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Or, How Awesome Are God's Deeds?

The focus today is on universal praise of God's kingship. Based on a sermon by Nathan Caldwell, we'll focus on the first section of verses in Psalm 66.

Spine of a Bible ca. 2001, "Used with permission from Microsoft."

We are told, commanded to shout for joy for God. This isn't just a lifting of the voice, it is to be an earsplitting roar of celebration. Not only the gathered people, but all the earth is to join in.

And doesn't it in its way? The natural world points to a creator through peaceful scenes of grandeur, to the roaring winds of a storm.

The word for singing in verse 2 relates to the sound of string instruments and voices together. Giving him glory means to honor him, particularly in praise, or a psalm. In other words, through all of our verbal and musical expression.

God's deeds, the typical, average things he does are called awesome by human description. His awesome deeds are a force that is something to be feared. But God's full power goes so much farther and higher than we might imagine. His abundant forceful power is a strength that makes even his enemies cringe. By enemies, I mean those who hate him, even if they were in his presence.

We are reminded that all the natural earth sings praise to God in verse 4. Nature worships, which is to bow down to the ground. As it does, nature sings and praises the name of its creator. That is to say, it honors the authority that God has over it.

5 Come and see what God has done:

he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.

God is calling people to him. He wants us to gather, not to hide or be afraid of what he's doing. He has some of those trifling deeds of his, and he wants to show them to us humans. So come and look at them. They are both inspiring in their beauty and be prepared to stand in reverent fear of their power.

Here's just a couple that this gathered people witnessed for themselves. The sea was turned into dry land. A natural obstacle that was removed by divine, supernatural strength. They were able to pass through on foot, under their natural power.

God victoriously rules. His mighty reign is forever, into the unseen distance. God is diligent as he leans into the distance to be watchful over his people.

Those who are rebellious, those who insist on turned away from him, have no room to claim even pride in themselves.

Truths to take away. God is greater than we are. He is amazing, we are not. Sing, shout, praise, and bow down prostrate in honor of him. He may put us to the test, as in having an obstacle as big as the sea. But he delivers and protects his faithful ones through those trials. Enemies who hate him have no room for pride and will be eternally defeated.

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Looking forward to what Christians have to be thankful for this year, Keith examines the best good news that anyone could hope to receive. Better than any political party. Better than any concept that our society or culture can lay on us. It's the truth that Jesus was resurrected from the dead.

Background Passage: John 20:1-18

Jesus’ disciples did not anticipate or believe the resurrection had happened at first, but when they saw the evidence, God opened their eyes to give them confident faith.

Introduction

Is faith just a childish belief?

Even a child can have childlike faith. As people mature and develop, our faith should also mature. It does this by responding to doubts. Faith grows through the exercise of the pushback that our doubts present. Sometimes it just takes clinging to faith, trusting that answers will be revealed in time.

The hinge point of faith

If Jesus was resurrected as the Bible says He was, then it should be the guiding truth of our lives, changing the way we interact with God and with each other. If the resurrection was a well-implemented plan to deceive people for multiple generations, then we are in far worse shape than we could ever imagine. But our faith is not blind faith. Jesus’ resurrection is attested in Scripture by eyewitness testimonies.

Spine of a Bible ca. 2001, "Used with permission from Microsoft."

1. Disbelieving the Resurrection

(John 20:1-2 CSB)

1 On the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark. She saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb.

2 So she went running to Simon Peter and to the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said to them, “They’ve taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they’ve put him!”

An unlikely witness

Mary Magdalene, a woman with a sordid past.

* Women in the culture were not legitimate witnesses.

* She had a reputation with demons, and another ill reputes.

If one were to fabricate a fantastic story with the intent to deceive the world, >you wouldn’t choose this witness for your record. >You would choose a more reliable witness in the eyes of the community. But John delivered His gospel message like a physician delivering a diagnosis: he honestly presented the facts.

Devoted love

After Jesus cleansing Mary as no one else could, she became a loyal follower. She is recorded as traveling with the apostles. In her compassion in tending to his body in the burial ritual, she was blessed to be the first to witness the empty tomb. Before any government leader. Before any religious leader. Even before any men in Jesus entourage.

God used the weak to shame the strong, the foolish to shame the wise, the unexpected to carry the gospel message first.

In what ways have you seen God use unexpected or unconventional people for the sake of the gospel?

Doubt, vs earthly explanation

Mary, at first, believed there must have been some human explanation for Jesus’ missing body. She saw the moved stone. She saw the empty grave but immediately sought a practical explanation. They took his body! We don't know what happened! She didn't believe the resurrection yet.

If Jesus’ body were simply missing, as Mary Magdalene assumed, then Christians should be pitied above all because we are believing a lie and are still in our sins (1 Corinthians 15:17-19). If Jesus didn’t do what He said He would do—rise from the dead after three days (John 2:19-22)—then He couldn’t be who He said He was, which is the Messiah, the Son of God. But He did, and He is!

Commentary:

Before our expository look at scripture, Keith spends some time in some Housekeeping.

"Used with permission from Microsoft."

In our previous request episode on the Holy Spirit empowering the church, the word "it" was used instead of "he". Sorry, it was a slip-up. Also, though tongues were part of the holy spirit moving on the day of Pentecost, we need to be clear that it is not how he works today, His leading, guiding, moving, and speaking come through scripture, and not through a mystical experience. . Even in the context of Acts2, tongues led directly to the gospel sermon that Peter preached. Not the focus, or main goal of the worship experience.

Finally, the closing info has our old, defunct web page mentioned. The other info is OK. Keith also shares a quick word on having a blast at the Cruciform Conference, and the chance to meet folks.

Review

Spine of a Bible ca. 2001, "Used with permission from Microsoft."

The Bread of Life sermon ended with many of Jesus's followers walking away. Even the 12 elect disciples were given the option to go. Peter spoke for all when he said, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. You are the Holy One of God"

John 7

Verse 1: The crowd had been on the way to a feast in Jerusalem. Though Jesus and his disciples had been on the way as well, he now lingers in Galilee. Why? He had upset the Jews, and he knew they planned to kill him. About 6 months had passed since the events in chapter six.

We address a problem involving Jesus's seeming desire to avoid death, while elsewhere he tells his followers to not fear death.

Verse 2: The Feast of Booths (tents, tabernacles) was one of the celebrations that required all males to attend. This is in the Fall. Roughly in mid-October. It was a joyful celebration of thanksgiving and harvests.

Verse 3: His brothers. The natural brothers of Jesus. Sons of Mary and Joseph encouraged him to go and do miracles in Jerusalem. Were they afraid that Jesus was making things too hot for them in their hometown? They claimed that Jesus had disciples (students) there who would appreciate his miracles. This would be an ideal time for Jesus to begin his public ministry and market himself. The feast meant people from all over the nation would be there to see Jesus and his signs.

Verse 4: His brothers felt Jesus wanted, or needed, to step up his game, and to be known. Expanding his platform as it was. Time for a more national platform, The world.

Verse 5: Sad to say, but not even his brothers believed in him. Jesus closest relatives misunderstood his mission and identity.

Verse 6: Jesus's time had not come yet, This was Feast of Booths, not Passover. His time. To die. To face wrath was not at hand. His timeline was on a divine schedule, not that of a random marketing opportunity.

What was meant by the statement "Your time? is Always here" For his brothers? To be near to death and wrath? Do you have a better answer? Drop me a line and let me know.

Verse 7: When we go along with the world, conform to it, society can't hate us. However, when we conform to look like Jesus, the world hates us. Society hates truth. Especially the light of the truth that exposes its evil nature,

Verse 8: Jesus told his brothers, "You go. I'm not going." What? Did Jesus lie? No. Of course not. The key to understanding this is in the Greek phrase behind the statement.

Spoiler alert>: He did go, but not with the public entourage.

A challenge to verse 8 goes into some detail in learning that Jesus told the truth. In brief, the word "yet" tells that the intent was to go, but just not now. Jesus also wanted to avoid attention, and go in secret.

How do the blind worship in church?  Find answers to this and other topics this episode with Keith and his brother Terry Heltsley!

Jn 6:60-71 is the text we dive deep into.

What does holiness look like? How can we hope to live a life, set apart for God? We take a survey of a few things to avoid, found in Leviticus. Don't worry, there's plenty of positive practices that put believers on the right path

Spine of a Bible ca. 2001, "Used with permission from Microsoft."

God is often referred to as being holy, and those hoping to be with him are commanded to be holy. Leviticus 20:7,26;

Though this scripture contains a big list of sinful behavior, it is clear on what holiness is not. God assures his followers that he will provide help in being holy.

The command: `You shall consecrate yourselves therefore and be holy, for I am the LORD your God.

How to be holy: `You shall keep My statutes and practice them; I am the LORD who sanctifies you.

Holiness is a matter of what we do, and bad behavior drives us away from it. Some of these get deep into the deviant area.

Don't

* Curse father or mother,

* Commit adultery with another man's wife, with his father's wife, with his daughter-in-law, with a male as those who lie with a woman,

* Marry a woman and her mother, his sister, his father's daughter or his mother's daughter, take his brother's wife,

* lies with an animal or a woman who approaches any animal to mate with it,

* lie with a menstruous woman. Lie with his uncle's wife

* uncover the nakedness of your mother's sister or your father's sister,

Why keep the commands? `You are therefore to keep all My statutes and all My ordinances and do them so that the land to which I am bringing you to live will not spew you out.

As the Leviticus passage warns:

23 `Moreover, you shall not follow the customs of the nation which I will drive out before you, for they did all these things, and therefore I have abhorred them.

24 `Hence I have said to you, "You are to possess their land, and I will give it to you to possess it, a land flowing with milk and honey." I am the LORD your God, who has separated you from the peoples.

Not only do the commands keep us holy, but we can also become Unclean by our environment.

25 `You are therefore to make a distinction between the clean animal and the unclean, and between the unclean bird and the clean; and you shall not make yourselves detestable by animal or by bird or by anything that creeps on the ground, which I have separated for you as unclean.

When temptation or weakness sets in, God promises to help.

26 `Thus you are to be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy; and I have set you apart from the peoples to be Mine.

Culture can creep in to pollute even our worship. Unclean practices drive us away from holiness, and God.

27 `Now a man or a woman who is a medium or a spiritist shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones, their bloodguiltiness is upon them.´"

Turning to a more upbeat note, Jesus outlines good things that we can do to help our holiness. Some key verses to pay attention to in the sermon on the mount include, Matthew 5:6,8,29,30,48;

We should have a holy Hunger for righteousness: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Traits of the holy person:

* Merciful receive mercy

* peacemakers called sons of God.

* To be persecuted for righteousness, is the kingdom of heaven.

* To be insulted, persecuted, falsely lied against because of Me, means your reward in heaven is great;

Holiness shows up in Purity: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

The imagery of salt and light and correct living demonstrates hol...

Our special guest who couldn't make the show from 2 weeks ago is on hand. We touch base on those 5 basic questions that Keith and Nathan discussed But the main topic today is on what the Sunday worship experience is like for the disabled. Namely, by blind people.

* Who or what is God?

* How did you arrive at that conclusion (How did you learn about God)?)

* What do you think God wants for us?

* What is the problem that keeps us away from him?

* How can we overcome sin and death?

Main Topic

Terry is the younger brother of Keith. Both went blind later in life, and after plenty of years attending and participating in church. We compare what has become different for us in the experience of Sunday School, and the worship services, both music, and the sermon.

In the churches we both attend, there are options to receive adaptive literature to study the weekly Sunday School lesson. Terry prefers the audiobook version, read by a reader, and recorded on CD, Keith prefers getting the material in digital format. The digital content can be easily streamlined for either personal use, or in leading the class time.

When it comes to worship in the song service, things get more difficult to adapt. Blind people can't see the big screen at the front of the auditorium. Accessible devices and technology can open doors to the environment around us, but it still has plenty of shortcomings. We offer a couple of tips to music leaders that could be helpful if you have blind people in the congregation.

For those interested, Keith has built an online hymnal. Based on converting his digital braille copy of the Baptist Hymnal, 2008, into text. Then slice it up into individual songs, and posting it on a web page that's easily and quickly searchable. The page is set to not be searched by search engines, but it can be found on a sub-domain of his blog.

As far as the sermon goes, blind people also have bible apps on smartphones. The most popular apps are accessible but can take a little extra time to locate the reference that the [pastor may be using. Not all bible apps are created equal, and some are easier to find a scripture reference at the moment than others. The best advice is to allow a little extra time for a verse to be looked up and repeat the reference often.

In the end, we hope this has been informative, and it was helpful in how you might help a blind person in your church or community.

Find out more about Terry and what he does through Madison County Association of the Blind.

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