
15:24
James chapter
15:25
4,
15:26
verse 1,
15:26
James writes,
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what causes
15:28
quarrels and
15:29
what causes
15:29
fights among
15:30
you?
15:30
Is it not
15:31
this, that
15:31
your passions
15:32
are at war
15:34
within you?
15:36
You desire
15:37
and do not
15:37
have, so you
15:38
murder.
15:38
You covet and
15:39
cannot obtain,
15:40
so you fight
15:40
and quarrel.
15:42
You do not
15:42
have because
15:43
you do not
15:44
ask.
15:45
You ask and
15:45
do not receive
15:46
because you
15:46
ask wrongly
15:47
to spend
15:48
it on
15:49
your passions.
15:52
James is
15:53
suggesting to
15:53
us that we
15:54
would be a
15:54
people at
15:55
peace were
15:57
we not
15:57
idolatrous.
15:58
We weren't
15:59
worshipping the
16:01
creation rather
16:02
than the
16:03
creator.
16:04
And we know
16:05
this because he
16:05
goes on in
16:06
verse 4 of
16:07
James 4 to
16:07
say,
16:08
you adulterous
16:08
people,
16:09
do you not
16:10
know that
16:11
friendship with
16:11
the world is
16:12
enmity with
16:14
God?
16:15
God.
16:15
Therefore,
16:16
whoever wishes
16:16
to be a
16:17
friend of
16:17
the world
16:17
makes himself
16:18
an enemy
16:20
of God.
16:23
And so,
16:23
if we are to
16:24
be worshippers
16:25
of God,
16:26
created in
16:27
Christ Jesus
16:27
for this,
16:28
then we
16:28
have to be
16:28
very careful
16:29
about the
16:31
lingering
16:32
idolatry
16:33
of our
16:34
hearts.
16:35
We have to
16:36
be constantly
16:36
assessing those
16:37
things in our
16:38
life that
16:39
draw our
16:40
attention.
16:41
Has this
16:41
become a
16:42
matter of
16:42
worship for
16:43
me or just
16:44
a thing that
16:44
I do?
16:46
Serving my
16:46
family,
16:47
working my
16:47
job,
16:48
owning my
16:50
home and
16:50
my car and
16:51
taking the
16:51
vacation,
16:51
all of those
16:52
things,
16:52
they ought to
16:53
be under
16:54
great scrutiny
16:54
to be sure
16:56
that our
16:56
hearts have
16:57
not drifted
16:58
away from
16:58
worship of
17:00
our God.
17:02
I think a
17:03
little helpful
17:04
rubric,
17:04
although there's
17:05
a number of
17:05
great rubrics
17:06
out there to
17:07
kind of run
17:07
your heart
17:09
through,
17:10
as one put
17:10
forth by A.W.
17:11
Tozer,
17:12
and he called
17:12
them rules for
17:13
self-
17:13
discovery,
17:15
and what he
17:15
meant by that
17:16
was how to
17:16
recognize where
17:19
the inclination
17:20
of your heart
17:20
was at,
17:21
and there's
17:22
seven of
17:22
them,
17:23
so here
17:24
they are.
17:25
Number one,
17:27
what we
17:27
want most.
17:30
You think
17:31
about things
17:31
that you want,
17:32
what is it
17:32
that you
17:32
think about?
17:33
What is it
17:34
that you
17:34
desire?
17:36
Number two,
17:38
what we
17:38
think about
17:39
most.
17:40
Where is
17:40
your mind
17:41
set throughout
17:43
the day?
17:44
Number three,
17:46
how we
17:47
use our
17:47
money.
17:48
Is our
17:49
money being
17:49
spent on
17:49
things that
17:50
are ultimately
17:50
about serving
17:51
us,
17:51
or about
17:51
serving the
17:53
kingdom of
17:53
God?
17:53
Are we
17:54
storing up
17:54
treasure here,
17:55
or treasure
17:56
above?
17:59
Fourth,
18:00
what we do
18:01
with our
18:01
leisure time.
18:03
When you've
18:03
got some free
18:04
time,
18:04
how do you
18:05
tend to
18:05
spend it?
18:07
Number five,
18:08
the company
18:09
we enjoy.
18:10
what kind
18:11
of people
18:12
do you
18:12
like to
18:12
be around?
18:14
Number six,
18:15
who and
18:15
what we
18:17
admire.
18:19
And number
18:19
seven,
18:20
what we
18:21
laugh at.
18:23
Things can
18:24
be helpful
18:24
to us to
18:25
think about
18:26
the inclination
18:28
of our
18:28
hearts.
18:30
Now,
18:30
because God
18:31
loves us
18:31
if we're
18:32
his people,
18:32
he cares
18:33
about exposing
18:34
our idolatry.
18:35
He wants
18:35
us to see
18:36
our idolatry
18:37
that we
18:38
might repent
18:38
of it and
18:39
return to
18:40
him.
18:41
And he
18:41
does this
18:41
in a number
18:42
of ways.
18:42
He does
18:43
it by his
18:43
word and
18:44
his spirit.
18:45
Hebrews 4
18:46
and verse 12
18:47
says,
18:47
the word of
18:47
God is
18:48
living and
18:48
active,
18:49
sharper than
18:50
any two-edged
18:50
sword,
18:51
piercing the
18:51
division of
18:52
soul and
18:52
spirit,
18:53
of joints
18:53
and of
18:54
marrow,
18:54
and discerning
18:56
the thoughts
18:57
and intentions
18:58
of the
18:59
heart.
19:01
Oh,
19:01
Christian,
19:02
that we
19:02
would be in
19:02
his word
19:03
and inviting
19:04
him in,
19:04
that he
19:05
would expose
19:06
our hearts
19:07
by the light
19:08
of his
19:08
word.
19:08
That we
19:08
might repent
19:09
and return
19:10
and worship
19:11
him with
19:11
all of our
19:12
being.
19:14
Secondly,
19:14
God exposes
19:15
our idolatry
19:15
by frustrating
19:16
our idols,
19:18
by withholding
19:19
them,
19:20
or by allowing
19:21
us to
19:21
experience
19:22
their futility.
19:24
Sometimes he
19:25
keeps you from
19:25
the thing that
19:26
you want to
19:27
show how much
19:27
you want it,
19:28
and sometimes
19:29
he gives it
19:30
to you so
19:32
that you'll
19:32
realize what
19:33
a waste of
19:34
energy it
19:35
really was.
19:37
In Psalm
19:37
106,
19:39
verse 13
19:40
and following,
19:41
this is a
19:41
reference to
19:42
Korah's
19:42
rebellion from
19:43
Numbers chapter
19:44
16,
19:44
I'll let you
19:44
go read
19:45
about that.
19:46
It records,
19:47
God as
20:08
God also exposes our idolatry by giving us, number three, an example of true worship.
20:15
To look toward.
20:16
What does true worship look like?
20:20
1 Kings 18, verse 36.
20:22
And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said,
20:28
O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel,
20:32
let it be known this day that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant
20:37
and that I have done all these things at your word.
20:43
God also exposes our idolatry, number four, by administering loving discipline.
20:50
Hebrews chapter 12, verse 5 and 6.
20:54
The author of Hebrews, as an encouragement to a people who are suffering, says,
21:00
And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?
21:04
My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him.
21:11
For the Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son whom he receives.
21:20
So because God loves us, he disciplines us, he trains us in righteousness,
21:27
because he knows that the very best thing that he can give to us is himself.
21:34
It's himself.
21:36
So we must be very careful, right?
21:38
The psalmist is trying to teach us about the futility of idolatry.
21:44
We must not think that we're immune to this,
21:46
but see that it still exists within us, even if we're in Christ.
21:52
This temptation to worship lesser things than our most high God.
21:58
And so what is the remedy for all of this idolatry?
22:03
It's proper worship.
22:05
It's proper worship.
22:07
So we see in the text also, the second main point,
22:11
the glory of the one true and living God.
22:15
The psalmist tells us, in order for us to properly worship,
22:22
we need to trust, to place our faith in this true and living God.
22:27
And we get wonderful repetitions here.
22:29
Verse 9, 10, and 11.
22:31
O Israel, trust in the Lord.
22:33
He is their help and their shield.
22:34
O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord.
22:36
He is their help and their shield.
22:38
You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord.
22:41
He is their help and their shield.
22:43
And I have to believe that when these repetitions exist in the Scripture,
22:47
it is because we're supposed to pay attention to them.
22:49
We need to be told again and again and again,
22:51
trust in the Lord.
22:53
He is a help and a shield.
22:55
Trust in the Lord.
22:56
He is a help and a shield.
22:57
Trust in the Lord.
22:57
He is a help and a shield.
22:59
He is actively and passively pursuing our good.
23:05
What a reason to praise our God.
23:09
Paul writes in Romans chapter 8,
23:12
verse 28 and 29.
23:15
And we know that for those who love God,
23:17
all things work together for good.
23:20
For those who are called according to his purpose.
23:23
And here's the good, beloved.
23:25
For those whom he foreknew,
23:26
he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.
23:32
In order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
23:38
There's no question there about the good that he's bringing about in our lives.
23:42
As God is to be trusted,
23:44
as he is working actively and passively for our good,
23:47
he's making us look more like Jesus.
23:50
So that we might bring him more glory.
23:55
Right?
23:55
Not to us, O Lord.
23:56
Not to us.
23:57
But to your name give glory.
24:02
Then again, repetition.
24:03
Verses 12, 13, 14, and 50.
24:06
The Lord has remembered us.
24:07
He will bless us.
24:08
He will bless the house of Israel.
24:09
He will bless the house of Aaron.
24:11
He will bless those who fear the Lord.
24:13
Both the small and the great.
24:15
May the Lord give you increase.
24:17
You and your children.
24:17
May you be blessed by the Lord who made heaven and earth.
24:22
Right?
24:23
What does he bless us with?
24:25
He will bless us with himself.
24:28
In Joshua chapter 1, verse 5.
24:31
God says,
24:32
I will not leave you or forsake you.
24:36
And he has promised the very same to us who believe in Christ.
24:42
The author of Hebrews again picks up chapter 13 and verse 5.
24:46
This quotation from Joshua 1, 5.
24:49
He says,
24:49
Keep your life free from the love of money.
24:53
And be content with what you have.
24:55
Be not idolatrous about possessions.
25:00
The author of Hebrews says.
25:01
For he has said,
25:06
I will never leave you nor forsake you.
25:09
So the remedy to this idolatry,
25:13
this useless,
25:15
this futile energy,
25:17
this proper worship of the one true and living God.
25:22
He deserves all of our worship.
25:24
And we are most like we were created to be
25:27
when we give him all of our worship.
25:30
So may we be God's people,
25:35
having placed saving faith in Jesus Christ,
25:37
who recognize the steadfast love and faithfulness of God to us,
25:42
so that we will turn from our idolatrous ways
25:45
and turn to him in admiration and praise.
25:50
Let's pray together.
25:52
Let's pray together.