I preached this sermon when we lived in Flagstaff (on July 24, 2016). This is a meditation on Psalm 90, on the theme of dying in our sin and living in Christ. I believe that as we deeply reflect on God’s Word, we can usually see a connection to Christ and to us-and-Christ. That’s what I try to do in this sermon. I hope it is an encouragement to you!
Psalm 90: Dying and Living - Video
When we lived in Flagstaff, I was asked if I would like to preach a summer sermon to wrap up the series on Ecclesiastes. I said yes, not really knowing what I was getting into. :)
It turned out that grappling deeply with the bleak message of this book was a wonderful time! How could that be? It is because I found a connection between Ecclesiastes and 1 Corinthians 15. I noticed overlapping words and themes: vanity, death-as-the-end, and the hope of resurrection. I realized that Paul gives us the rest of the story, which Solomon either did not know or at least did not reveal to us. I try to make these connections in this sermon.
I realized as I kept re-reading Ecclesiastes that Solomon was writing without any reference to what comes after death. Whether he personally knew about the hope of resurrection, he makes no allusions to it at all. So, the book has a very bleak perspective. If each of our lives inevitably ends in death and there is nothing after it, then of course this life feels very empty.
But that is not actually the whole story!
Like most parts of Scripture, the more we refact this portion of the Bible through the lens of Christ, the more and more hope we actually see.
So, my prayer for you is that as you listen to this sermon, you will see how necessary it is that we find hope in Christ. The book of Ecclesiastes is certainly sobering by itself, but it is not the whole story by any means. We now have the full revelation of Scripture, and so we know that “our labor is not in vain in the Lord.” We have the sure hope of resurrection with Christ!
I’ve been listening to a podcast called “Working for the Word” by a Bible translation consultant. He mentioned the Berean Standard Bible and I got intrigued. It is a newer translation from the original languages, but with the stated goal of making it freely available to the world. Not only is it free to read online, like many versions, but it is also free to download, use and pass along to others. They intentionally wanted a solid version of the Bible, similar to the ESV or the NIV, but without the encumbrances of copyright restrictions.
I am excited to be able to download whole books of the Bible for my own study, or to make into small group Bible studies for others. And you don’t even need to ask for permission; they have already given us that permission in their licensing! How wonderful that the brothers and sisters who created this version give us the freedom to use and give away God’s Word freely!
I have been reading from it since I heard about it a few weeks ago. So far, I really like it! If you haven’t heard of it before, you may want to give it a read.
You can read it for yourself here.
They even have audio Bible versions you can download for free here.
You can learn more about the translation on their website berean.bible.
4 May all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
may those who love Your salvation always say,
“Let God be magnified!”
5 But I am poor and needy;
hurry to me, O God.
You are my help and my deliverer;
O LORD, do not delay.
Psalm 70:4-5 BSB
God is always worthy of our praise and our rejoicing (verse 5).
But sometimes we really need God to move toward us (verse 6).
Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:14-16)
A few weeks ago, our family were all in a time of stress and challenge. Just normal life stuff, but the stressful kind! I shared with our kids that it is really helpful for me, when I am facing stressors or temptations, to slow down and think that Jesus himself faced the exact same kinds of temptations I face, and that He is understanding and kind to me. No matter what kind of temptations I am currently facing–fear, anxiety, self-pity, anger, lust, pride, distraction–Jesus was tempted “in every respect as we are.”
So, this is the kind of thing we can pray: “Jesus, right now I am feeling really anxious. I’m having trouble focusing on anything else because of this nervousness. I know that when you were on earth, you were tempted to be anxious, too! You know what I’m feeling. And yet you never gave in and sinned in anxiety. You always found a way to trust your Father and rely on the Spirit. And I can do that too, because You are helping me! And to think that now, your temptations are passed and over. You have passed through the heavens to sit with your Father on the throne! And that is my destiny–to be with you where you are, when all my struggles and temptations are over, just like yours are now. Help me to trust your love and your help today. Thank you for telling me to draw near to you, knowing that what I will find is not shame or condemnation, but your mercy and your grace.”
Of course, I don’t always remember to pray this way. But, whenever I read these verses, I gain confidence that this is exactly how I am to face temptations and find the goodness of God to forgive me and to help me each day. I hope these verses give you confidence to draw close to God for his love and help today!
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.
Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool,
but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.
(Proverbs 28:26 esv)
Wisdom comes from outside ourselves. We must think, but not trust our own thinking.
Although culture is always sending us mixed messages because it is not monolithic, it tells us to think for ourselves and trust ourselves. And, in pride, we often act like we know what we are doing.
A wicked man puts on a bold face,
but the upright gives thought to his ways.
(Proverbs 21:29 esv)
But, God teaches us to be open to his truth and wisdom, which come to us from outside ourselves:
Our thinking should not be a closed system, like the view of the universe in materialistic philosophy. In that worldview, God cannot act on the world in miracles or revelation, because the of the presupposition that the universe is a closed naturalistic system. But, the Bible reveals that although the created world certainly does have patterns and laws by which it normally operates, the universe is also open to God’s influence at any time and way he chooses. The universe is not closed but open to God. So also, we must let God speak into our thinking.
