Wilderness Wanderings

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is 2 Samuel 8. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!

To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca

How do you read the Bible? Do you ever read large sections? Do you wonder how different parts of the Bible fit together?

David's story is split into two sections:

a. 1 Samuel 16 – 2 Samuel 5 deal with David's _____________.

b. 2 Samul 9-1 Kings 2 deal with David's ______________.

c. What three stories are stuck in between?

3. The first part of the ointment is captured with the phrase: "The _____________ gave David _____________ ______________ he went (8:6,14).

4. David's victories show us that God ______________ his _____________.

5. The second part of the ointment is captured in the phrase, "King David __________ these articles to the ___________" (8:11).

6. The fly is the ointment is in the phrase "And David become ___________" (8:13).

7. What does this chapter not promise?

8. What does it promise?

9. What does Matthew 5:38-45 teach us about the Christian life?

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin (1 John 1:7).

Less than a minute! What can you do in less then a minute? How many hotdogs could you eat? It takes less then 60 seconds for your blood to pump through your body. As it travels, it delivers oxygen and nutrients to all your cells and carries away the impurities. Mind-blowing! That's what it takes to keep us going. We need that oxygen delivered regularly. And we need to have the garbage in our cells taken out regularly, and our blood gets it done.

In the amazing ways of the God who made us, it's the blood that cleanses our body from the garbage that could kill us. And it is blood that is our only hope of cleansing us of the spiritual poison that could cost us our life. My blood can't clean my soul. It takes blood that has never been poisoned by human sin. It takes the blood of Jesus Christ.

Our text makes it absolutely clear what it takes to get rid of the guilt and the penalty of the sin that keeps us separated from God. "The blood of Jesus, God's Son, purifies us from all sin." That blood of Jesus Christ shed on that horrific cross has the power - the only power - to remove your sin - to remove my sin. As surely as our blood removes impurities from our bodies, so the blood of Jesus removes the impurities of our sin.

From the first sin in the Garden of Eden to the lie you told, God says, "You will surely die" (Genesis 2:17). The devil's lie goes like this: "You will not surely die" (Genesis 3:4). He's been trying to get us to believe that lie ever since. He wants us to think we can escape the death penalty God invoked. But "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness" (Hebrews 9:22).

But in His love, God set in motion how the death penalty we deserve would be paid without our death. Someone with no sin of His own would die in our stead. The only one someone who meets that qualification is the Son of God. He came "to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself" (Hebrews 9:26).

Why would we risk one more day carrying the guilt of our sin and its awful death penalty? Why, when Jesus carried it for us on the cross so we would never have to carry it again! Forgiveness and freedom are here for the asking. Ask and then thank God for his indescribable gift!

So, as you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it! The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you! (1 Thessalonians 5:23,24,28 The Message).

And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you (Romans 8:11).

We have been exploring the comfort Christians have because of the salvation God gives us in and through Jesus Christ. The Heidelberg Catechism ends its first answer about this comfort with this declaration, "Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him" (Answer #1). It echoes our text.

This is extraordinary! The same Spirit who raised Jesus Christ from the dead dwells in everyone who belongs to Christ. Let us pay attention to a few things.

First, the power of God is at work in us. The resurrection of Jesus was no small miracle. God overcame the power of sin and death and raised his Son to new life. The power that raised Jesus from death to life is the Spirit of God, whom we often name the Holy Spirit. This same Spirit now lives in believers. We may feel weak, discouraged, or even spiritually lifeless at times, but our hope does not rest on the strength of our faith. It rests on the mighty power of God, who has made his home in us through the Holy Spirit. Amazing!

Second, the Spirit is already giving us new life. Romans 8 responds to our struggle against sin as Paul personalized it in the previous chapter. The Christian life is not a matter of trying harder in our own strength. The Holy Spirit is at work within us, renewing our hearts, helping us put sin to death, and shaping us into the likeness of Christ. We will not be perfect in this life, but we are not left to fight our battles alone. God himself is at work in us. Amazing!

Third, Paul speaks of giving life to our mortal bodies. Our bodies remain subject to weakness, sickness, aging, and death. Yet death will not have the final word. The God who raised Jesus will also raise those who belong to him. Our hope is not simply that our souls will survive death. It is that God will redeem us completely, body and soul, in the resurrection.

What a wonderful comfort this is! The Spirit who dwells in us today is the guarantee of the life God will give us tomorrow. And he is the same Spirit working to make us willing and ready to live for Jesus today. The Holy Spirit provides peace and comfort by reminding us that we no longer stand under the power of Satan but belong to Christ, who freed us with the incalculably high cost of his blood. His Spirit now moves us to genuine, ordinary Christian faith and life.

So, whether we face the struggle against sin, the burdens of daily life, or the prospect of death itself, we can live in hope. Our future is secure because the Spirit of the risen Christ lives in us.

Let us therefore walk by the Spirit, trusting not in our own strength, but in the God who raises the dead.

As you journey on, receive Jesus' invitation:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander (1 Peter 3:15-16).

There are two stereotypical Christians in the workplace. There are those who rarely, if ever, give evidence of their faith. When attending their funeral, some co-workers will observe, "I didn't know she went to church."

The other sort of Christian rarely talks about anything except his faith. Each Monday, he regals his co-workers with a blow-by-blow account of Sunday's magnificent worship service and spectacular sermon. He regularly speaks about the 'word from God' he received that morning on his drive into work. Co-workers avoid him whenever possible because they feel harassed by the constant evangelism.

Thankfully, most of us fall somewhere between these two extremes. But what does the Bible say about the expression of our faith in the workplace? Our text for today is a good place to begin. It addresses both extremes.

The first thing to note is that Peter encourages us to be prepared. We ought to expect to have spiritual conversations with others. These are to be rooted in hope. The hope that we have in Christ gives us joy and enables us to act out of love rather than fear. In a culture with very little hope, this attitude will attract curiosity. People will ask us about these things.

Secondly, Peter tells us that our spiritual conversations need to have gentleness and respect. There is no room for brash badgering. Respecting people means that if they don't want to hear about our Sunday church experience, we ought to be silent. The old word, 'winsome,' comes to mind. It means charming, attractive, or pleasing in a simple, innocent, and delightful way. When people start avoiding us because of our spiritual talk, we are missing part of the gospel.

Peter ends by suggesting that handling spiritual conversations well can change people's attitudes about us and about Christianity. We are not responsible for their response, but we can be careful not to give offense.

When at work, some Christians appear more interested in evangelizing than in offering their best effort. This is not good. Doing an honest day's work cheerfully is a great way to create the curiosity that can lead to spiritual conversations.

Some of us avoid spiritual conversations at all costs while others see their co-workers as projects to convert. Each person is as an image bearer of God in whom the Holy Spirit will awaken faith at the right time. Trust him! And who knows, he might just use you.

As you journey on, go with his blessing:

Wherever God takes you today, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).

Out of baseball's history comes this story: the game was tied with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. The batter stepped into the batting box and made the sign of the cross on home plate with his bat. Yogi Berra was behind the plate; he wiped it off with his glove and said to the pious batter, "Why don't we let God just watch this game?"

Many Christians live according to this theology: God just watches us. Many envision God with a frown because we do not measure up. But Paul ends his letters with a blessing, not a wish. He writes these from a deep belief in God's faithfulness. Thus, he concludes, "The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this."

This theme of God's faithfulness runs through the Bible. We see it clearly in Joshua 1. Moses is dead, the desert lies behind God's people, and the strong walls of Jericho stand before them. Naturally, Israel is in crisis. Joshua is to lead. But he is so young. So inexperienced. If only Moses was still alive.

But God says, "Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you…Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go" (1:7-9).

Moses is dead; but God's promises are not. There's no loss of momentum because it was never about the faithfulness of Moses nor the nation. It was always about the faithfulness of God and his promises to his people. Israel's story is primarily about God's purposes and his promises.

First Thessalonians is primarily about the gospel and the church. The church proclaims the gospel, and the gospel forms the church. But as we know, the world, the devil and our own flesh are arrayed against us. Often, we flounder more than we flourish. Our enemies are strong. But our God is stronger. And he is faithful. He will build his church. He died for us, infused us with his Holy Spirit and grafted us into himself. He will sanctify us through and through. He will keep us in good working order, set apart for his service.

Thank God that our sanctification is not dependent on our feeble efforts but on his strong faithful work. When God calls, he always provides. We can rely on his steadfast love, which never fails. God does not sit in heaven watching and wandering if we will make it. He is actively at work in our lives, making us holy for his own glory.

So, as you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it! The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you! (1 Thessalonians 5:23,24,28 The Message).

And do everything you can to live a quiet life. You should mind your own business. And work with your hands, just as we told you to. Then unbelievers will have respect for your everyday life. And you won't have to depend on anyone (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12).

Christian charity always includes practical stuff like providing meals and offering transportation. Paul recognizes that this practice could be taken advantage of—some deciding to live off the largess of others. Folks among the lower social classes might take up residence on the estate of a wealthy Christian, expecting the well healed to provide for their wellbeing. That is one issue Paul addresses here.

There is also another. Since Christians expected Jesus to return real soon, some had decided to abandon the normal pursuits of life, such as paid employment, and were camped on a hillside. With their noses turned up to the sky, they spent the day singing Kumbaya and Swing Low Sweet Chariot.

They were creating a bit of a disturbance in the neighbourhood, expecting to be supplied with provisions and suggesting other Christians didn't have enough faith. As we might imagine, those who followed other gods, thought these Jesus followers had lost touch with reality. As a result, Christ's name was being discredited.

Whether one was camped on the hillside or illegally on some estate, without the normal pursuits of life these folks had too much time on their hands. As a result, they had begun to gossip and contribute their opinions into situations to which they had not been invited.

Paul recognizes that if the rule of love is to be effective, the rule of work must also be practiced. Christians must learn to live peaceably, not creating social disturbances. They must mind their own business not prying into what other people are doing under the guise of 'family' interest. And they ought to have paid employment or do something that will benefit society.

Outsiders, looking at a movement that claims Jesus is Lord of the world, will be interested to see what effect this claim has on behaviour. Healthy financial behaviour is one telling indicator of the fitness and integrity of a community. Of course, within the fellowship, those in need should be provided for. Recipients should make themselves useful in other ways.

These are not side issues, away from the real theological heart of the Christian gospel. If God has created a family in Christ, and if that family is based on and characterized by nothing less than self-giving love, these things are vital. Happy the church that discovers what love in practice looks and feels like. Equally blessed is the Christian community that contributes to the wellbeing of the society in which they live. So that our daily living may win the respect of outsiders and that we will not be unnecessarily dependent on anybody (4:12).

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it! The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you! (1 Thessalonians 5:23,24,28 The Message)

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Psalm 92. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!

To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca

DIVE IN

1. How do you begin your day?
2. What does God's love refer to?
3. How do you end your day?
4. What does God's faithfulness refer to?
5. Who are the foolish ones?
6. Who are the righteous ones?
7. Thanksgiving is an act of _____________ in an _______________ story.

I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things I have given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you (1 Chronicles 29:17).

David is making provision for the building of the temple. The people have given generously, and David praises God because everything they have given came from God in the first place. Yet David knows that God is concerned with more than the gift. God is concerned with the heart of the giver.

That is why David says, "I know, my God, that you test the heart."

People see what we do. Sometimes, they see what we give. They hear what we say. But God sees deeper. He sees the motives behind our actions. He knows whether our generosity comes from gratitude or from the desire to be noticed. He knows whether our service comes from love or from a desire for recognition. He knows the thoughts and intentions that no one else can see.

This verse is not meant to make us anxious about whether our hearts are good enough. David's confidence rests in knowing God himself. The God who examines the heart is also the God who gives grace to the heart. And this grace "teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives" today (Titus 2:12).

There is something wonderfully liberating here. We do not need to impress God or impress other people. We can simply seek to serve him with "an honest intent," giving ourselves and what we have received from him back to him.

And notice David's delight: "you are pleased with integrity." God delights when his people respond to his grace with sincerity, gratitude, and wholehearted devotion. Our gifts may seem small; our service may seem ordinary. But when they are offered to God with a sincere heart, they are precious in his sight.

David and the Israelites gave generously, indicating that God had blessed his people with wealth. Many saints have observed that prosperity poses greater threats to our integrity than hardship. These tests are more subtle. Wealth lulls us into spiritual drowsiness, causing us to lose sensitivity to sin. We give in to selfishness bit by bit. We fall into a satisfaction and confidence in life that is based on our prosperity rather than on God.

If we are to remain faithful to our Lord, we must remain steadfast in obedience and humility before God. Prosperity can be a great test. Ask the Lord to give us the grace to be faithful in it.

As you journey on, go with his blessing:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:3-6).

Philippians is often referred to as Paul's letter of joy. This is, at least in part, because these opening verses express his joy in the Christians in Philippi. His prayers for the church are weaved through with both thanksgiving and joy. He himself is blessed by their partnership with him in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Paul recognizes that this partnership points towards a deeper reality, namely, that God is at work within that Christian community. Their coming to saving faith in Jesus Christ was not some cosmic accident. It was the work of God himself creating in Philippi a community which would "shine like stars in the sky" (2:15).

This, of course, is one of the central purposes of the Christian community. It is why Jesus has left us in the world. We are to shine so that the world notices the glory of God. Peter writes, "Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us" (1 Peter 2:11-12).

But that's the rub, is it not? "Live such good lives". That is very difficult to do. We mess up so often. It gets quit discouraging. Depending on our own resources it is so difficult to stay the course, to fight the good fight, to run the race. But the Christian life is undergirded with the powerful truth that finishing the race is not dependent on our strength. God will see us through. He will bring us to the finish line. More than that, he will usher us over the finish line.

In Ephesians, Paul invites us to reflect on the deep mysterious providential workings of God. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves (Ephesians 1:5-6).

This is written so that we might be astonished at the graciousness of our Lord. Long before we even thought to pay attention to him, he was at work, drawing us near. When we finally fall before him in faith and adoration, he doesn't then leave us be so that he can go after other people. No! He works in us through his Word and Spirit, purifying us so that increasingly we shine like stars in the sky.

When we get discouraged with our slow progress in the Christian life, God reminds us that he always finishes what he begins. The Heidelberg Catechism articulates it this way, "He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven: in fact, all things must work together for my salvation" (Answer #1).

As you journey on, receive Jesus' invitation:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).

You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world…let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:14-16).

When Christians take seriously Jesus' statement that we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world, we are faced with a significant temptation. Our culture insists that we measure our success but how much we have grown. All around us, bigger is better. We are tempted to take this measure of success into the Christian life. If we are salt and light, we must be able to measure the effect it has. But this philosophy does not align with God's kingdom.

Behind this temptation is bad theology. It suggests that we are in control of the outcome. Within God's kingdom that is never true. Christians are called to faithfulness, not success as the world measures it. Jesus told his disciples that greatness comes by serving. Paul constantly calls for humility.

The kingdom comes by small acts of love done in Jesus' name, not by getting recognized by the world. Christians are tempted into believing that success means we can attach the adjective Christian to our business or county.

Over a century ago, in his Stone Lectures, Abraham Kuyper offered us the image of the Aeolian harp to understand his hopes for neo-Calvinism. It is an app analogy of Christians as salt and light in this world.

This harp is a unique musical instrument played entirely by the wind rather than a human. It usually sits on the sill of an open window waiting for the wind. Without the wind it remains silent. Kuyper reminded his audience that every Christian and every Christian endeavor is powered by the Holy Spirit. Only the Spirit can awaken the music of Christianity in our souls so that it leaks out through our hands and mouths. Only the Spirit can fan us into light.

And so, Kuyper concludes, Let Christians be "nothing but such an Aeolian Harp, absolutely powerless, as it is, without the quickening Spirit of God, still we feel it our God-given duty to keep our harp, its strings tuned aright, ready in the window of God's Holy Zion, awaiting the breath of the Spirit."

Salt prevents spoilage. Light reflects the goodness of God. Christians are to work "in every domain of life" staving off deterioration and seeding improvements in the common good according to the best insights of the faith. We are not meant to seize or take over culture.

The wind blows where it pleases, says Jesus, so it is with the Spirit. We are to stay tuned, ready to follow his lead with all the fruit of the same Spirit.

As you journey on, go with his blessing:

Wherever God takes you today, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity