Scripture referenced 8 passages
The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.
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Psalm 1 Primary text, walked through verse by verse as the first of a one-two punch with Psalm 2
1 Blessed is the man who doesn’t walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand on the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers;
2 but his delight is in Yahweh’s law. On his law he meditates day and night.
3 He will be like a tree planted by the streams of water, that produces its fruit in its season, whose leaf also does not wither. Whatever he does shall prosper.
4 The wicked are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the wicked shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For Yahweh knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked shall perish.
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Keep this verse
Psalm 2
Primary text, walked through verse by verse as the most quoted Old Testament passage in the New Testament
1 Why do the nations rage, and the peoples plot a vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth take a stand, and the rulers take counsel together, against Yahweh, and against his Anointed, saying,
3 “Let’s break their bonds apart, and cast their cords from us.”
4 He who sits in the heavens will laugh. The Lord will have them in derision.
5 Then he will speak to them in his anger, and terrify them in his wrath:
6 “Yet I have set my King on my holy hill of Zion.”
7 I will tell of the decree. Yahweh said to me, “You are my son. Today I have become your father.
8 Ask of me, and I will give the nations for your inheritance, the uttermost parts of the earth for your possession.
9 You shall break them with a rod of iron. You shall dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”
10 Now therefore be wise, you kings. Be instructed, you judges of the earth.
11 Serve Yahweh with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
12 Give sincere homage to the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish on the way, for his wrath will soon be kindled. Blessed are all those who take refuge in him.
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2 Peter 3:9
Quoted to show God is patient, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance
9 The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness; but is patient with us, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
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Acts 1:8
Referenced to connect the nations as Christ's inheritance with the Great Commission to the uttermost parts
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.”
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John 1:12
Quoted to explain how believers receive the right to become children of God
12 But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become God’s children, to those who believe in his name:
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Mark 14:36
Jesus crying Abba Father in the garden, sweating drops of blood before the cross
36 He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible to you. Please remove this cup from me. However, not what I desire, but what you desire.”
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Galatians 4:6
Paul citing the Holy Spirit crying Abba Father in the hearts of sons and daughters
6 And because you are children, God sent out the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!”
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Romans 8:15
Paul on the spirit of adoption by which believers cry out Abba Father
15 For you didn’t receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
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Recap
The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.
This message moved through Psalm 1 and Psalm 2 together as a pair, with Pastor John explaining that Psalm 2 is the most quoted Old Testament passage in the New Testament and forms a foundation for the book of Hebrews, which the church begins studying next week. The two psalms set up a sharp contrast between the righteous and the wicked, and together make the case that Jesus is the only king whose rule is permanent.
What was said
Pastor John opened Psalm 1 by pointing out its structure using the word ABBA as a memory device, not a pop reference but a description of the poem's shape. The first movement describes a blessed person by what he refuses: the counsel of the wicked, the company of sinners, the posture of the scoffer. That dissociation is paired immediately with what the righteous person does do: delight in God's instruction and meditate on it constantly.
The center of Psalm 1 draws a stark picture. The righteous person is like a tree planted beside a stream, fed, stable, producing fruit in season. The wicked are not like that at all. They are like chaff, like a tumbleweed blowing across the highway with no roots, nothing to hold them. Pastor John said the psalm closes with a shift in perspective from the earthly to the heavenly: the Lord knows the way of the righteous because He walked it, and the way of the wicked will perish.
Psalm 2 opens with the nations in an uproar, their kings and rulers taking counsel together against God and against His anointed. Pastor John was careful to pull listeners out of modern geopolitical thinking. The word for nations is the word for ethnic families, and the opposition described is not one government against another but the human family rejecting any authority above itself, wanting to tear free of God entirely.
God's response to all of that plotting is laughter. Pastor John read the line slowly: He who sits in the heavens laughs. The Lord scoffs. Then God speaks and declares that He has installed His king on Zion regardless of what any earthly ruler plots. That king is the Messiah, and the decree that follows, "You are my Son, today I have begotten you," is the verse Hebrews quotes repeatedly. Pastor John called this a split-range prophecy: part fulfilled when Jesus came the first time in humility, the rest to be completed when He returns in judgment.
The psalm closes with a direct warning to kings, rulers, and judges: show discernment, take warning, worship the Lord with reverence, and do homage to the Son while there is still time. Pastor John tied this back to Psalm 1. The wicked will perish in their way. His wrath may soon be kindled. But the final line is not condemnation; it is invitation: "How blessed are all who take refuge in Him."
Pastor John then spent time on the word Abba itself. It appears three times in the New Testament, always paired with the Greek word for father to make the meaning unmistakable. Jesus used it in the garden before the crucifixion at his most vulnerable, submitting his will entirely to the Father's. Paul uses it in Galatians and Romans to describe what believers receive: not a spirit of slavery but a spirit of adoption. The point Pastor John landed on was that the same word Jesus used in his deepest anguish is the word that belongs to everyone who believes, because his perfect submission and sacrifice made adoption into God's family possible.
Doing a Bible study?
Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages in order, questions for the group, and room to write.
- Pastor Jonathan walked through the ABBA structure of Psalm 1, showing a contrast between the righteous man who delights in God's instruction and the wicked who are like chaff blown away. Where do you find yourself most tempted to seek counsel from those around you rather than from God's instruction?
- Psalm 1 describes the blessed man as a tree planted by streams of water, yielding fruit in its season and prospering in everything he does. Pastor Jonathan pointed out that this prosperity is not just temporal but looks forward through all eternity. How does that eternal perspective change the way you think about what it means to live a fruitful life right now?
and 3 more questions in the guide
Read the full transcript 8,875 words
0:00
Yeah. Good morning.
0:01
Alright. Good. How how are things really? Did y'all mean
0:06
that? Yes.
0:07
Is it good? Alright. Well, let's act like it. Would y'all stand up and we'll start singing? We've got all hail the power of Jesus name.
0:14
I wanted to make sure y'all were doing alright before we sing this one. This one requires some wind and it requires some thought. So, all hail the power of Jesus name. Let angels prostrate fall. We're going into study of Hebrews next week and we're going through a couple of Psalms this morning and this just is a perfect selection duty for today.
0:34
So, would you? Sing it out. It's good pep talk.
0:44
All hail the power of Jesus name let angels prostrate fall bring forth the royal diadem and to him all majesty ascribe and crown him to him all majesty Amen.
2:18
So, the one that y'all skipped and I sang was you chosen seed of Israel's race, you ransomed from the fall. Hail him who saved you by his grace and crown him lord of all. Hail him. Amen. Who saved you by his grace and crown him lord of all.
2:34
Amen. Yes. It is Independence Day is coming. So, it's the week of Independence Day this coming week. So, we're going to sing a couple of patriotic songs.
2:44
We do one in every show, right?
2:45
Had, no, you say that in the South somewhat. Week of. It's week of or something there. It's.
2:50
Nope. Not this occasion but. No. If it's something. It's coming this Thursday.
2:55
It's Independence Day. We're going to sing America the Beautiful and I think we'll sing My Country Tis of thee. Yeah. If it were next week, that would be right.
3:02
Oh, is that right? Yeah. Okay. There's something there.
5:39
From sea to shining Amen. Boom. Thank you, Judy. Wow.
5:54
The symbols ring out.
5:56
Alright. Y'all can have a seat. I've got a few announcements this morning. Monday nights at First B is happening this Monday night. Carl is in a series on songs and Psalms.
6:08
So, songs and Psalms for the guy who is a worship leader and a pastor is really really for both of us. It's been really good for us here lately. Singing those songs. So, he's going through songs and Psalms tomorrow night. Meal, music, and a message.
6:21
If you're wondering who's cooking, it's Felix in Guadalupe. So, it's going to be Mexican food. Very very good. So, that's happening tomorrow night at 06:00 down the hall. Monday nights is happening.
6:31
Immigrant Hope is still raising raising shoes. They're not raising money. They're raising shoes. It's some they're they're distributing these all over the place. So, if you have any new or gently used shoes that you want to donate, you can bring em to the church office and we'll be the middle man for that.
6:46
Volunteers are still needed. If any of y'all are thinking, I'd really like to go on that trip to Gillette. Let me know. Please let me know. We have right now the van and a pickup truck going.
6:56
We have the tools that we need already. We have the tools. We have some of the supplies with us and we will have the rest of the supplies there when we get there. We know what we're trying to accomplish so we have a mission and so if you want to go with us, then, please let me know or let Gary Geek know and we'll get you a space reserved on the way up. We are staying.
7:19
We're not gonna sleep on church floors. We're going stay in hotel if that's been if that's been holding you back. We actually are going to stay in an actual place with an actual shower and an actual bed but if you want to go July 10 through the thirteenth, Gillette, Wyoming. We're going to be doing some repairs for a reboot of a church that Scott Eichen and Pam are serving in Gillette. July 11 at 05:30PM down at Robert and Patty Gill's Place on Shoot And Iron Ranch Road.
7:47
They're gonna have the Turning Points Annual Gala. So this is a fundraiser. It's the biggest fundraiser of the year for Turning Point. Is there anything else I need to know about that, Judy? Okay, good.
7:59
So, Melissa Oden is supposed to be a great speaker too. So, that's happening on the eleventh. I'll be in Gillette at the time but y'all please do go and support him. Draw near is happening tonight. This might seem odd because I'm a baptist preacher and this is a baptist church.
8:13
This is happening at the Catholic church tonight. They have folks from a lot of different congregations around coming together encountering his presence through songs and adoration. So, we're in a Psalms and Psalms series here and at the last Sunday of the month, each month, they're doing this and so, Karrie Miller who is y'all know Karrie Miller probably and Florine will be playing with him and there are few others that will be playing and singing. So, if you want to go, Sunday, June 30, that's today, 6PM at Our Lady Of The Mountains. Draw Near is the name of the service.
8:48
If you miss a message, you can find it on the internet. We can find it for you if you can't figure it out, alright? That is when somebody called in and said, I really like to hear this message and we'll burn it on a CD if we have to. If you really want to hear it, we'll figure it out for you. Connect hour is happening between services still as a place to connect with the first service.
9:08
It's happening about 10:15. There's always breakfast. If you feel like you're running out of the house, you can come here and eat breakfast instead and I think there's one more that I can't remember right now. You might know what it is. Vacation Bible School.
9:21
Vacation Bible School. There's no slide for it because it happened last week. You see that we're not decorated like we're on a mission to Mars or something and there's not any, you know, globes hanging from the ceiling or anything like that right now. That was a fantastic time. They had a 113 kids come out pretty much every day and that 30 something kids that were not affiliated with any kind of a church.
9:42
The parents came and brought em though and the volunteers did a fantastic job. It was smooth as silk. Just a beautiful, beautiful time. So, thank you if you volunteered and helped out with that. A double digits, they said, of kids made a decision for Christ and so we're praying for them as they were exposed to the gospel repeatedly.
10:03
This was a very straightforward presentation of the the plan from the beginning to the end. Eternity past to eternity future and it was really really well received. So, thank you. It was a good time. There's anything else that should be in your bulletin.
10:17
Since I'm advertising for other churches, I got one more. River Crossing Church is now gateway. Y'all heard probably of the switch. River Crossing is changing over. It's going to be gateway.
10:28
They do a televised service out of Texas. Robert Morris is the pastor down there. Today is a kind of a farewell party for Mike Atkins. Mike's been serving in the valley this time for like twenty three years, I think, and he served for several years before that. After the service today, I'm going to run down there.
10:46
If y'all want to go, you're welcome just to say goodbye to Mike because this is your chance at a at a farewell. If you want to, I'm going to go. Just let you know. So, I think that's it for announcements. If you would, greet one another.
10:58
Y'all stand and greet one another. We'll bring you back together with another patriotic song. Jesus is lord of all. Hip number five ninety nine. All of these work well.
12:52
My I've quit my struggles, contentment at last, Jesus is my life Jesus is lord on the last. All of my longings all my dreams Jesus is Lord Jesus is lord Amen.
15:35
Thank you, Scott and Judy. Y'all can have a seat. I'll invite the frontline team to come forward. Would y'all pray with me? God, we thank you for this day, lord, for the beauty of this week.
15:49
What an amazing time to just take in Your creation is speaking forth. Every day, there's no language where it can't be understood. God, we thank you that you are evident in what we see around us lord but we thank you that you speak to us also intimately through your word and God I just thank you for that. I also pray lord that we would be speaking out your word to others that we would be living it out and part of that lord is with what you've entrusted us, giving back a portion so that you may advance your good gospel through whatever means you see as necessary. Lord, we ask you to multiply to do your kingdom's work that we would know him, lord, and that we would make him known, that others would come to know him, that they would continually going forward making him known.
16:41
Jesus name, the only king forever. Amen.
16:48
It's a blessing to be here this morning and I love to worship God through music. Amen? This song is very, very good song. The lyrics are so good. And I'm gonna read it first just in case I won't be able to sing it.
17:00
It says like this. Wow. Life is easy when you're up on the mountain, and you've got peace of mind like you never know. But things change when you're down in the valley. Don't lose faith for you're never alone.
17:24
For the God on the on the mountain is still God in the valley. I hope I'm gonna sing this. When things go wrong, you'll make them right. And the God of the good times is still God in the bad times. The God of
17:39
the day is still God in
17:40
the night. Amen? I think it's extremely important that we trust God no matter what's happened in our lives. Amen? There are stuff that happens because, let's see, poor choices.
17:51
There's stuff that happens because of sickness, or there's stuff that happens because nature brings it to us. Whatever it is, whatever you are, God, it is. He's always with you. Amen? Amen.
18:08
Life is easy when you're up on the mountain and you've got peace of mind like never know but things change when you're down in the valley don't lose faith for you're never alone for the God on the mountain is still God in the valley is still God in the bad times the God of the day is still God in the night You talk a face when you're up on the mountain. But talk comes so easy When life's at its best, now is down in the valley. Trials and temptations, that's where your faith is really put to the test for the God on the mountain is still God in the valley when things go you'll make them and the God of the good times is still God in the bad times the God of the day he's still got in the night life is easy when you're up on the mountain and you've got peace of mind like you've never known but things change for the God on the mountain is still God in the valley when things go you made them rise and the God of the good times is still guiding the bad the day is still God in the night and the God of the day he's still God in the night
22:13
Amen.
22:23
Flooring. Wow. So, this morning, rather than saying, we're just going forward in scripture. We got a one two punch this morning. It's y'all know that we finished second Peter and I've announced already we're headed towards Hebrews but in between second Peter and Hebrews, I wanted to study.
22:42
It seems like every Bible study that has done anything in the past two or three years like precepts covered Hebrews, community Bible study covered Hebrews. There are two small groups that covered Hebrews. I feel like I'm preaching to a bunch of seminary professors and so, I'm trying to get ahead of y'all this time. So, Hebrews is coming but for this week, we're going to have a one two punch. How many y'all remember these?
23:04
You remember that? I never was much for boxing. Like, I never have done much boxing, the sweet science, all that sort of stuff. But I was pretty good with the rock them sock them robots. And a one two punch usually is a left jab followed by either a right jab or a right cross.
23:19
Now I did not get a chance to do that when I was little because we had one set of boxing gloves. I think we picked up at a thrift store and I have a brother. So, there are just two of us. We were the boxers but we only have one pair of gloves and since I was older and bigger, I got the left handed glove because I'm right handed and he got the right handed glove. He is right handed and so he might not have been as fast or as big, but he could could pack a wallop with that right handed glove.
23:43
We could just block with our ungloved hand, but we did play a lot of Rock em, sock em robots. So, one, two punches, one and then two. In this case, it's going to be Psalm one and Psalm two. So, we're going to go through Psalm one which has six verses, pretty simple, straightforward, and then Psalm two, the reason I'm doing this, whether you need to know it or not, is because Hebrews quotes Psalm two about three or four times directly and it also alludes to it throughout the whole book. In fact, all of the New Testament writers are alluding to this fact throughout the New Testament.
24:23
Psalm two is the most quoted Old Testament passage in the New Testament. So, before we go into Hebrews which is the one that quotes Old Testament more than any other book in the New Testament. Maybe Revelation might have it be depends on who you ask but we're going to go for Psalm one and Psalm two. So, we'll start off right here. Psalm one, how blessed?
24:43
How blessed is the man who does not? So, this is setting up things that a blessed man does not do. How blessed is the man who does not walk in the council of the wicked? Listening to the advice and the council of those who do not look towards God. The the wicked.
25:03
It'll become apparent who he's talking about as the Psalm goes on, as all the Psalms go on. How blessed is the man who does not walk in the council of the wicked nor stand in the path of sinners. That's not meaning you stand in the way of sinners trying to stop em. It's meaning stand in the same place where they stand. Walk in the way that they're walking.
25:23
How blessed is the man who does not walk in the council of the wicked nor stand in the pathway of sinners nor sit in the seat of scoffers. We just got finished with second Peter and towards the end of that book, he said, there will be those in the last days who will teach wrong things. They'll introduce destructive heresies and there will be scoffers and those scoffers will say, where is this coming you've been talking about? It hadn't happened. Don't sit in the seat of scoffers and go, because it hadn't happened yet, that mean it's not coming.
25:55
How blessed is the man who does not walk in the council of the wicked nor stand in the path of sinners nor sit in the seat of scoffers. Y'all know who this is? I'm not saying they're centers of scoffers. I'm just saying, do you know who this is? So if I gave their names, would it help?
26:11
That's Benny Anderson, Annie Fried Lindstock, Agnetha Falkstag, and Jorn Ulvius. That doesn't help either? It that that her name is actually Frieda. Does that help? No, they're standing in the wrong order.
26:32
If it was Annie Fried Lindtstadt, Benny Andersson, Bjorn Ulvius, and Agneth the Falkstadt, more of y'all would have guessed, it's ABBA. The Swedish super group ABBA, right? What in the world does that have to do with the price of tea in China? ABBA is only here for a mnemonic device, alright? Whenever you're studying Psalms especially because they're poems or songs and they have a fairly predictable structure in a lot of cases and this is one of those structures.
27:03
ABBA. ABBA and this Psalm one first one is the A portion of this particular Psalm and it's about a dissociation, the righteous, dissociation from the wicked. So, the A section of this ABBA is dissociation from the wicked. Don't walk in the council, don't stand in the path nor sit in the seat of scoffers, okay? That's the A section, the dissociation from the wicked.
27:32
Now, the second verse of this first Psalm, honestly, the first Psalm is kind of important too because it kind of sets the tone for Psalms and there's something that you will see as a New Testament concept that's played out very very well in these this first and second Psalm. The second one says, but his, this is the righteous one. The blessed man in this case. How blessed is he who does not, does not, does not, does not, and then it says, but his delight, this is the things that he does do. His delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law, the Lord's law.
28:10
He meditates day and night but his delight is in and we get to law for us. It's law and legal precedents and courts and bailiffs and judges and we get into law and whether it's a right, good law, or bad law, don't think about it that way. The law of the Lord is the instruction of God. It is his benevolent instruction for you to be able to live a blessed life. Are you looking to God for his instruction?
28:39
Considering this, to the Hebrews is the way that Hebrews starts off. He's using an argument for them of stuff that they would have known and known it by wrote. They knew the Psalms and so they calls on Psalms and Isaiah more than anything else and when we're looking at this, the instruction of God is contained in these Psalms, right? It's pointing towards that. If you wanted to get technical, the word for law in this in this particular verse is Torah and Torah, well, strictly speaking, it's the first five books, the Old Testament, the Pentateuch, Books of Moses, that is Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
29:22
Those are the Pentateuch. That is the Torah and so these people would have thought of that this way and the Jews today still think of Torah in that way. It's a way of living under the instruction of God but they point to that. When the when this poem or song was pinned, they may or may not have thought of as authoritative but they thought certainly it was in line with the instruction of God. How blessed is the one who does not do this and who does this?
29:52
He delights in the instruction of God. He looks to God for how he should order his steps. Are you with me? And in his law or his instruction, in his teaching, He meditates day and night. So, this is about a righteous man and I think that is association with God.
30:17
So, it's a dissociation. That's the A section from the wicked and association with God and this is from the perspective of the earthbound man, okay? Somebody who is on this Earth looking to God for his direction versus listening to those around him for his their counsel and so forth. So, we've got an A section that is dissociation from the wicked, a B section that is association with God. Now, we're right there in our ABBA rhyme scheme, okay?
30:49
Or not really rhyme but our scheme and honestly, this doesn't fit that scheme but it's right in the middle of it. I'll come back to this, okay? He will be. This is the righteous man. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water.
31:06
By the way, we planted three trees out here. Did y'all say there were three trees planted in front of the church? Did y'all know that Cache Creek runs from where it goes away up there and into Karnes Meadow. It runs up under Kelly Avenue the whole way. That means nothing compared to the sermon but this is just, it's a tree.
31:24
Three trees are planted right there next to a stream. It will be like a tree that's firmly planted by streams of water which yields its fruit in its season. Amen. And its leaf does not wither and then whatever he does, he prospers. He finds contentment in whatever it is that he does.
31:49
It does not really matter what it is that he's doing. He finds contentment. The righteous will be like a tree firmly planted by water. He's fed by streams of water. Yields fruit in its season in the appropriate times.
32:03
And its leaf does not wither and whatever he does, he prospers. So, that's C in between this ABBA and it's really a contrast. If you've got a new American Standard Bible, the heading over this particular Psalm might say, the righteous and the wicked contrasted because it is. Hebrew parallelism, they it sets up this contrast in the middle like this. So, three starts out like I've just read.
32:30
He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water which yields fruit in its season. Oh, it sounds so great. Its leaf does not wither and whatever he does, he prospers. Amen. The wicked are not so.
32:41
Not so the wicked. They are like chaff which the wind drives away. Even sagebrush in the high mountain desert that we live in is tapped down in and it's still green and still gray, right? You can see and and you can tell the difference in sage that is drawing its nutrients and water from a tumbleweed that's blowing across Highway 80, can't you? He's saying there's a big difference in something that's rooted in instruction of God.
33:10
The wicked are not. So, they're like chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore, the wicked will not stand in the judgment. Oh, here it is judgment again. Just got out a second I thought we're going to get away from that.
33:24
This is a full Bible concept that there are but two paths that we can take. We begin original sin. We begin wicked and unless we take God's only means and provision for righteousness. We will be remaining in the wicked camp and the wicked will not stand in the judgment nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. This is a strong contrast between the righteous and the wicked.
33:56
So, there we are. We're going to go on through to the BA. Turn it around just in one verse. The first part of the verse is the B section. That's the mirror image of association with God.
34:12
For the Lord knows the way of the righteous. If you'll consider that for just a second, how does the Lord, Jesus Christ? How does the Lord know the way of the righteous? He walked it. He walked it himself.
34:27
He left the glories of heaven and he was born humble, poor, and walked out a righteous life the entire way and complete submission of spirit and so he therefore, he knows the way of the righteous. Now, you might say, yeah, but this was written at least a thousand years before, maybe as much as thirteen hundred years before. It's been written. Yeah. God's the author.
34:53
He knows the end from the beginning and he knows the way of the righteous. If you don't want to look at it, that it's Jesus having lived that. You can still look forward to and know that God seated on the throne sees what happens and he sees the difference between the righteous and the wicked. So, the Lord knows the way of the righteous. So, this B has shifted perspective now.
35:16
We had dissociation from the wicked and association with God at the front side on this A and B and now, we hit B again and it's God's association with the godly. So, it's taken rather than an earthly perspective. We're getting now heavenly perspective. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous and then he ends on this in Psalm one but the way of the wicked will perish. There are two paths.
35:44
It's the way it is. Either there's eternal life and abundant life that can start now or there is the way that leads to death but the way of the wicked will perish and we'll call that God's removal of the wicked. So, association and then his removal of the wicked. That's the first song in the hymn book. What's the first song in most of our hymn book?
36:05
Holy, holy, holy. Yeah, it's all almost always the first song in hymn book. This one's very important for them. This is one they sang and sang often and they sang it as since they were the Jews, since they were the Hebrews, since they were of this particular family, the family, they saw themselves as the chosen people of God, chosen for what? Chosen to carry the Messiah, chosen to carry the one who could make a way.
36:30
So, they had a window into heaven as it were. God's removal of the wicked is a part of this. If you wanted to look at it again, all sideways, there it is. AB and then C is that strong contrast and then BA. It sets up this, dissociation from the wicked, association with God.
36:55
Do you see the perspective change to a heavenly perspective? God's association with the godly or righteous and God's removal of the wicked. Now, you might go, well, how do you get to be one or the other? We'll get to that. You start off in the wicked camp.
37:10
You start off there. Anybody who's had two year old probably knows that. Psalm one, that's it. Psalm two now is this, why are the nations in an uproar and the peoples devising a vain thing? Now, for us, for me included, I have on a red, white, and blue shirt.
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It is Independence Day week. We're starting off this week and looking towards our July 4 celebrations and Jackson is a great place to be when you're here celebrating this And we think of nations in those terms. Geopolitical boundaries, little imaginary lines on a map somewhere. When I think of The US, I think of that shape of The US, right? It's like this, and then there are two outliers.
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Yeah. When I think of The United States, I think of it in that. If I think of Romania, I think of that shape right there. If I think of Mexico, it's that like that like a cornucopia. I think of these things because that's what I've been taught.
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Nations means, the word for nations in the New Testament is ethnic and it means family, ethnicity, a line of people and they, actually, if you got a King James Bible, it would say, why did the hidden? Heathen. Heathen is anybody that's not of the chosen people of God. There are the chosen people of God and then there's everybody else and it's every other family. You're either of the family of God or you're of any other family.
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You can just blend them all together because it doesn't matter. If you're not a member of the family of God. So, why are these other families in an uproar and why are the peoples with an S or Z? Peoples, people ask. Why are the nations in an uproar and the peoples devising a vain thing?
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The kings of the Earth, small K, realize that. The kings of the Earth, those who do have some authority to govern here on this Earth. The kings of this Earth take their stand and the rulers, small r, take counsel together. Ain't that, isn't that the way it is? We got a G twenty meeting going on right now among all the different peoples of the Earth and they are getting together and they're trying to decide where are our alliance and how will this go?
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Well, this goes on to say, the kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed. Pull back from your geopolitical thinking right now and consider you're one of the original recipients of this song. You show up for synagogue on Saturday and they start singing this song. Is it working now? Hey.
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The little light is not working. So, alright. Why are the nations in an uproar and why are all of the peoples, the other peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand. The rulers take counsel together against the Lord.
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In this case, this is talking about God the father. It's obvious because it says and against his anointed capital, H in capital A, the anointed is the Messiah. This is a messianic Psalm. Now, when they received this Psalm, when it was written, they knew and they were looking forward to the Davidic line, David's kingdom that would have no end and so this was probably sung to crown a king. The kings of the earth take their stand.
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The rulers take counsel together against God and the one who God has said will be the leader, the anointed one. That's the Messiah. That's the word there. Christ translated in the Greek. The kings of the earth take their stand.
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The rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed saying, let us tear their feathers apart and cast away their cords from us and so these are the rulers and the kings and the people who gather together, leaders of these families and they say, we don't want to have a god over us and we don't care who he has anointed. We want to rule ourselves. Okay? Let us tear their feathers apart. That old superstition needs to die.
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Why would anybody go by that? I can rule myself. All I need is what's within me. We're going to set it up so that we can do that. I'm all in favor of the American experiment.
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Please don't take this as anti patriotic. I'm saying this as it is. There are a lot of people living this life right now that want to throw off any feathers that tie them to God whatsoever. Cast away their cords from us. They want to suppress the truth of God.
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I'll say this is the A section of this ABBA scheme here and that is the rebellious nations. Would you agree? The rebellious others, families. So, we get to the B section here and it is, he who sits in the heavens laughs. Oh my goodness.
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God almighty sits in the heavens and he laughs and the Lord scoffs. Didn't say that very often, does That the Lord scoffs. This is God scoffing at people who would rise up against almighty God. Don't matter if you're a small K king or you've got all the power you think you have, he who sits in the heavens laugh. They counsel together and they plan and they take their stand but God sits in the heavens, laughs, and and he scoffs at them.
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Puny. And then, this is still coming and then in that day, he will speak to them in his anger and he will terrify them in his fury. If God were to unleash, a minuscule fraction of his power before them. It would terrify them. He'd speak to him in his anger, terrify them in his fury, and it's funny that they said, let us tear off the feathers and this says and God's answer to that, as for me, capital M, God, I have installed my capital K king, my anointed but as for me, I have installed my king upon Zion, my holy mountain.
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So, you can try to tear free all you want to but what is going to be is going to be. My anointed will be the way and he will be the king of all who will pass muster. All who will be righteous, made righteous by their citizenship in this kingdom. Through Christ. He who sits in the heavens last, lord scoffs at them, then he will speak to them in his anger and terrify them in his fury saying, but as for me, I've installed my king upon Zion, my holy mountain.
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So, this is God's rule and it does say he's seated in heaven. Actually, Hebrews says that too. Hebrews says that he is seated in heaven and Christ is at his right hand interceding for us. Amen. He sits in the heavens last.
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You ever hear the old saying that if you want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans. It that it doesn't even matter if you're a king. You can be a king, a czar, an Abimalek for all that matters or a pharaoh but you tell him the plans, you might hear a laugh. In the sky. So, that's God's rule in heaven.
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So, we have those two. We're at the center of our ABBA right here and this is where the big turn takes place and this is the verse that's quoted three times in Hebrews and multiple times throughout the rest of the New Testament because when they heard this and they're thinking this is a royal Psalm. We're going to do this anytime one of David's line is on the throne. We're going to sing this song. We're going to sing looking forward to the next one.
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That'll be established forever. And so they took it to be temporal and royal and it's hard to get away from that especially if you know that you're of the chosen people of God and everyone else is the nations. You would take this differently but it's very confusing the verbiage here especially the nouns here. I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord and this is a quote. I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord.
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He said to me, you are my son. Today, I have begotten you. Ask of me and I will surely give the nations as your inheritance and the very ends of the earth as your possession. This is from Messiah. The the quote is from Messiah and he's talking about God almighty having given him.
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Are you with me? This is a difficult one. It was really difficult if you're Jewish and you can't figure this out because God is one. God is one. God is one.
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How could it be that he's saying, this, I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord. He said to me, you are my son today. I have begotten you. That's not birth to you. It's not the same thing.
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He's saying, bring forth the royal diadem and crown him lord of all. This is installation of the capital K king forever. I will surely tell the decree of the Lord. He said to me, you're my son today. I begotten you.
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Ask of me and I will surely give you the nations as your inheritance. What does it say in the New Testament that we will be his witnesses where? Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the uttermost parts. Go and preach the gospel. Where?
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To every tribe, tongue, and nation to the uttermost parts, to the very ends of the earth. Ask of me and I will surely give you the nations as your inheritance and the very ends of the earth as your possession. There will be people from every tribe, tongue, and nation that bow the knee to king Jesus on this side before death and they will be a part of the kingdom forever but when you do accept Christ, you become a part of the kingdom now. Whether you're legal citizenship is in The US or somewhere else. If you're believing in Jesus, if you believe in Jesus, then your citizenship is transferred into the kingdom of God and you can begin living under the direction in submission to the Holy Spirit now.
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Ask of me and I'll surely give you the nations as your inheritance at the very ends of the earth as your possession. But people always have a choice. The thing about liberty, oh my goodness, we sang of it. You know, liberty. Enshrine liberty in the law.
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Make sure that we do have liberty because God gives us liberty to choose or to or to reject. It's very important that we have that religious persecution is awful. It purifies the church but it's awful. Ask of me and I will surely give you the nations as your inheritance. There will be those from every tribe, tribe, tongue, and nation.
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And the very ends of the earth as your possession. And then God says to Jesus and you shall break them with a rod of iron and you shall shatter them like earthenware. That doesn't sound like my Jesus. I hear people thinking that right now. Well, when he came originally, General Jesus, making mild, he came and walked in complete humility and submission to the spirit throughout and he opened up the church age or the age of grace and we can't accept his humble way, follow after him, and be found to be a part of his kingdom, removed by God from the kingdom of darkness, placed in the kingdom of light and if we don't, this is the future to be broken with a rod of iron shattered like earthenware.
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So, this is God's decree. It's God's decree. Jesus is the reporter saying that he has set me up. He has crowned me lord of all and this is the way it's going be. I came once in or I'll I'll be coming once.
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This is what we would call a split range prophecy. Split range meaning, he fulfilled part of this when he came to Earth the first time and he will complete the rest of it when he comes back. He came to seek and to save those who are lost and he's making for himself a people out of every other people and then, when he comes back, he will come in judgement. So, two ten, we went back. That's God's decree, the B section.
50:13
Second B section, it's also shifted from an earthly perspective to a godly perspective, heavenly perspective and then we get the two ten. Now, therefore, based on all of this, based on the ABB so far, what's the A going to be? Now, therefore, because of all this, oh kings, show discernment. Small K kings, you rulers, whether it's just your family that still fits you. Oh kings, ones in charge, show discernment, and take warning.
50:41
Take this as a warning, oh you, judges of the earth and realize that there is a law that is above your law. There is instruction that comes directly from God and you be careful with what you do with that instruction. Therefore, oh king, show discernment, take warning of judgement of the earth. I hadn't thought about this in a while but in the first service, I was reminded of it right here. So, Pascal, when she was about two, there was a little kid.
51:07
He's about seven or eight, probably a boy on a playground and they've been sliding down the slide and everything. He'd slid down it just about every way he could. And he got up to the top of this curvy, long, tall slide, and he sat up at the top and he laid his head down first on his back, and he was about to do a slide down this long, curvy, metal slide. Pascal was down below like this at two and said, is that a good decision?
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Cracks me up. Is that a
51:37
good is that a good decision?
51:41
And the little kid thought about it for a second, turned over, and went down a different way. Now therefore, o kings, think about this. You're heading down a slide upside down and backwards. How's that going to go when you get to the bottom of this? It's coming.
51:54
It's coming. The bottom's coming, right? Now, therefore, oh king, show discernment. Take warning, oh judges of the earth. Worship the Lord.
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If you take an assessment of what's going on, you will bow the knee now while you have the chance and worship with reverence and you'll rejoice and even rejoice and you'll do so with the fear of God, the trembling. Because his power is amazing and great. Worship the Lord of reverence, rejoice with trembling, and do homage to the son. This is the son that God has set up as his only king forever. Either you will come to him through the way, the truth, the life, Jesus Christ, or you will not come to God.
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Do homage to the son that he may that he not become angry. Well, that doesn't sound like Jesus. That's what you think. Oh. He can't he came angry a few times.
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Do homage to the son but he not become angry and you perish in your way because we learn from the first Psalm that the wicked will perish their way. The way of the wicked will perish. Do homage to the son that he may not become angry and you perish in the way and then he gives another strong warning next to the last line of the Psalm says, for his wrath may soon be kindled. That reminds me of second Peter. Again, we just got out of second Peter and a lot of judgment.
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I I don't particularly like preaching judgment. I do particularly like preaching what the Bible says and it's there, right? The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and he knows how to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgement. This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority. That'd be the wicked from Psalm one and from Psalm two.
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His wrath may soon be kindled. You do not know when it's coming but how blessed are all who take the refuge in him. Amen. And you might be thinking, well, it seems to be just the opposite to me from looking around, looking around, I see and it looks like the wicked prosper. It looks like the wicked things go well for me.
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If you don't have any scruples in business, then, your business seems to be doing pretty well because you're not doing. Good things. And it looks like, oh, poor servants of God. My goodness, how many missionaries do we have to hear that need money, need money? They're suffering.
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But that's not, it's eternal. This is not just on this temporal escape. Actually, when it says, when it's talking about prospers, everything that he does prospers in that first Psalm. That is a looking forward, imperfect, meaning, a progressive thing. Everything throughout all eternity.
54:41
Everything for this guy from the time that he accepts the truth of God's good gospel. Everything is going to keep on going well and for the wicked, there is an end to that. There's a cut off place. His way will perish. How blessed are all who take refuge in him?
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Now, this also brings up second Peter three nine. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise. Just because judgement has not fallen yet, actually, second Peter says in different place, his judgment has not been sleeping. It's come. But the Lord is not slow in keeping his promise understand slowness, the scoffers would say, what is this coming you keep on talking about?
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It hadn't happened yet. God, you're so wrapped up in your old superstition. Instead, he is patient with you. It is direct. Which camp are you going to be found in?
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Camp of the wicked or the camp of the godly? Instead, he's patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance, a change of mind and at any point that you're stuck in your wickedness and you feel God drawing, you can change your mind and you can lean to him. So, this is the the A section. Therefore, oh king, show discernment, take the warning. Judges of the earth, worship the Lord with reverence and rejoice with trembling and do homage to the sun.
56:17
Now, you know, every knee is going to bow. Some are going to do it on this side. Worship the Lord with reverence and rejoice with trembling. Do homage to the son. They may not become angry and you perish in the way for his wrath may soon be kindled.
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We don't know when it's coming but we know that it's coming. How blessed are all who take the refuge in him? So, this is about the rule of Messiah on Earth. This brings the two perspectives together. This is coming.
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The rebellious nations and then God's rule in heaven. God makes his decree and no matter what those rebellious nations plot or plan, Messiah will rule. The kingdom begins now. You can be a part of the kingdom of God by accepting the provision that he's made for your citizenship there which is belief in Christ. Actually, if you go home today and all of you think of is the Swedish super group, Abba.
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I'm sorry. I I had dancing queen in my head all night last night. I I woke up multiple times with that going and I thought, can I really use that example? ABBA. It points towards this is truth but it's like a bracket saying, this is really important.
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Pay attention to it and remember it. It's in a fact and it's in a in a scheme so that you can remember these things but this Abba is probably more important than that Abba, the Swedish supergroup of so many hits from the seventies. Abba, this is a Greek word. Alpha, beta, beta, alpha. It's a transliteration actually of a Hebrew word.
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It's also transliteration of an Aramaic word which is the way that it was used in the New Testament. Jesus used it. It means father. You might have heard a lot of sermons about it meaning daddy or papa. It means your particular father, your dad, your dad, not just a father in general.
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Every time it's used in the New Testament, it's used three times. Every time it's used in the New Testament, it's followed up with the Greek word patter for for father, daddy, father, just so people know and are sure. Jesus uses it at his absolute lowest and most vulnerable where his humanity is tempted beyond everything else. Now, the the temptation of the devil in the wilderness, he withstood and he withstood it with scripture and it doesn't mention sweat drops of blood. It doesn't mention the anguish and the anxiety that he was facing but he had other guys with him and praying for him.
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They're on the edge of the garden and he goes in and he is praying, sweat drops of blood are coming out. This is the depth, deepest point for Christ and it's right before the cross and he was saying, Abba, father, all things are possible for you. He recognized almighty God. He recognized that ultimately the perspective was that but he in his full humanity was feeling the weight of everything that was about to be put upon him was being put upon him and he says, remove this cup for me. That's what I feel in my flesh.
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That's what I feel right now. Remove this cup from me. It's too much. I can't take it. Yet, not what I will but what you will and because he submitted in that, not what I will but what you will.
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He submitted himself completely into the spirit. God was able to use his perfect sacrifice as a ransom for many. We'll get into that in Hebrews also. Paul uses it in Galatians and Romans. We're going in chronological order here and Jesus saying it in Mark in the garden before the crucifixion and then in Galatians, Paul is arguing this and says, because you are sons and daughters, God has sent forth the spirit of his son into our hearts.
1:00:18
Holy Spirit crying, Abba, father, you can say, daddy, father, because of your belief in Christ, Romans he says, for you have not received the spirit of slavery if you've accepted Christ. Leading to fear again but you have received the spirit of adoption as sons and daughters. Whenever the Greek mentions sons, unless it's specified, it means sons and daughters, okay? But you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out but Abba, father. How do you get to call God almighty, your father, or your daddy even?
1:01:00
How do you get to say that? Who would say that? A child. Someone who is his child. Jesus, originally, yes.
1:01:08
Jesus was the first one. Good Sunday school answer there. Jesus. Yes. That is true.
1:01:13
Jesus was that but because of his perfect sacrifice, he has paid the ransom so that many others may be adopted into the family of God and John says it this way, still going forward chronologically but as many as received him, that is as many as have received, Jesus Christ through the good news to those he gave the right to become children of God. Whereas they started off sons of Satan, really wicked and evil. He gave those who believe the right to be called and to be children of God even to those who believe in his name, who were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God. I think that's the last laugh. We've got a song.
1:02:10
Take the name of Jesus with you is what we have. Judy, would you just play the first verse of that? Would y'all stand with me? Think about it. What the the closing song in the first was the only king forever.
1:02:21
Those words just keep on. You are the only king forever. There are other kings and there are other rulers and there are other people that are in charge for the now but the only king forever is king Jesus. If you don't, if you know him, or you don't know him, you've been exposed to the truth of it. Would you?
1:02:43
Come talk. I'll be here all week. And if you know him, take the name of Jesus with you. Think about his kingship and where your citizenship ultimately lies. Scott, would you come for me?
1:03:01
Just one verse.
1:03:04
Take the name of Jesus with you child of sorrow and of woe it will joy and comfort give you take it then wherever you go Amen.
1:03:47
Another reminder about the little thing though. Goodbye party for Mike Atkins at at River Crossing which is now Gateway Church in Raptor J. If you want to go, I'm heading down there right after. This service. God is our mighty fortress.
1:04:02
He is the only king forever. God is our mighty fortress. He is always ready to help in times of trouble. God, may we submit willingly to your lordship, to your kingship, and may others come into the fold because of our being planted by streams of water and yielding fruit in its season and that fruit that will last. In Jesus name, lord, would you do your will and your way in our lives.
1:04:30
Amen.
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