Tawa Baptist

Worship at home service – 17 May 2020

Welcome and Opening Prayer

Good morning and welcome everyone.

You may like to light a candle as a reminder that Christ is present.

From John 14:15-18 we read the words of Jesus: 15 “If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

Sung Worship

Listen and/or sing along to the following songs – on YouTube or Spotify.

  • Praise the name of Jesus, He’s my rock…
  • Bless the Lord O my soul (10,000 Reasons)

Pray: ‘Loving Father, we come before you today, body and soul. Bless this time of worship we ask. May your love and faithfulness be large in our awareness and deep in our heart. Through Jesus we pray. Amen.’

Prayer for Tranzsend

Let us pray…

Sovereign God, you are at work right throughout this world, by your Spirit and through your people. We pray that your name and purpose would be exalted in all the earth.

We bring before you our Tranzsend Baptist missionaries serving in Asia. Bless them in the work they are doing. Encourage their hearts, protect their bodies from illness and lift their spirits to soar on wings like eagles.

We pray for R and C, along with their team, as they work on the e-school learning project. We ask for continued, steady progress with this project.

We thank you for the work of Freeset. Please continue to provide for their workers. Help them as they make 20,000 masks for the community and deliver 20,000 meals to people.

We ask your wisdom and strength for AJ, the new director of NZBMS. May you empower A with the wisdom and strength he needs in leading both NZBMS and SWBC through this time. 

We think too of the communities in which our missionaries work. We ask for your love and faithfulness to be evident in those communities. May Jesus be real in people’s homes and relationships. Raise up indigenous church leaders to speak your word to the people in their heart language.

Help us to be generous as you are generous Father. Multiply what is offered to the praise of your glory.

We pray these things in the name of Jesus. Amen.

More Sung Worship

Listen and/or sing along to the following songs on YouTube or download on Spotify. This next song, ‘Your love O Lord’, is based on Psalm 36.

  • Your love O Lord reaches to the heavens
  • Broken Vessels (Amazing Grace)

Bible Reading – 1st Samuel 24:1-17

David Spares Saul’s Life

24 After Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the Desert of En Gedi.” 2 So Saul took three thousand able young men from all Israel and set out to look for David and his men near the Crags of the Wild Goats.

3 He came to the sheep pens along the way; a cave was there, and Saul went in to relieve himself. David and his men were far back in the cave. 4 The men said, “This is the day the Lord spoke of when he saidto you, ‘I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.’” Then David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.

5 Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe. 6 He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, or lay my hand on him; for he is the anointed of the Lord.” 7 With these words David sharply rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. And Saul left the cave and went his way.

8 Then David went out of the cave and called out to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground. 9 He said to Saul, “Why do you listen when men say, ‘David is bent on harming you’? 10 This day you have seen with your own eyes how the Lord delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, ‘I will not lay my hand on my lord, because he is the Lord’s anointed.’ 11 See, my father, look at this piece of your robe in my hand! I cut off the corner of your robe but did not kill you. See that there is nothing in my hand to indicate that I am guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion. I have not wronged you, but you are hunting me down to take my life. 12 May the Lord judge between you and me. And may the Lord avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you. 13 As the old saying goes, ‘From evildoers come evil deeds,’ so my hand will not touch you.

14 “Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Who are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea? 15 May the Lord be our judge and decide between us. May he consider my cause and uphold it; may he vindicate me by delivering me from your hand.”

16 When David finished saying this, Saul asked, “Is that your voice, David my son?” And he wept aloud. 17 “You are more righteous than I,” he said. “You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

General Offering

As you make your monetary offering sing:

  • ‘Great is Thy Faithfulness’ (on YouTube or Spotify)

Pray: ‘Generous Father, we thank you for your provision through all the seasons of life. Give us eyes to see your goodness and ears to hear what your Spirit is saying, through Jesus we pray. Amen.’

Sermon

You can either read the sermon notes attached to this email. Or, listen to an audio recording of the sermon & intercessory prayer via the following link:

Intercessory Prayer

David’s prayer for God to be exalted is a universal prayer. It can be applied in so many different situations because it is essentially a prayer for God’s will to be done in the world. It is a prayer for God’s purpose (his justice & mercy) to be lifted up everywhere. With this in mind, following is a prayer of intercession with the response, “Be exalted, O God”.

Let us pray…

Lord Jesus, you were a teacher. We pray for students who are returning to school this week. Keep them safe. Help pupils, teachers and parents with this transition.

“Be exalted, O God”

Lord Jesus, you are the well of living water. We pray for those people and animals in the Hawke’s Bay, Auckland and Northland who are adversely affected by the drought. May you bring the rain they need. Restore the land we ask.

“Be exalted, O God”

Lord Jesus, you were a self-employed carpenter. We pray for business owners who have lost income and livelihoods. May you restore what the locusts have eaten.

“Be exalted, O God”

Lord Jesus, you are the corner stone of the church. We ask your blessing on the churches in Tawa. May you be present through the on-line Alpha course and touch the lives of each one who participates in this.

“Be exalted, O God”

Lord Jesus, you were beaten mocked and scorned. We ask your deliverance for those women and children who are trapped in abusive relationships. Set the captives free we pray.

“Be exalted, O God”

Lord Jesus, you are our King. We pray for wisdom for our government. May they act as your servants, promoting justice and compassion in our society.

“Be exalted, O God”

Lord Jesus, you have the power to heal: mind, body, soul and relationships. Make us whole and grant us your peace we pray.

“Be exalted, O God”

Lord Jesus, you are risen from the dead. May your resurrection be real in and through us. Strengthen our hope, renew our joy and keep us in God’s purpose we ask.

“Be exalted, O God”

Thank you Lord Jesus that you hear our prayer. Amen.  

Song – Be Exalted, O God

Listen and/or sing along to ‘Be Exalted, O God’ (I will give thanks to Thee). Google the song on YouTube or Spotify.

Benediction / Blessing

Proclaim the following blessing…

‘The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance on you and give you his peace. Amen.’

Tawa Baptist

Be Exalted, O God

Scriptures: 1st Samuel 24:1-22, Psalm 57

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • I will give thanks
  • Be exalted, O God
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

When I was a kid I was lucky enough to spend holidays at the beach. My Nan told me that if I held an empty shell to my ear I could hear the sea, even if I was hundreds of miles away from the ocean.

Of course, when I got older and stopped taking everything so literally, I learned that my Nan was speaking in metaphor. Scientists will tell you that when you listen to a shell, you’re not really hearing the sound of the ocean. The shell acts as a resonator for ambient sound. Normally our brains filter out background noises, like the wind and the sea and traffic and birds, but when you put a shell over your ear, some frequencies are amplified and others get suppressed. It sounds like the sea because the movement of the ocean is one of those background noises that your brain normally filters out.

Personally, I prefer my Nan’s explanation. The idea that an empty shell can pick up the sound of the sea from anywhere is way cooler.

Today we continue our ‘Anthems’ series. In this series we are looking at the lyrics of one hymn or Christian worship song each week to see how that song informs our thinking about God and how it connects with Scripture and the heritage of our faith.

The song we are looking at this morning is called Be Exalted, O God.

Be Exalted is one of those songs that sounds like the sea. On the one hand it is comforting and hopeful. But on the other hand it is at risk of being filtered out of by our brains as background noise, because the words sound so familiar.

The lyrics for Be Exalted were written thousands of years ago by king David. We find them in Psalm 57. But the tune we sing it to today was written by a New Zealander called Brent Chambers.

Brent was born in Napier in 1948. He became a Christian at a Youth for Christ meeting in 1966. In an interview with Lindsay Terry, Brent talks about his conversion. Brent says…

“I didn’t have a great deal of interest in the [YFC] meeting but decided to go along. The Lord spoke to me during that service, and I became a Christian that very night. A couple of years later, I realized that I was not including Jesus into my life’s activities. I somehow knew that I could not be an effective Christian unless he had my whole life. Consequently, I surrendered everything to Christ, and from that time, even as a new Christian, songs began to pour out of me.”

Brent has written over 500 songs during his lifetime, alongside making a living by painting houses. He wrote Be Exalted, O God in 1977.

You know sometimes we can sing worship songs that are familiar to us and not really engage with them. The words come out of our mouth but our mind is elsewhere. It’s the same with reading Scripture or listening to sermons. Sometimes the words just wash over us without really going in or being real and then, one-day, God gently cups a shell over the ear of our soul and we pick up what he’s saying. Brent describes his resonator moment when Be Exalted, O God became real for him…

“After hearing my song, David Garrett [one of the founders of Scripture in Song music] asked me, Brent, do you think maybe God is speaking to you through these words?’ Up until that moment it was just another song that I had written, but when he said those words, my song became the Word of God to me, and my life’s call – my heart’s desire. I suddenly wanted to give thanks among the people and to sing praises among the nations. By the grace of God, we’ve done just that in many places, singing Be Exalted, O God’ and other songs.”

To help us hear God’s word in this song let’s turn to Psalm 57 now. The title of Psalm 57 says that David wrote this when he had fled into a cave to get away from king Saul. We read about David’s experience in the cave earlier in today’s service, from 1st Samuel chapter 24. Let’s read the corresponding Psalm now…

1 Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge.
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.     

2 I cry out to God Most High, to God, who vindicates me.
3 He sends from heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me – God sends forth his love and his faithfulness.

4 I am in the midst of lions; I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts—
men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords.

5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.

6 They spread a net for my feet—I was bowed down in distress. They dug a pit in my path—but they have fallen into it themselves.

7 My heart, O God, is steadfast, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music. 8 Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.

9 I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing praises to you among the peoples. 10 For your steadfast love reaches to the heavens; your faithfulness extends to the skies.

11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth. 

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us. 

I will give thanks

Caves are like sea shells, they are resonators. Hollow spaces tend to increase resonance – they help us to hear more layers of sound. You notice this when you are in a cave. Small sounds that we might not ordinarily notice, like footsteps or breathing or water dripping are amplified in a cave – we hear them more fully, more clearly, than when we are outside in the open.

The psalms are like resonators. As we hold the psalms to our ear, they show us ourselves; all the different layers of being human. They help us to be honest in expressing both the good things and the bad and to move beyond what we feel to adoration of God. 

Brent Champers’ song begins with the line…

I will give thanks to Thee, O Lord, among the peoples.
I will sing praises to Thee among the nations.
These words come from verse 9 of Psalm 57; which is towards the end of the Psalm. While giving thanks to God is a good thing to do, it is not always the first thing to do. As human beings we need to give voice to the difficulties we are facing alongside the things we are thankful for.

With this in view, David does not begin with thanksgiving. David begins by asking God for mercy. Not the mercy of forgiveness (he hasn’t done anything wrong) but rather the mercy of God’s help and protection. David has been unfairly treated and he wants God to vindicate him.

Before launching into thanksgiving David acknowledges before the Lord the fear, stress, homelessness and injustice he has been living with. In verse 4 of Psalm 57 David describes in graphic terms the danger he is in…

4 I am in the midst of lions; I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts—
men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords.

David is comparing the people who are after him (Saul and Co) as beasts hungry to kill him, not just physically but relationally as well. By spreading lies about David his enemies are alienating him, isolating him, from his community.

David has been under immense pressure and that pressure acts as a kind of emotional resonator. It makes David more aware of his need for God and consequently of God’s faithfulness in providing for him. To most people a cave is a dark spooky place to be avoided. But David’s vision of God’s goodness transforms the cave from a dingy hole in the ground to a refuge under the shadow of His wings.

This resonates with the story of Ruth, where Boaz says to Ruth, ‘May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.’ Ruth was, of course, one of David’s ancestors.

Despite the unfairness of his situation David (in verse 3) is able to see that God is on his side. The Lord has sent love and faithfulness from heaven to help him. David is not thankful for the stress of being on the run for his life and nor should he be. That wouldn’t be true or right. But David is thankful for God’s steadfast love and faithfulness. David is acutely aware of God’s reliability, when everything else around him is unreliable and uncertain.

God’s love and faithfulness are continually poured out from heaven for us, but we don’t always notice it. Like background noise, our brain filters it out and we tend to take God’s goodness for granted. But when we find ourselves in extreme circumstances; when we are acutely aware of our need, this acts as a kind of resonator and we notice those little things that God does under the radar to help us.  

For the past six weeks or more, we have been in a cave of sorts. We have been forced (by Covid-19) to stay at home in lockdown, hiding from the virus. We are aware of the collateral damage Covid-19 has caused around the world. It has taken lives. It has cost people their jobs and their businesses. It has created pressure and strain in families. We need to acknowledge that this experience has been harder for some than others. At the same time, it has not been without collateral beauty.

Collateral beauty is the opposite of collateral damage. Collateral beauty is recognising and cherishing moments of light and goodness in the midst of dark and difficult circumstances. Collateral beauty is what we get when God sends his love and faithfulness from heaven. Collateral beauty transforms a cave into the shadow of God’s wings, a place of sanctuary and comfort.

I had a collateral beauty moment on the first Sunday we were in level 4. I was in the church carpark, by myself, and I noticed the stillness. The Main Rd of Tawa is normally very busy. But on this particular day, there were no cars or people or any sort of background noise. There was just the silence of the sunrise. It was beautiful. I stood still for a moment to simply experience it. Was this what it was like for Elijah as he stood at the entrance of the cave on Mount Carmel all those centuries ago? Was this what it was like for the disciples when Jesus calmed the storm on the sea of Galilee? The stillness was so rare, so precious. I’m not sure I would have known (or appreciated) that sort of profound stillness apart from lockdown and I’m not sure I’ll ever know it again, at least not in the church carpark.

That was one of my collateral beauty moments during level 4. What was your moment? In what ways have you noticed God sending his love and faithfulness? You might like to pause the audio recording at this point and share with others your collateral beauty moment.       

Be exalted

You know, my Nan was a clever lady. She didn’t say a lot but she knew the right thing to say and when to say it. She could have given me the scientific explanation of why empty shells always sound like the sea but she knew that science by itself is not enough for the human soul. She knew that during a cold foggy winter’s day in Hamilton, when I was back at school, holding a sea shell to my ear would act as a resonator of happy memories at the beach. More than that though, it would also make me look forward in hope to the next summer holidays. My Nan’s explanation exercised my imagination and it filled me with wonder.  

In Psalm 57 we find a David who is so confident, so full of hope. His back is against the wall (literally) but he doesn’t give up. Saul and 3,000 of Israel’s finest soldiers have David cornered in a cave. David is outnumbered with nowhere to run and yet he can still remember God’s love and faithfulness. Not only that but he can even imagine a good future for himself, one in which he is set free and vindicated by God.

Jesus had the same kind of confidence and hope in going to the cross. He knew that, even though he would die, God would not abandon him to the grave. Jesus knew God would set him free from death and raise him to eternal life and that’s exactly what God did.      

The chorus of Brent Chambers’ song is the same as David’s chorus in Psalm 57;

5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.

To be exalted is to be lifted up, to be promoted. This refrain (for God to be exalted) is repeated twice in Psalm 57, once in the middle (in verse 5) and then again at the end (in verse 11).

What we notice is that although the exact same words are used both times, they are given a different meaning by the context. In verse 5 be exalted, O God is really a prayer for God to save David from real and present danger. Whereas, in verse 11, it is an expression of thankfulness for God’s salvation.

In verse 4 of Psalm 57 David describes his enemies as ravenous beasts. So, when David says straight after this (in verse 5) 5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; what he means is: ‘Use your power God to save me from my enemies.’ [1] You be in charge God and put evil in its place.

Be exalted O God, resonates with the Lord’s prayer where we say, ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.’ Hallowed be your name means may your name be lifted up and treated as sacred.

In the same vein, when David says, let your glory be over all the earth, he is really asking for God’s purpose to be achieved everywhere. “God’s glory” is the manifestation (the outworking) of his sovereign rule. [2] Or said another way, “God’s glory” is his justice and mercy at work in the world. To sing, let your glory be over all the earth is basically the same as saying, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”.

In verse 6 of Psalm 57 David describes the way in which God has exalted his justice and mercy in the cave…

6 They spread a net for my feet—I was bowed down in distress. They dug a pit in my path—but they have fallen into it themselves.

While Saul was out hunting for David, he felt the call of nature. (He needed to relieve himself.) So he goes into a cave for some privacy. We can imagine the sound resonating around the cave walls. Little does Saul know that this is the very same cave that David and his men are hiding in. Saul has fallen into the pit he dug for David. Saul had planned to trap David and kill him, but now it is Saul who is at David’s mercy.

David’s men see this as God’s providence for David. They encourage David to kill Saul. It is tempting. David creeps up behind Saul and cuts a piece off the corner of the king’s robe. But then David is conscience stricken. He returns to his men and rebukes them saying, ‘Lord forbid that I should do such a thing…’ David will not exalt himself. He will not promote himself at Saul’s expense. David wants God to be exalted and murder does not achieve that. 

David may be hiding in a hole but he has the moral high ground and this enables him to say, in verse 7, My heart, O God, is steadfast, my heart is steadfast;

To have a steadfast heart is to have courage and a clear conscience. To be resolute and unafraid. Why is David’s heart steadfast? Because he has done the right thing and he knows it.

We see something of David’s steadfastness of heart in the way he addresses Saul. After Saul has left the cave David says…

‘May the Lord be our judge and decide between us. May he consider my cause and uphold it; may he vindicate me by delivering me from your hand.’

This is another way of saying: Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.

This shows us that God can be exalted by the choices we make. Yes, God exalts himself by saving his people through acts of justice and mercy. But we human beings also exalt God (we raise up and promote God’s purpose) when we obey him.

In verses 8 & 9 of Psalm 57 David says, Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. 9 I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the nations;

This demonstrates David’s confidence in God to save him.

‘To awaken the dawn’ with praise for God means getting up while it is still dark (before the sunrise) and singing worship songs to God. I understand the ‘dawn’ here to be a metaphor for God’s salvation. It’s a way of saying, ‘I will give thanks and praise to God while I’m still waiting in the dark, even before I have seen the light of his salvation.’ David is steadfastly confident that God will act to save him. He’s so confident in fact that he thanks God in advance, even before God has actually answered his prayer. It’s a bit like asking God to deliver us from Covid-19 and then thanking him for saving us even before a vaccine has been created. Or, it’s like holding a shell to your ear in the middle of winter and thanking God in advance for the summer holidays that are coming.    

The first time David sings be exalted, O God (in verse 5)it was said in the context of being afraid for his life and was meant as a prayer for the Lord to save him. The second time David sings be exalted, O God (in verse 11) it is with grateful love, as one who anticipates being saved and coming through the other side.

We know this because in verses 9 & 10 of Psalm 57 David says, 9 I will give thanks to you, O Lord…  10 For your steadfast love reaches to the heavens; your faithfulness extends to the skies.  This is a poetic way of saying, God’s love and faithfulness is everywhere all the time. God’s love and faithfulness is like the air we breathe; it is abundant and life giving and always present.

As I said before, the risk with God’s love and faithfulness being so plentiful is that it can become like background noise; something our brain filters out. Something we take for granted.

Prayer isn’t just about asking God for stuff. Prayer includes being aware of the oxygen of God’s love and faithfulness; putting a metaphorical shell (or resonator) to our spiritual ear; being intentional about noticing the many small things God does under the radar which support our life.      

The incident in the cave (in 1st Samuel 24) ended with king Saul admitting he was wrong and leaving David unharmed. We see God’s hand in this. David took a leap of faith in speaking his truth to Saul. Saul was prone to bouts of insanity. The tormented king was just as likely to turn on David in that moment, but he didn’t. God exalted himself by using David’s act of justice and mercy to soften Saul’s heart and turn away the king’s anger. So David was given some respite.

But this wasn’t the end of it. David knew better than to trust Saul. It would not be long before Saul’s paranoia got the better of him and he went in pursuit of David again.   

Conclusion

Last Thursday we transitioned to level 2, with a limit on gatherings of 10 people. We are thankful to be able to catch up with family and friends in small groups. But at the same time we are not quite out of the woods (or out of the cave) just yet.

Nevertheless, we can give thanks to God for his grace in bringing us this far and we can continue to pray that God’s purpose will be exalted in all the earth.

God exalted himself most significantly in raising Jesus from the dead. Because of Jesus’ resurrection we can be confident that the sun of God’s salvation will rise on the night time of whatever trials and difficulties we may face. 

Intercessory Prayer

In a moment I will lead us in an intercessory prayer. David’s prayer for God to be exalted is a universal prayer. It can be applied in so many different situations because it is essentially asking for God’s will to be done in the world. It is a prayer for God’s justice & mercy to be lifted up everywhere. With this in mind I will offer words of intercession for various people and situations and I invite you to respond by saying, “Be exalted, O God”. When I pause that is your cue to pray, “Be exalted, O God”.

Let us pray…

Lord Jesus, you were a teacher. We pray for students who are returning to school this week. Keep them safe. Help pupils, teachers and parents with this transition.

“Be exalted, O God”

Lord Jesus, you are the well of living water. We pray for those people and animals in the Hawke’s Bay, Auckland and Northland who are adversely affected by the drought. May you bring the rain they need. Restore the land we ask.

“Be exalted, O God”

Lord Jesus, you were a self-employed carpenter. We pray for business owners who have lost income and livelihoods. May you restore what the locusts have eaten.

“Be exalted, O God”

Lord Jesus, you are the corner stone of the church. We ask your blessing on the churches in Tawa. May you be present through the on-line Alpha course and touch the lives of each one who participates in this.

“Be exalted, O God”

Lord Jesus, you were beaten, mocked and scorned. We ask your deliverance for those women and children who are trapped in abusive relationships. Set the captives free we pray.

“Be exalted, O God”

Lord Jesus, you are our King. We pray for wisdom for our government. May they act as your servants, promoting justice and compassion in our society.

“Be exalted, O God”

Lord Jesus, you have the power to heal: mind, body, soul and relationships. Make us whole and grant us your peace we pray.

“Be exalted, O God”

Lord Jesus, you are risen from the dead. May your resurrection be real in and through us. Strengthen our hope, renew our joy and keep us in God’s purpose we ask.

“Be exalted, O God”

Thank you Lord Jesus that you hear our prayer. Amen.  

Let’s stand and sing Be exalted, O God…

I will give thanks to Thee, O Lord, among the peoples
I will sing praises to Thee among the nations
For Thy steadfast love is great, it is great to the heavens
And Thy faithfulness, Thy faithfulness to the clouds

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens
Let Thy glory be over all the earth (x2)

Questions for discussion or reflection:

Listen to the song ‘Be exalted, O God’.  What are you in touch with as you listen to this song? (What connections, memories or feelings does the song evoke for you?) 

How might the Psalms help us to be honest with ourselves and worship God?

Why do you think David saw the cave he was in as ‘a refuge under the shadow of God’s wings’?

What collateral damage have you experienced because of Covid-19? What collateral beauty have you experienced? 

What can we do to make/keep ourselves aware of the oxygen of God’s love & faithfulness?

Why did David pray ‘Be exalted, O God’ in verse 5 of Psalm 57? (What did he mean in that context?) And what did David mean when he said ‘Be exalted, O God’ in verse 11? How is the nuance different in each repetition of this refrain?

How can we exalt God? (How can we lift up his purpose in the world?)

Take some time this week to awaken the dawn with praise for God – that is, to thank God for his love and faithfulness.

[1] Refer James Mays’ commentary on the Psalms, page 210. 

[2] Ibid.

Tawa Baptist

Worship at home service – 10 May 2020

Welcome and Opening Prayer

Good morning and welcome everyone. Happy Mothers’ Day to all you mums. 

You may like to light a candle as a reminder that Christ is present.

From Psalm 139: “O Lord, you have searched me and you know me… For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made, I know that full well… How precious to me are your thoughts, O God, how vast the sum of them; were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake I am still with you.”   

Sung Worship

Most of today’s songs were chosen by Geraldine. 

Listen and/or sing along to the following songs – on YouTube or Spotify. 

  • Build My Life (Worthy of every song we could ever sing)
  • My God is So Big, So Strong, and So Mighty 

Pray: ‘Creator God, you are the ground of our being. Nothing is too difficult for you. Fill us with awe and wonder at your wisdom and goodness during this service of worship and throughout the week to come. Through Jesus we pray. Amen.’ 

Reading – Psalm 29

A psalm of David.

1 Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings,
    ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
    worship the Lord in the splendour of his holiness.

3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
    the God of glory thunders,
    the Lord thunders over the mighty waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful;
    the voice of the Lord is majestic.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
    the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon leap like a calf,
    Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord strikes
    with flashes of lightning.
8 The voice of the Lord shakes the desert;
    the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord twists the oaks
    and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”

10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
    the Lord is enthroned as King forever.
11 The Lord gives strength to his people;
    the Lord blesses his people with peace.

May the Lord bless the reading of his word. 

General Offering

As you make your offering sing…

  • ‘Turn your eyes upon Jesus’ (on YouTube or Spotify)

Pray: Thank you loving God for cherishing us. Amen.  

Intercessory Prayer

The following prayer was prepared by Geraldine.

[Note – to aid us in our prayers today, we will use our hands to help us, putting them into positions that will help us to engage our bodies with our prayers, and allowing our minds to focus. The directions are in square brackets] 

Let us pray.

Praying hands – [put your hands together in the traditional position of prayer – that is, with your palms together and your hands pointing upwards]

We come before you, Everlasting God, to pray and to listen. We stop our activities and quiet our minds. We bring You our prayers, gratitude, and concerns.  We remember Your promise to be near us, to listen to us, to care for us.

Loving God, we thank you for our mothers and those who act or acted like mothers for us – those who do or did nurture us, care for us, protect us, and guide us along good paths. Please give those women faith, inner strength, hope and wisdom, to share and to enjoy. We thank you for their selflessness and love, which reflects in some small way the immense love and sacrifice You have provided all of us. 

Wounded hands – [put the index finger (pointing finger) into the centre of your other palm, like a nail went through Jesus’ hand on the cross]

Jesus’ hand was pierced as he was crucified. He was wounded to restore our relationship with God. He suffered to bring reconciliation and justice to the world. 

Lord we bring to you now situations and places where reconciliation, justice and wholeness are needed, in our own lives, our relationships, in our communities and in the world

[Pause here to silently pray, or to offer spoken prayers]

Open hands – [hold your hands open in front of you and facing upwards]

We pray for those who have lost their mother or mother-figures. Please comfort them and give them joy in remembering the good memories. We pray also for those who have recently lost other family members and close friends, and pray they might know Your never-ending presence and comfort in their journey through grief.

Jehovah Jireh, our Provider, you know that we all have needs, physical, spiritual, and emotional. We pray for those who now find themselves with financial worries, unsure how they will feed or care for their families. We pray for those who have health problems, including COVID 19, but also other illnesses and injuries that prevent them from enjoying a full life. There are also those who are crushed by anxiety or despairing about the future. Please bring your healing and hope, and gentle presence.

Holding hands – [either hold your hands together, or hold hands with those in your bubble]

Lord Jesus, you embodied God’s compassion. You met with the suffering and the mourning, and offered Your healing, comfort and love. Help us to be Your hands to serve those around us or far away, whether they are known or unknown to us. Give us your love and care for all people and for creation.

Lord, we also pray you will help us acknowledge that we too are in need and broken. Forgive us, and help us to let others, including You, serve and love us too.

Please strengthen our bonds as families and friends and a church community, as we help each other through these times and the future to come. 

And lastly, we thank you, O Loving God, of Your promise in Psalm 121, that You will watch over our coming and going both now and forevermore.

Amen. 

More Sung Worship

Listen and/or sing along to the following songs on YouTube or download on Spotify

  • Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation
  • Holy Spirit welcome (Wairua Tapu)

Sermon

You can either read the sermon notes or, listen to an audio recording of the sermon via the following link:

Song – Oceans

Listen and/or sing along to ‘Oceans’. Google the song on YouTube or Spotify.

Benediction / Blessing

Proclaim the following blessing… 

‘The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance on you and give you his peace. Amen.’

Tawa Baptist

10 May 2020 – Oceans

Scripture: Matthew 14:22-33, Acts 10, Psalm 131:2, Song of Solomon 2:16

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Walking on water
  • I am yours and you are mine
  • Trust without borders
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone and happy Mothers’ day to all the mums out there. A special shout out to my own mum, who is listening to this in Hamilton. 

You may be familiar with the phrase, ‘Measure twice, cut once’. It’s a carpentry metaphor. When a builder is cutting a piece of wood he or she wants to make sure it is the right size to fit, before cutting, otherwise the wood is wasted. 

If making a decision is akin to cutting a piece of wood, then thinking things through and doing your due diligence first is akin to measuring twice.

There are two opposites to measuring twice and cutting once. At one extreme there are those who cut first and try to make it fit later. And, at the other extreme, there are those who are always measuring and never get around to cutting. They never commit to a decision. 

You may like to do a little exercise in your bubbles now. On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is equivalent to cutting first and making it fit later, and 5 is equivalent to measuring twice before cutting and 10 is equivalent to always measuring and never committing to a decision, what number would you give yourself? 

(You could pause the audio recording at this point and share your answer with those in your bubble. See if they agree with your self-assessment.) 

Hopefully this was a fun sharing time and you are still talking to each other. 

It is important to know there is no ideal number. It often depends on the circumstances. Some situations call for us to cut first, without measuring. In other situations, we do well to measure but not commit to a decision, perhaps because we don’t have enough information. Most of the time though, measuring twice and cutting once is our best option. Wisdom is the ability to discern which approach is best under the circumstances. 

Today we continue our ‘Anthems’ series. In this series we are looking at the lyrics of one hymn or Christian worship song each week to see how that song informs our thinking about God and how it connects with Scripture and the heritage of our faith. 

The song we are looking at this morning is called Oceans. 

Oceans was written by three blokes from Hillsong United in Australia; Matt Crocker, Joel Houston and Salomon Ligthelm. It was released in 2013 and has been very popular in church circles around the western world. 

Oceans is largely based on Matthew 14:22-33; the story of Peter getting out of the boat to walk on water toward Jesus.   

Joel Houston explains, “It’s really a song about stepping into the unknown, about faith and raw trust in God.”

Walking on water:

Since so much of the meaning of Oceans is found in Matthew 14, let’s revisit that story of Jesus & Peter walking on water now. From verse 22 we read… 

22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

29 “Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.  

The impression we get of Peter, in the gospels, is that he was naturally inclined to cut first and make it fit later. It appears that Peter didn’t really think things through when he said to Jesus, “Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water.” What a strange and peculiar test. To be fair to Peter though, it had been a very long and exhausting day and it is difficult to think straight when you are under stress.  

The opening verse of the song Oceans begins…

You call me out upon the waters, the great unknown where feet may fail.

This line recalls Jesus telling Peter to get out of the boat and walk on the water towards him. It also recalls how the feet of Peter’s faith failed, and he began to sink, when he took his eyes off Jesus.   

Verse 1 of the song continues…

And there I find You in the mystery, in oceans deep my faith will stand.

This line rightly acknowledges the mystery of God. We can’t know God completely or understand all his ways. God reveals himself to us, in part, through creation, through the Bible and most notably through Jesus. But our minds are too small, too finite to fully grasp God, who is infinite. The things about God that remain inaccessible to us are in the realm of mystery. When it comes to the mystery of God we are not able to measure twice, nor do we have to commit to a firm position. We simply trust. 

Now it was fashionable for a while (during the 20th Century) to explain the miracle out of the account of Jesus walking on water. Some people postulated that Jesus was just walking on the beach beside the lake so it only appeared to the disciples that he was walking on water. Others came up with the theory that Jesus was walking on a sand bar. None of these natural explanations make sense though.

Matthew is very clear that Jesus miraculously walked on water. There was no trick of the light and no sand bar. Verse 24 of Matthew 14 tells us the boat was far out on the lake. There are no shallow spots far out on the Sea of Galilee and, from that distance (in the dark), the disciples wouldn’t be able to see Jesus until he got quite close to the boat. What’s more Jesus rescued Peter and got into the boat with the disciples, so he was definitely out in the deep part of the lake. 

A belief in the miraculous power of Jesus does not make our faith less credible. If anything it points to the greatness (or the mystery) of God. If we could explain everything about Jesus, he wouldn’t be the Son of God.   

The first half of the chorus of the song reads…

And I will call upon Your name and keep my eyes above the waves.
Again this connects with Peter’s experience in Matthew 14. When Peter started to sink he called out to Jesus to save him. I like the observation Neville made in his all-age activity earlier in today’s service. 

Neville said, ‘When Peter started sinking he did not call back to his friends to throw him a rope – he called to Jesus for help.’ 

Peter’s instinct was to rely on Jesus. 

The song Oceans encourages us to learn from Peter’s experience and keep our eyes above the waves – that is, keep our eyes focused on Jesus (As we sang earlier, Turn your eyes upon Jesus…) 

Verse 2 of the song continues the walking on water theme where we sing… 

Your grace abounds in deepest waters, Your sovereign hand will be my guide.
Peter experienced Jesus’ grace in deepest waters when Jesus held out his sovereign hand to rescue him. You might remember from last week that God’s sovereignty refers to his supreme power and ultimate authority in this world. God is free to do whatever he wants but he chooses to use his power for the well-being of his creation. Jesus, who is full of grace & truth, used his power to save Peter.   

But it wasn’t just Peter who experienced God’s grace out on the lake that night. The other disciples received the grace (or the gift) of seeing Jesus calm the waters when he got into the boat. This revealed to them that Jesus is in fact Sovereign over creation – even the wind and waves obey him.  

Verse 2 of the song also reminds us that even though the feet of our faith may fail and fear sometimes gets the better of us, Jesus will never fail us. Jesus’ faithfulness does not depend on us. Jesus is faithful because he is the Son of God and God is faithful. 

God’s grace and faithfulness is as deep and abundant as the water of the oceans. This means we are not condemned if our faith fails. It’s not the end of the world if we make a mistake. God is big enough to forgive and redeem our mistakes. Whether Peter should have got out of the boat on that occasion or not is beside the point. The fact is, he did get out and walk on water for a little bit. And although he took his eyes off Jesus and started to sink it wasn’t the end of his life, nor was it the end of his relationship with Jesus. God’s grace was sufficient for Peter and it is sufficient for you too. So if we fail, we don’t give up. We ask for Jesus’ help and we learn from the experience. 

I am yours and you are mine:

Returning to the chorus of today’s song. The second half reads…

When oceans rise, my soul will rest in Your embrace, for I am Yours and You are mine. 

Certainly Peter rested in Jesus’ embrace, when Jesus lifted him out of the water. 

But these lines make other connections as well. ‘When oceans rise’, makes us think of global warming and the way the world’s oceans are literally rising due to the melting of glaciers and ice shelfs. Our world is anxious about the ecological crisis we are facing. As Christians though we find our security in God. We do what we can to stem the tide and we trust ourselves to God.   

My soul will rest in Your embrace reminds me of Psalm 131:2 which reads, 

“But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; my soul is like the weaned child that is within me.” 

Just as a mother holds a child in her tender embrace, so too God holds our soul in his embrace. 

Twice, in Psalm 131, David says his soul is like a weaned child. To be weaned is to become accustomed to managing without something which we were previously dependent on. For example, the child stops drinking its mother’s milk and starts eating solid food. It’s not that milk is bad – it is good for a time – but as the child grows it needs more substantial nourishment. A baby cries when it is hungry so the mother will feed it. A weaned child does not cry though because a weaned child knows it will be fed and waits for mum to prepare the meal. 

How does God feed the human soul? God feeds our soul with meaning. When something is meaningful it is worthwhile – it has a point to it, a purpose that is satisfying. Meaning answers the ‘why’ questions of life & death. Ultimately God is the one who gives meaning to our lives. The thing is, we often have to wait, in quiet trust, for that meaning to be revealed.  

We quieten our soul by abandoning outcomes to God. By not seeking to manipulate the end result. Embracing the truth that we don’t have all the answers, let alone the resources to make things turn out right. How will God deliver the world from global warming and Covid-19 and any other threat we may be anxious about? I don’t know. What I believe is that God can deliver us. The fact that Jesus walked on water demonstrates that he is Lord of creation. Nothing is too difficult for him. He won’t let the storm or the waves get out of control. Ultimately God is in charge. 

The chorus of the song Oceans includes the line, For I am Yours and You are mine. This means we belong to God, exclusively. As I said a couple of weeks ago, God is jealous for us. He will not share us with anyone or anything else. 

For I am Yours and You are mine, reminds me of the Song of Solomon 2:16, which reads: My beloved is mine and I am his; he browses among the lilies.

On the face of it, the Song of Solomon is a love poem describing the experience of young love, falling in love, romantic love between a man and a woman.  

Some Christians throughout history have interpreted the Song of Solomon as an allegory or parable for the church’s relationship with Jesus; where the church is the woman and Jesus is the bridegroom.

My beloved is mine and I am his; This is talking about an exclusive, close personal relationship with Jesus.

And, He browses among the lilies, is a metaphor which basically means he admires my beauty. 

Perhaps you don’t feel all that beautiful at the moment. Perhaps you’ve done things that make you feel ugly or gross. Perhaps other people have said and done things to you that make you feel worth less. Let me say this; you are not defined by how you feel about yourself. You are not defined by your mistakes. Nor are you defined by other people’s actions toward you. You are defined by God and you belong to Jesus. You are his beloved. When Jesus looks at you he is browsing among the lilies – he is admiring your beauty, in other words. He sees you, the real you, and he loves you. 

It is the power of God’s love for us, in Christ, which makes us feel safe enough to get out of the boat. 

Trust without borders:

The bridge of the song Oceans is a brave prayer. It reads…

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders,
Let me walk upon the waters wherever You would call me.
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger in the presence of my Saviour.

That phrase ‘trust without borders’ sounds like its borrowed from the organisation called Doctors Without Borders. As the name would suggest Doctors Without Borders is an international humanitarian agency that provides medical aid across national boundaries, irrespective of race or religion or political affiliation. It is a Non-Government Organisation (NGO) known for its work in conflict zones and other hard places that are not well resourced. 

Returning to the song. When we sing Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders, we are saying something like: Spirit lead me out of my comfort zone. Help me to trust God in those extreme circumstances where things are unfamiliar and I’m over my head; where material resources are scarce and my normal supports are taken away.

It needs to be said that these are the sort of words you might sing from a place of confidence; a place of wanting to be challenged and looking for an adventure. If you are already in a place of crisis and feeling stretched beyond your own capacity, then you probably won’t want to sing these lines, as catchy as the tune is.  

That phrase trust without borders brings to mind the life and work of Jackie Pullinger. Jackie was born in England in 1944. She went to church as a child and was quite serious about God but didn’t really like him all that much. Then she had a personal encounter of God’s love which changed her life. After that she just wanted to share God’s love with others. 

At the age of 22 Jackie had a dream and a vision in which she sensed God was calling her to overseas mission. She applied to various mission organisations but none of them would accept her. So Jackie went to ask a vicar what she should do. I suppose this was a case of measure twice, cut once. The vicar said, ‘Get on a boat and ask God to show you where to get off’. That’s a bit like saying, ‘Let the Spirit lead you where your trust is without borders’. So that’s what she did. 

In 1966 Jackie left England and got as far as Hong Kong where she stepped out of the boat and into the unknown. She served the poor in miraculous ways, in what was once called ‘the walled city’. Gang members came to Christ and drug addicts were set free through the power of prayer. Jackie turns 76 this year and has never looked back. Her trust in Jesus is without borders. 

The Spirit of God also led the apostle Peter where his trust was without borders. After Jesus’ death and resurrection, Peter and the other disciples received the gift of the Holy Spirit. To receive the Holy Spirit is to be filled with the love and truth of God so that you can’t help but show and tell others about God’s love. 

In Acts 10 we read how the Spirit led Peter way outside his comfort zone. Peter had a vision in which God declared all kinds of animals and birds clean or kosher to eat. This vision was shocking to Peter. He was Jewish and the Law of Moses prohibited consumption of certain animals. At first Peter resisted the voice that was telling him to eat these forbidden foods. It seems he was measuring twice, or three times in fact, because he had the vision three times.  

God gave Peter this vision because he was preparing Peter to reach out beyond the borders of ethnic Israel to a Gentile by the name of Cornelius. The Jewish food laws had to be put aside if Jewish Christians were going to reach the Gentile world.   

As Peter was wondering what the vision meant, some men arrived. They came to invite Peter to Cornelius’ home. Normally Jews didn’t enter the house of Gentiles because it made them ceremonially unclean. But God had just shown Peter it was okay. So Peter stepped out of the boat of Jewish custom and went to Cornelius’ house. 

When Peter started telling Cornelius and his household about Jesus’ death and resurrection, …the Holy Spirit came down on all those who were listening to his message. 45 The Jewish believers who had come from Joppa with Peter were amazed that God had poured out his gift of the Holy Spirit on the Gentiles also. 46 For they heard them speaking in strange tongues and praising God’s greatness. Peter spoke up: 47 “These people have received the Holy Spirit, just as we also did. Can anyone, then, stop them from being baptized with water?” 48 So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay with them for a few days.  

Peter learned from his experience of walking on water with Jesus. He didn’t let his failure in faith define him. He didn’t remain reckless in his approach to discerning God’s will. Nor did he become so cautious that he was always weighing things up and never committing to a decision. 

When we sing, Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders we are not throwing all caution to the wind. In my experience, if God is going to ask you to step out of the boat and into a difficult place, where you have no choice but to rely on him, he usually provides good confirmation. Peter and Jackie both measured twice and cut once. So if you sense God calling you into something unknown then please measure twice. Pray and talk with a Godly person who you can trust and keep your eyes on Jesus. 

Conclusion:

In an interview with Premiere Christianity Magazine, just last year, Jackie Pullinger was asked: “Is there a particular message that’s on your heart for Christians? 

And Jackie replied, “My message is always the same; it’s how to get us sure enough of God’s love, so we can go out and share it with the lost. …to me it’s quite simple. Having tasted of his love all I want to do is share it until I die.” 

Although Jackie’s interview had nothing to do with the song Oceans, I think her theology (at this point) sums up the song quite well. Oceans expresses a desire to be so close to Jesus, so sure of God’s love, that we will trust him to go out and share his love with those who don’t yet know him. 

Of course, you don’t need to go to the other side of the world to share God’s love. God might be calling you to share his love with someone a lot closer to home. 

Let us pray…  

Lord Jesus Christ, be real for us we ask. Make us so sure of God’s love that we can’t help but share it with others. May we each know deep down, through the work of your Spirit, that I am yours and you are mine. Amen.  

Oceans

Verse 1

You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep my faith will stand

Chorus

And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise, my soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

Verse 2

Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You’ve never failed and You won’t start now

Bridge

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Saviour

Questions for discussion or reflection

Listen to the song ‘Oceans’.  What are you in touch with as you listen to this song? (What connections, memories or feelings does the song evoke for you?)  

How do you prefer to make decisions? Where did you place yourself on the scale from 1 to 10? Did others in your bubble agree with your self-assessment? Did you agree with their self-assessment? 

Has there been a time in your life when you sensed Jesus calling you out of the boat (metaphorically speaking) and into the unknown? How did you respond?  What happened?

How might we keep our eyes above the waves and on Jesus? (What practical things can we do?) 

In what sense is God like a mother to us? How does God feed your soul? 

What does Song of Solomon 2:16 mean for us? That is, ‘My beloved is mine and I am his; he browses among the lilies’. 

What does it mean to sing, Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders? Why might we sing this? 

What is your experience of God’s love? Is there someone God is calling you to share his love with? How might you do this? 

Outtakes

Being filled with the Spirit is not something we just do once and that’s it. Being filled with the Spirit is something we need to go on doing, like drinking water.      

Tawa Baptist

Worship at home service – 3 May 2020

Welcome and Opening Prayer

Good morning and welcome everyone

You may like to light a candle as a reminder that Christ is present 

Sung Worship

In John 8:12, Jesus says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will have the light of life and will never walk in darkness.”    

Let us worship Jesus now. 

(Listen and/or sing along to the following songs – on YouTube or Spotify.) 

  • Shine Jesus shine
  • You are the first and the last

Pray: ‘We thank you Jesus for the light you shed on God. We thank you too for the light you shed on being human, made in God’s image. Help us to walk in the light of your love and truth. Amen.’

Reading

As you make your offering, stand and read the following Scripture out loud…

Romans 11:33-12:1

33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
    How unsearchable his judgments,
    and his paths beyond tracing out!
34 “Who has known the mind of the Lord?
    Or who has been his counsellor?”

35 “Who has ever given to God,
    that God should repay them?”

36 For from him and through him and for him are all things.
    To him be the glory forever! Amen.

12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

Prayer

God, you are all knowing. Nothing is too difficult for you. We thank you for your provision, both the good we know of and the good that is hidden. Give us eyes to see your hand of providence and hearts to delight in you. Through Jesus we pray. Amen.    

More Sung Worship

Listen and/or sing along to the following songs on YouTube or Spotify…

  • Cornerstone (My hope is built on nothing less) 
  • Be still and know that I am God

Sermon

You can either read the sermon notes on the sermons page of this website. Or, listen to an audio recording of the sermon via the following link:

Song

Listen and/or sing along to ‘God Defend New Zealand’ – either on YouTube or Spotify.

E Ihowā Atua,
O ngā iwi mātou rā
Āta whakarangona;
Me aroha noa
Kia hua ko te pai;
Kia tau tō atawhai;
Manaakitia mai
Aotearoa

God of Nations at Thy feet,
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our free land.
Guard Pacific’s triple star
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand.

Men of every creed and race,
Gather here before Thy face,
Asking Thee to bless this place,
God defend our free land.
From dissension, envy, hate,
And corruption guard our state,
Make our country good and great,
God defend New Zealand.

Peace, not war, shall be our boast,
But, should foes assail our coast,
Make us then a mighty host,
God defend our free land.
Lord of battles in Thy might,
Put our enemies to flight,
Let our cause be just and right,
God defend New Zealand.

Let our love for Thee increase,
May Thy blessings never cease,
Give us plenty, give us peace,
God defend our free land.
From dishonour and from shame,
Guard our country’s spotless name,
Crown her with immortal fame,
God defend New Zealand.

May our mountains ever be
Freedom’s ramparts on the sea,
Make us faithful unto Thee,
God defend our free land.
Guide her in the nations’ van,
Preaching love and truth to man,
Working out Thy glorious plan,
God defend New Zealand.

Prayer to put on the Armour of God

God, you are wise. We pray that you would equip us with the helmet of salvation, to protect our mind 

  • Help us to think true and keep a right perspective 

God, you are just. We pray that you would equip us with the breastplate of righteousness to protect our heart 

  • Help us to love you and desire your will above all else 

God, you are one. We pray that you would equip us with the belt of truth to hold everything together 

  • Help us to live our lives with integrity

God, you are faithful. We pray that you would equip us with the shoes of peace to follow in the footsteps of Christ  

  • Help us on our journey through this life

God, you are merciful. We pray that you would equip us with the shield of faith to protect us from our inner critic 

  • Help us to walk in the confidence of knowing there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus    

God, you are careful. We pray that you would equip us with the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God

  • Help us to have the right word in season for those you put across our path

We pray these things in the strong name of Jesus, our Lord and friend. Amen. 

Communion

On the first Sunday of each month we normally share communion together. We celebrate communion to remember Jesus. We remember Jesus’ death, his resurrection and his presence with us now. We also remember that Jesus will return in glory one day. Communion reminds us we are not alone.   

At Tawa Baptist we wouldn’t normally serve communion to children under 12 years. If you have small children with you then I suggest either having communion later, when they are asleep, or let them watch you without partaking themselves. If they are going to watch you, then include them by explaining what you are doing and why. Instead of bread & juice, give the children with you a spoken blessing (with tender laying on of hands). 

Song

Listen and/or sing along to the following song as you prepare for communion 

  • How deep the Father’s love (on YouTube or Spotify)

Prayer

Get your church directory and pray for the people in two other households on the same page as you. Take a few moments to put yourself in their shoes, consider their needs and ask God’s blessing and provision for them. If you don’t have a directory, then you could pray for anyone else in your congregation or street who comes to mind.   

Prayer of Blessing for elements

Father God we thank you for your Son Jesus who we remember now in the breaking of the bread and sharing of the cup. May you bless these element, the bread and the wine/juice that all who receive them would be filled afresh with your Spirit of love and truth. We ask this is in the name of Jesus. Amen. 

Words of Institution 

On the night when he was betrayed the Lord Jesus took a piece of bread and broke it. After he had given thanks he gave it to his disciples and said, ‘Take. Eat. This is my body which given for you. Do this to remember me.’ 

Eat the bread.

In the same way the Lord Jesus took the cup after supper saying. ‘This cup is God’s new covenant, sealed with my blood, which is poured out for you.’ 

Drink some grape juice (or red wine).

To conclude someone might like to say: ‘The Lord is risen’ 

With the response: ‘He is risen indeed’.

Benediction / Blessing

Proclaim the following blessing… 

‘The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance on you and give you his peace. Amen.’

Tawa Baptist

God Defend New Zealand

Scripture: Psalm 47, 2nd Kings 18-19, Isaiah 32:16-18, Psalm 10:14-18, Psalm 68:4-6,

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • God’s sovereignty
  • God’s justice
  • God’s compassion
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Last Sunday I asked a quiz question based on pop culture. Today I have a history question for you. And to make it easier, it’s multi-choice. 

In what year was the song ‘God Defend New Zealand’ first played at an Olympic Games? Was it…

  1.  1896
  2.  1920
  3.  1956, or
  4.  1972

I’ll give you a couple of seconds to choose your answer. [Wait]

The answer is D.) It was first played when the men’s rowing eight won gold at the 1972 Olympics in Germany.

Today we continue our ‘Anthems’ series. In this series we are looking at the lyrics of one hymn or Christian worship song each week to see how that song informs our thinking about God and how it connects with Scripture and the heritage of our faith.

The song we are looking at this morning is called God Defend New Zealand, one of the two official national anthems of our land. The other one being God Save the Queen.  

Now you might be wondering, why has Will chosen the national anthem to preach on? Well, two reasons. Firstly, there hasn’t been any sport on TV lately and some of you may be missing a bit of patriotism. Secondly, and more importantly, God Defend New Zealand is actually a prayer. When we sing our national anthem we are acknowledging God as our sovereign and asking for his help. 

The words for God Defend New Zealand were written by Thomas Bracken in the 1870’s. Bracken was born in Ireland and baptised a Catholic. His mother died when he just 6 years old and his father died when he was 11. Thomas was then sent to Australia at the age of 12. He held a number of jobs there and, in his spare time, wrote poetry. Thomas Bracken arrived in New Zealand in 1867. He was 22 years old by that stage.

Bracken settled in Dunedin and took a job as a journalist with the Otago Guardian. In 1875 he started his own newspaper called the Saturday Advertiser.

Then, on the 1st July 1876 he published the five stanzas of God Defend New Zealand under the title ‘National Hymn’ in his own newspaper. At the same time, he announced a competition to compose music to go with his poem.

Somewhat ironically, the competition was judged by three Germans living in Australia. The winner of the music competition was a New Zealander though; John Joseph Woods from Lawrence, in Otago. J.J. Woods was a school teacher and later became the town clerk of Lawrence.

Alison Crampton has a connection with J.J. Woods. Alison was born and raised in Lawrence. Her mother’s side of the family have been there since the gold rush days. Alison’s mum could remember J. J. Woods coming along to school and conducting the pupils when God Defend New Zealand was to be sung on special occasions.

Okay, time for another multi-choice quiz. When did God Defend New Zealand officially become one of the national anthems of NZ? Was it…

  1. 1876
  2. 1901
  3. 1972, or
  4. 1977

I’ll give you a moment to choose your answer. [Wait]

While God Defend New Zealand was well received by the general population, it didn’t officially become our national anthem until 1977. I know. Crazy aye. It took over a hundred years for Thomas Bracken’s hymn to be formally recognised by the government.

The more astute among you may be thinking, if this was the case then why was God Defend New Zealand played at the Olympic Games medal ceremony in 1972? Good question. Because, technically, they were supposed to play God Save the Queen. Well, no one really knows why they played God Defend New Zealand. It seems to have been a happy mistake. Certainly the men’s rowing eight were pleased to hear it. Many of them were moved to tears.   

God Defend New Zealand is essentially a prayer for God’s protection and peace for our nation. In particular, the song points to three things about God: his sovereignty, his justice and his compassion. First let us consider God’s sovereignty.

God’s sovereignty:

To say that God is sovereign is to say that he is the supreme power, the ultimate authority in this world.

Thomas Bracken’s hymn begins with the words ‘God of nations’ and verse 2 starts with, ‘We of every creed and race’. This is an acknowledgement of God’s sovereignty. God isn’t just God of Israel or New Zealand, he is the God of all nations and cultures. In Psalm 47 we read…

1 Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy. 2 For the Lord Most High is awesome, the great King over all the earth…
6 Sing praises to God… 7 For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise. 8 God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne. 9 The nobles of the nations assemble… for the kingsof the earth belong to God; he is greatly exalted.  

At least ten times throughout the five verses of our national anthem we ask God to defend our country. What’s more, the first verse contains the line: Guard Pacific’s triple star from the shafts of strife and war. It is unclear what Thomas Bracken meant by the phrase, Pacific’s triple star. Some say this refers to the three main islands of NZ; the North Island, the South Island and Stewart Island (not the West Island). Others say it is a reference to the three stars on the flag of Te Kooti (a Māori political and religious leader of the 19th century). Whatever the case, we are asking God to defend our land.

One of the main jobs of a sovereign ruler is to defend their people. It is because God is the supreme power and authority in this world that we can have confidence in his ability to defend and protect our shores.

One story that comes to mind of God’s sovereignty over the nations is in 2nd Kings chapters 18-19, where the city of Jerusalem is surrounded by the might of the Assyrian army. At that time in history Assyria was the dominant world power. Hezekiah was one of the good kings of Judah. Under great pressure from a military powerhouse, Hezekiah prayed to God asking the Lord to defend the city saying, “O Lord, God of Israel…, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Give ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to insult the living God… Now, O Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O Lord, are God.

Then the Lord sent a message to king Hezekiah through the prophet Isaiah;

Therefore, this is what the Lord says concerning the king of Assyria: “He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow here. He will not come before it with shield or build a siege ramp against it. By the way he came he will return; he will not enter this city declares the Lord. I will defend this city and save it, for my sake and for the sake of David my servant.”     

The next day the king of Assyria withdrew and returned to Nineveh.

I wonder if Thomas Bracken had this story of Hezekiah in mind when we wrote verse 3 of his hymn: “…Lord of battles in Thy might, put our enemies to flight.”

Freedom gets mentioned a bit in our national anthem. ‘God defend our free land’ is repeated in the middle of each of the five verses. And the last verse begins with the line, “May our mountains ever be freedom’s ramparts on the sea.” Freedom is a value that is held dear by most New Zealanders. Freedom is also one of the values of the kingdom of God. Jesus came to set the captives free and in Christ we have freedom from sin and death; freedom to love. (In the bonds of love we meet.)

Freedom aligns closely with God’s sovereignty. Because God is the supreme power and authority in this world he is free to act as he sees best. He is not subject to anyone or anything. However, even though God is free to do what he wants, God chooses to listen to our point of view and limits his freedom. In fact, when God made human beings in his image and gave us free will he was effectively sharing his power and authority with us. God shows us how to exercise power by using his freedom for the well-being of his creation. God’s freedom is always tempered with listening and responsibility.      

What we need to remember is that our freedom is not a freedom to do whatever we want. Our freedom is a freedom to be faithful to God, to preach love and truth and to act with justice and compassion, in service to God’s purpose.    

So that’s the first main theme of the song, God’s sovereignty. Another major theme is God’s justice.

God’s justice:

New Zealanders have a strong sense of justice. We want things to be fair and equitable. One of the country’s longest running TV shows is called Fair Go. Justice is in our blood. Many of our Pakeha forebears came from places in Europe where things were not fair or just. The rich got richer and the poor got poorer. Last January I was reading a biography on the life of Bing & Joyce Lucas, written by Bruce Murray. Interwoven throughout the book are these snippets of history which give context to the Lucas’ story. In chapter 2 of Bruce’s book we read about some of the unjust conditions in England which drove people to come the other side of the world for a fairer deal in the 19th Century.

In 1881, some years after he wrote God Defend New Zealand, Thomas Bracken entered parliament as an MP for Dunedin central. He served for three years. Thomas had a strong sense of justice. (He was after all Irish by birth.) Thomas Bracken was particularly concerned to see justice for Maori, at a time when that was not fashionable. In his first speech in parliament (in 1882) Thomas forcefully criticised the government’s dealings with Maori at Parihaka. He also spoke out against the detention of Te Whiti and Tohu and what he saw as a dishonourable breach of the commitments of the Treaty of Waitangi.

We see Thomas Bracken’s passion for justice in some of the lines of our national anthem. For example, in verse 2 where we sing, ‘From dissension, envy, hate, and corruption guard our state’. Our enemies are not just external. We also need protection from internal threats, like corruption. Corruption is the opposite of justice. We are so blessed in this country not to have to pay bribes to get things done. I don’t mind paying taxes to the government. A good tax system saves us from corruption. If we don’t fund the civil service properly people will be forced to take bribes just to make a living. This happens overseas.

We also see the theme of justice in the third verse of the song: ‘Let our cause be just and right’ and then again in verse four which reads, ‘…may Thy blessings never cease, give us plenty, give us peace’. In the Christian way of thinking, peace corresponds directly to justice. Without justice there can be no real peace.

In Isaiah 32 the prophet speaks about the effect of justice & righteousness. From verse 16 of Isaiah 32 we read: 16 The Lord’s justice will dwell in the desert,his righteousness live in the fertile field. 17 The fruit of that righteousness will be peace;its effect will be quietness and confidence forever. 18 My people will live in peaceful dwelling places,in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.

King Solomon prayed for wisdom so that he could rule with justice, then the nation would be at peace.

When I as at primary school, in the late 1970’s, we sang God Defend New Zealand during assembly. But we always sang it in English. I don’t remember ever singing it in Maori. For many years I didn’t even know there was a Maori version of God Defend New Zealand. Probably most of us didn’t realise that until the late 1990’s when the nation started singing the first verse in Maori at test matches.

In actual fact all five verses of God Defend New Zealand were translated from English into Maori in 1878 by Thomas Henry Smith, who was a judge of the native land court. T.H. Smith’s Maori words are not a direct translation of Thomas Bracken’s original English version but the sentiment and themes are the same. In fact, the Maori version helps to shed light on the meaning of the English. They complement each other.

In the fourth verse of the Maori version we read, ‘Waiho i te rongo mau Aotearoa’ which translates as ‘Let peace reign over Aotearoa. A prayer for peace is a prayer for justice.

Then in the fifth verse of the Maori version we read, ‘Tōna pai me toitū
Tika rawa, pono pū; Tōna noho, tāna tū;’, which in English translates, ‘Let its good features endure, let righteousness and honesty prevail’. When righteousness and honesty prevail people live in peace and security, as Isaiah preached.

As well as pointing to the sovereignty and justice of God, our national anthem also points to the compassion of God.

God’s compassion:

God’s compassion is very closely connected to his justice – the two go hand in hand. In fact, we could say God’s justice is compassionate.

For about three and half years, while I was growing up, my mum and my sister and I lived on the DPB. Like I said before, I don’t mind paying my taxes. I am thankful for a compassionate welfare state. It meant I could stay in school and get an education, rather than leaving home at 13 to get a job, like my grandfather did.

As I said at the beginning of this message, Thomas Bracken lost his mother when he was only 6 and his father died when he was 11. So Thomas was an orphan. Yet, despite his loss and despite being sent to the other side of the world, Thomas Bracken became a leading citizen of New Zealand; a poet, a journalist, a business owner, an MP and eventually a husband and father also. How did this happen? By the compassion of God. I’d be willing to bet that God put people in Thomas Bracken’s life who had compassion on him and helped him along the way.

In Psalm 68 we read: Sing to God, sing in praise of his name, extol him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before him—his name is the Lord. 5 A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is [our] God…. 6 God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing;

And then in Psalm 10 we read: 14 But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless… 17 You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, 18defending the fatherless and the oppressed, so that mere earthly mortals will never again strike terror.

I could go on but you get the picture, God is compassionate and he takes care of the little guy. As far as countries go New Zealand is one of the little guys. We are not large or strong or powerful. We are small and humble and vulnerable but God is our advocate and our defender. In the upside down kingdom of God, our weakness is a strength in God’s hand. As Paul writes in his letter to the Corinthians [1], God’s power is made perfect in our weakness.  God delights in taking the one no one expects and using them for his purpose.

There is a theme in Thomas Bracken’s song of asking God to use little New Zealand to bless the other nations of the world. In verse 5 for example where we sing, ‘Guide her in the nations’ van, preaching love and truth to man, working out Thy glorious plan’. The Maori translation of that verse helps to shed light on what this means where it says, ‘Let it [Aotearoa] never be ashamed, but rather, let its name be known, thereby becoming a model to emulate.’

This prayer, for our country to become a model to emulate, has been answered in many ways over the years. For example, we were the first country in the world to give women the vote. Almost every other country in world followed suit. We made a stand against nuclear testing in the Pacific. And we banned some types of firearms following the mosque shootings in Christchurch. I notice Canada is now following our example by banning automatic weapons.

Thinking about ways New Zealanders have preached love and truth to the rest of the world, and become a model to emulate, puts me in mind of some pretty remarkable people associated with Tawa Baptist. For example, Bing Lucas who did incredible pioneering work with National Parks and conservation, both in New Zealand and around the world, long before environmental issues became sexy.

Then there is David & Elaine Wilson. David has literally travelled the world preaching the gospel for 50 years. Also, Frank & Marjory Duncan who helped people in China through famines and revolutions. I’m mindful too of people like Steve Dowall who was involved with significant aid and development work in Asia and the Pacific. There are many other New Zealanders from this church as well who have shown practical compassion to the world in various ways.

The theme of God’s compassion is even more obvious in the Maori version of the hymn. Verse 1 in Maori contains the line: Me aroha noa, which is a prayer asking God to cherish us. That word ‘cherish’ is old school. It was once used in marriage vows. It means to treat with affection, to protect and to foster. Cherish is a word closely associated with compassion.

Verse 3 of the Maori version gets to the heart of God’s love and compassion where it says: May all our wrongs, we pray, be forgiven. Our country is a wonderful place to live in but we are not perfect. For example, we haven’t always been fair to Maori. And, in my lifetime, the gap between rich and poor has grown. Then there are our tragic rates of child abuse, suicide and abortion. We stand in need of God’s wisdom and grace.

Conclusion:

Thomas Bracken was well aware of the need for improvement in the New Zealand of his day. On his grave stone is written a quote from one of his poems. It reads…

“Oh God! That men would see a little clearer or judge less harshly where they cannot see. Oh God! That men would draw a little nearer to one another, they’d be nearer Thee and understood.”     

Let’s stand and sing God Defend New Zealand in our bubbles now. I encourage you to take the time to sing all the verses. God Defend New Zealand isn’t just a song we sing at rugby matches. It’s a prayer which acknowledges God’s sovereignty and seeks to integrate his justice and compassion into our nation’s culture.

E Ihowā Atua,
O ngā iwi mātou rā
Āta whakarangona;
Me aroha noa
Kia hua ko te pai;
Kia tau tō atawhai;
Manaakitia mai
Aotearoa

God of Nations at Thy feet,
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our free land.
Guard Pacific’s triple star
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand.

Men of every creed and race,
Gather here before Thy face,
Asking Thee to bless this place,
God defend our free land.
From dissension, envy, hate,
And corruption guard our state,
Make our country good and great,
God defend New Zealand.

Peace, not war, shall be our boast,
But, should foes assail our coast,
Make us then a mighty host,
God defend our free land.
Lord of battles in Thy might,
Put our enemies to flight,
Let our cause be just and right,
God defend New Zealand.

Let our love for Thee increase,
May Thy blessings never cease,
Give us plenty, give us peace,
God defend our free land.
From dishonour and from shame,
Guard our country’s spotless name,
Crown her with immortal fame,
God defend New Zealand.

May our mountains ever be
Freedom’s ramparts on the sea,
Make us faithful unto Thee,
God defend our free land.
Guide her in the nations’ van,
Preaching love and truth to man,
Working out Thy glorious plan,
God defend New Zealand.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

Listen to the song ‘God Defend New Zealand’.  What are you in touch with as you listen to this song? (What connections, memories or feelings does the song evoke for you?) 

What is God’s sovereignty? What are the implications of God’s sovereignty for us?

Can you think of times in New Zealand’s history when God has defended our country, whether from external threats or internal threats? Can you think of a time in your own life when God has protected you personally?

Discuss / reflect on the relationship between God’s sovereignty and freedom. How does God exercise his freedom? How should we exercise our freedom?

Discuss / reflect on the relationship between justice and peace. In what ways does a good tax system foster a just and compassionate society? (Think of practical examples.)

In what ways are you aware of God’s compassion in your life? Can you think of people God has put in your life to help you along the way? Give thanks to God for them.

In what ways is New Zealand an example to emulate? In what matters of justice and compassion have we failed? Thank God for the good things and ask his forgiveness where we have fallen short. 

Outtakes

There is a wonderful story of God’s sovereign protection in 2nd Kings chapter 6. The prophet Elisha and his servant were surrounded by an army of Arameans and Elisha’s servant asked, ‘What shall we do?’ Elisha replied, ‘Don’t be afraid. Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ And Elisha prayed, ‘O Lord, open his eyes so he may see.’ Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.  

The horses and chariots of fire were the Lord’s spiritual army, more powerful than any earthly army.

[1] 2nd Corinthians 12:9.

Tawa Baptist

Worship at home service – 26 April 2020

Welcome and Opening Prayer

Good morning and welcome everyone.

You may like to light a candle as a reminder that Christ is present.

Pray: ‘Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, we thank you for your presence with us always. May we be sensitive to the promptings of your Spirit in this service of worship and throughout every aspect of our lives. Amen.’

Sung Worship

‘It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High, to declare your steadfast love in the morning and your faithfulness by night.’ Psalm 92:1-2

Listen and/or sing along to the following songs – on YouTube or Spotify.

  • The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases
  • Let the King of my heart

Bible Reading – Psalm 16

Keep me safe, my God,
    for in you I take refuge.

2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
    apart from you I have no good thing.”
3 I say of the holy people who are in the land,
    “They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”
4 Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more.
    I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods
    or take up their names on my lips.

5 Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup;
    you make my lot secure.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
    surely I have a delightful inheritance.
7 I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
    even at night my heart instructs me.
8 I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
    With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
    my body also will rest secure,
10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
    nor will you let your faithfulone see decay.
11 You make known to me the path of life;
    you will fill me with joy in your presence,
    with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

Sung Worship

Listen and/or sing along to the following song – on YouTube or Spotify. This hymn is inspired by Philippians 2 where Paul writes, “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.”

  • May the mind of Christ my Saviour 

Responsive Prayer

The responses for this next prayer find their inspiration from the hymn we have just sung. Appoint someone in your bubble to lead the prayer and invite the others to respond with the words in italics. If you are worshipping alone then you can pray the whole prayer yourself. Let us pray…

Wise God, this ANZAC weekend we remember those who have fought and died in war. The scars of violence are long. War begins in the human mind before a bullet is ever fired. And the first casualty of war is always truth. Help us to be honest with ourselves and nip any thought of violence in the bud. Train the pathways of our brain to think in terms of justice, mercy and humility.

May the mind of Christ my Saviour live in me from day to day.

Mighty God, we pray for those still affected by war: those grieving, those blinded and maimed, those oppressed, those displaced from their homes, those living with unexploded mines underfoot and those suffering post-traumatic stress. Bring your healing, your justice, your mercy and your reconciliation into those parts of the world where it is needed most. And where there is a breakdown in our own relationships, minister your truth and forgiveness.

May the peace of God my Father rule my life in everything.

Generous God, your Son Jesus is the answer to war. Help us to walk in the ways of Christ and to love those who treat us with contempt. We cannot do this in our own strength but we can be vessels of your grace and truth. Make us open and sensitive to your Spirit. 

May the love of Jesus fill me, as the waters fill the sea.

Faithful God, the journey of this life is a marathon, not a sprint; with many trials along the way. Help us as we battle things like pride, resentment, fear, loneliness and depression. Although these internal enemies are not seen, they are still very real and just as dangerous as bullets and bombs. Deliver us from evil and help us in our fight against sickness and disease.   

May I run the race before me, strong and brave to face the foe.

Jealous God, you pursue us with your love. You do not forsake or abandon us. All heaven rejoices when just one person returns to you. Help us to share with others what we know of your truth and love, without embarrassment or pretence (that is, freely and authentically). Make the witness of our lives fruitful for your glory.

May His beauty rest upon me as I seek the lost.  

We pray these things, Father God, for your praise and in the name of Jesus, our Saviour and our friend. Amen. 

More Sung Worship

Listen and/or sing along to the following songs on YouTube or download on Spotify

  • Your Love O Lord Reaches to the Heavens
  • All heaven declares
  • Praise the name of Jesus

Pray: ‘Thank you loving Father for all your provision. You are a good and gracious God. We appreciate your patience and kindness. Help us to comprehend more of your love and character through the message today. In Jesus name we ask. Amen.’

Sermon

You can either read the sermon notes attached to this email. Or, listen to an audio recording of the sermon via the following link:

Song – How He Loves

Listen and/or sing along to ‘How He Loves’. Google the song on YouTube or Spotify.

Benediction / Blessing

Proclaim the following blessing…

‘The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance on you and give you his peace. Amen.’

Tawa Baptist

How He Loves

Scripture: Deuteronomy 5:6-9, Nahum 1:2-3, Matthew 10:37-39, Luke 15:1-7, Romans 8:18, Psalm 85:10-12

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Jealousy
  • Transcendence
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Today we continue our ‘Anthems’ series. In this series we are looking at the lyrics of one hymn or Christian worship song each week to see how that song informs our thinking about God and how it connects with Scripture and the heritage of our faith.

The song we are looking at this morning is called How He Loves, written by John Mark McMillan. It was released in 2005.

We don’t sing How He Loves in our Sunday worship services very often, probably because it is difficult for a smaller congregation to sing. It works better with a larger gathering. I quite like the song though. It has some salty, bold lyrics. God’s love is not pedestrian.

As usual we don’t have time to unpack every line of the song but I do want to focus our attention on two themes: jealousy and transcendence. First let us consider jealousy.

Jealousy

Okay, here’s a quiz for you. What was the name of the rock band who wrote the song Mr Brightside?     

That’s right, The Killers. You’re on to it. They almost have a cult following. The Killers wrote Mr Brightside around the end of 2001. It’s a song about jealousy. One of the band members had a funny feeling that something wasn’t right in his relationship with his girlfriend and sure enough, when he turned up at the pub, he found her there with another guy. Mr Brightside describes the feeling of jealousy provoked by cheating.

So what has this got to do with John McMillan’s worship song, How He Loves? Well, John McMillan’s song is also about jealousy, but jealousy of a different kind, divine jealousy. The opening lines of How He Loves read… 

He is jealous for me, loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
 

Jealousy is not a word we usually associate with God. It tends to be a word that carries negative connotations for us. Jealousy often makes us think of envy and people behaving badly, as with The Killers’ song Mr Brightside. So what is jealousy and in what sense can we say God is jealous?

Well, jealousy is a very strong, very intense emotion. We might call jealousy a passion or a zeal or a fury. Jealousy is triggered by an affront to our rights or our honour. If we believe something belongs rightfully to us but is then given to another we will instinctively feel jealous. For example, a husband or wife may feel jealous if their partner in marriage is unfaithful in some way. By its very definition marriage is an exclusive relationship. There are some things in marriage that should not be shared with anyone else. Both husband and wife have every right to expect faithfulness from their partner. So a jealous reaction (a feeling of intense fury or passion) in the context of unfaithfulness in marriage is fair and understandable. In fact, the more you love your husband or wife the greater the potential for jealousy.  

But not all jealous reactions are fair or right. Some jealousy is misplaced. For example, if you don’t like your hair (or if you don’t have hair) you might look at someone who has perfect hair and feel jealous. That is, you might believe that the hair on their head should belong to you. Clearly, that kind of jealousy (which we might more accurately call ‘envy’) is not fair or justified. We have no right to the hair on someone else’s head. This is a frivolous example of misplaced jealousy – I’m not meaning to get at anyone who may be bald.

Another example of jealousy is when someone gets the praise or the promotion or the prize that we believe belongs to us. In that situation we may feel quite justified in our jealous indignation (our anger), but really we are seldom in the best position to judge. Sometimes life is unfair. Sometimes things don’t go our way but God, who is jealous for justice, has a way of making things right, if not in this life then in the next.

The point is, jealousy is that strong feeling we get when something we believe rightfully belongs to us goes to someone else. Sometimes our human jealousy is appropriate and other times it is not.

But God’s jealousy is always righteous and justified because God is the creator of all there is, so everything rightfully belongs to him anyway.

Now you might be wondering if this idea that God gets jealous is just a human notion, something we have projected onto God. Let me assure you it’s not.

God describes himself as jealous in the Bible. For example, in Deuteronomy 5:6-9, while giving the ten commandments, God says to his people Israel…

6 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; 7 you shall have no other gods before me. 8 You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 9 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God…

The specific context for God calling himself jealous is the command to not worship any other God and to not make an idol. We might not bow down to actual statues, like people in the ancient world did, but we do sometimes place a higher value on things that are created, things that are less worthy than God. For example, we may worship money or our career or our reputation or our family or our own pleasure.

God is saying he has every right to insist upon our absolute loyalty and obedience. If we give our worship to something that is not God, then we are denying God what rightfully belongs to him and we will trigger God’s jealousy. 

God does not insist that we worship him exclusively because he needs it. God is not insecure. He doesn’t need to have his ego propped up with praise every five minutes. God doesn’t actually need anything from us.

No. God insists that we worship him exclusively because we need to. Worshipping God is good for us – it gives our lives value and meaning.

When we worship things that are not God we devalue and demean ourselves. We make ourselves less than whatever it is we bow down to and we empty our lives of any sort of lasting meaning.

The Bible often depicts God as a husband whose wife (Israel) has been unfaithful to him by worshipping other gods (with a little ‘g’). If God didn’t experience intense jealousy over infidelity, then that would indicate he didn’t care at all. The fact that God rightly feels jealous when we worship other things proves that he cares a great deal.

Returning to the first line of the song for a moment…

He is jealous for me, loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.

Putting the image of a hurricane alongside the idea of God’s jealous love is perfect. It’s so Biblical. In the book of Nahum chapter 1 we read…

A jealous and avenging God is the Lord, the Lord is avenging and wrathful; the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries and rages against his enemies. 3 The Lord is slow to anger but great in power, and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty. His way is in whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.  

They are strong words.   

The thing about a hurricane or a whirlwind is that we can’t tame it. We can’t domesticate it. A hurricane is a powerful and dangerous force.

Sometimes we forget how dangerous God can be. The jealous love of God is like a hurricane – we need to make sure we are on the right side of it.

Sometimes Israel got on the wrong side of God’s jealousy, but in the reading from the prophet Nahum, it was Israel’s enemies, the Assyrians, who were on the wrong side of God.

To say that ‘God is jealous for me’ is to say that God is on my side and he is going to deal to my enemies with the rage of a hurricane.

Now, as I alluded to in our responsive prayer (earlier in today’s service), our enemies are not flesh & blood (our enemies are not other nations). Our enemies are unseen; things like pride, resentment, fear, loneliness and depression. But even though our enemies are unseen, they are still very real and just as dangerous as bullets and bombs. God’s love is greater than those things.

The other thing I need to make clear about the hurricane image is that it is a metaphor for God’s jealous love. We shouldn’t take it too literally. If an actual hurricane passes over a country and wreaks havoc, that doesn’t mean God is angry with that nation. The survivors of an extreme weather event need compassion, not condemnation.

Now some of you may be thinking, ‘Okay, fair enough, the Old Testament does describe God as jealous. But what about the New Testament. How does God’s jealousy fit with the person of Jesus? After all, isn’t Jesus supposed to show us what God is like on the inside?’

Good question. Thank you for asking it. Yes, Jesus does show us what God is like on the inside. And yes, Jesus does reveal God’s jealousy. Let me give you some examples…

In Matthew 10:37-39 Jesus says, “Whoever loves his father or mother more than me is not fit to be my disciple; whoever loves his son or daughter more than me is not fit to be my disciple. Whoever does not take up his cross and follow in my steps is not fit to be my disciple. Whoever tries to gain his own life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for my sake will gain it. [1]

These verses are difficult for us and yet in them we find an example of divine jealousy. Jesus is not saying we shouldn’t love our family. We need to honour our parents and not turn away from our family when they are in need. But, at the same time, Jesus is saying that he is entitled to a greater loyalty from us than our own family is. So if our family give us an ultimatum and ask us to choose between them or Jesus, then we need to choose Jesus. If Jesus were just a man, then he would have no right to say this. But because Jesus is also God, he has every right to say it. 

A.T. Luter observes how the Biblical words that are used for jealousy are closely associated with zeal and zealousness. Zeal represents intense emotional effort and energy focused toward a goal. Jealousy is the relational counterpart to zeal, primarily a focusing of emotion toward a person in the desire for a closer, better relationship. [2] 

Thinking of jealousy in this way (as an intense desire to be closer to a person) reminds me of Jesus’ parable of the lost sheep in Luke 15. Jesus said…

4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them—what do you do? You leave the other ninety-nine sheep in the pasture and go looking for the one that got lost until you find it. 5 When you find it, you are so happy that you put it on your shoulders 6 and carry it back home. Then you call your friends and neighbours together and say to them, ‘I am so happy I found my lost sheep. Let us celebrate!’ 7 In the same way, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine respectable people who do not need to repent.

This parable is an example of the jealous love of God. We rightfully belong to God. He is our creator, our heavenly Father. If we are lost or carried off by something else, then God jealousy pursues us with his love to find us and bring us home. God’s jealous love will not abandon us or share us with the evil one. Jesus is the good shepherd who restores the lost sheep.

Perhaps the clearest example of how Jesus reveals God’s jealous love was in going to the cross. God was so jealous for us, he felt so strongly that we belong to him, and not to sin or death, that he redeemed us back for himself through Jesus’ crucifixion and death. Indeed, God’s act of raising Jesus from the dead also demonstrates the power of God’s jealousy. God’s jealous love is stronger than the grave.

Okay, so that’s one of the themes of the song, divine jealousy. The other aspect of the song I want to highlight is transcendence. 

Transcendence

By transcendence I mean ‘rising above’ our circumstances, being lifted out of our troubles. (This has nothing to do with transcendental meditation by the way.) A transcendent experience is one which is extraordinary, incomparable, matchless, second to none. The song How He Loves describes the kind of transcendent experience one can have through the love of God.   

In the movie Forrest Gump, Forrest and Lieutenant Dan are out one night on their boat, fishing for shrimp, when a huge storm hits. It’s the worst storm in that area for decades. Lieutenant Dan is angry with God. He’s up in the rigging yelling insults at God, ‘You call this a storm…’ He’s practically goading God to sink their ship. Forrest is more circumspect, more humble. He’s got his hand on the wheel navigating the boat through the waves.

Lieutenant Dan’s fury is a jealous sort of rage. He believes he was destined to die a hero’s death in battle (in Vietnam) but God spared his life through Forrest Gump and now Lieutenant Dan feels cheated. Dan thinks God has taken something from him that wasn’t his to take. But God’s jealous love for Lieutenant Dan is greater than Lieutenant Dan’s jealous rage at God. In fact, God’s love lifts Lieutenant Dan out of his hurt and resentment.    

They survive the ordeal at sea and when they come into port the next morning they see all the other boats in the harbour have been smashed to pieces. Prior to the storm they couldn’t catch a cold. Now, after the storm, all their competition has been taken out and they catch tons of shrimp.

Eventually Lieutenant Dan makes his peace with God. He breaks off his romance with death and transcends his troubles, he rises above his self-pity and rage, to embrace a new life.        

John Mark McMillan, the author of How He Loves describes how his song came about (and I paraphrase here)…

Some of my friends were in a car crash. One of them (Steven) died later in hospital that night. I was angry and confused and hurt. Steven was a youth group leader and had been in a prayer meeting earlier that day. I process things through music. The song ‘How He Loves’ is not about a pretty, clean, Hollywood, ‘hot pink’ type love. It’s the kind of love that is willing to love things that are messy and difficult. Gross things. God could still love me in my anger and frustration and resentment. He could love me through that. God wasn’t offended that I was angry at him. ‘How He Loves’ is a song that celebrates a God who wants to hang with us through the mess.       

John McMillan’s song describes something of the extraordinary, incomparable, matchless, transcendent experience of God’s love. Sometimes in worship we become so absorbed in God that we transcend our troubles. Whatever mess we are in fades away and we lose ourselves in awe and wonder and delight at the goodness of God. It’s like our soul is granted a Sabbath rest from its pain and struggle and we are actually able to heal.

We notice transcendence in verse 1 of the song when we sing…   

When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory, And I realize just how beautiful You are, and how great Your affections are for me.

Afflictions eclipsed by glory reminds us of Paul’s words in Romans 8:18…

“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”

As I’ve said on other occasions, suffering and glory go hand in hand in the Bible. If we share in Christ’s suffering, we will also share in his glory.

What strikes me about Paul’s words in Romans 8 is that the glory will be revealed in us. It’s like we are vessels or containers for God’s glory. As Paul says in 2nd Corinthians 4:7, we have this treasure in jars of clay to show this all-surpassing power is from God.

Verse 2 of the song continues the theme of transcendence where it says…

And heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss, And my heart turns violently inside of my chest, I don’t have time to maintain these regrets, When I think about, the way that He loves us,

We are reminded here of Psalm 85:10-12…

Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other. 11 Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven. 12 The Lord will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its increase. 13 Righteousness goes before him and prepares the way for his steps.

Jesus is heaven’s kiss on the earth. In and through Christ heaven meets earth.

Back to the song, …my heart turns violently inside of my chest suggests a deep internal heart change, repentance in other words.

Or perhaps it’s more like the way our heart races or skips a beat when we come near to the one we love.

We may regret some of the things we have done in our life. We may keep going back in our mind rehearsing our past mistakes, feeling bad and playing the ‘what if’ game with ourselves.

But when we think about the way God loves us we don’t have time to maintain these regrets – we transcend our past. We rise above ourselves. We realise it’s not about us. It’s about Jesus.

Conclusion

God loves us jealously. His love is transcendent, extraordinary, incomparable, second to none. In God we find our rest.

Let’s sing in our bubbles now, How He loves us…

How He Loves

He is jealous for me, loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us oh
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all

And oh, how He loves us oh,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all

He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

And we are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If His grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.
And heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way that He loves us,

Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us…

Questions for discussion or reflection:

Listen to the song ‘How He Loves’.  What are you in touch with as you listen to this song? (What connections, memories or feelings does the song evoke for you?) 

What is jealousy?

How might we handle (process) our jealous feelings in a healthy way? 

Why is God’s jealousy always right and good? In what sense is God’s jealousy an expression of his love?

Why does God insist that we worship Him exclusively?

In what ways does Jesus reveal divine jealousy? Can you give examples from the Bible?

What is transcendence?

What is your experience of God’s transcendent love? What is your response to His love? (If you are not aware of God’s love for you personally, you might like to ask Him to show you.)

Outtakes

One another occasion in the gospels we read how Jesus fell asleep in a boat during a hurricane. Imagine that, Jesus is so at home in the middle of a storm that he is able to sleep like a log. Why is Jesus so relaxed? Because he is God and his way is in the whirlwind and storm.

God’s jealous love isn’t just contained in the first line of the song. Verse 2 also implies God’s jealousy for us where it says,

…we are His portion and He is our prize…
Deuteronomy 32:9 tells us the Lord’s portion is his people.

The apostle Paul talks about ‘thinking of others as better than ourselves’ (Philippians 2:3). When we do that we prevent feelings of jealousy in the first place. For example, if someone else gets the praise, the promotion or the prize, then we are happy for them because we believe they (and not us) are rightly entitled to it.

John McMillan also wrote the song King of my heart, which we sang earlier today during our on-line service.

[1] Refer M. Erickson, ‘Jealousy’, The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, page 410.

[2] Refer A.B. Luter, Jr. ‘Jealousy, Zeal’, DPL, page 461.

Tawa Baptist

Worship at home service – 19 April 2020

Welcome and Opening Prayer

Good morning and welcome everyone.

You may like to light a candle as a reminder that Christ is present.

Sung Worship

Jesus is the word of God. God reveals himself in the person of Jesus.

Listen and/or sing along to the following songs – on YouTube or Spotify.

  • Thy word is a lamp unto my feet
  • You were the Word in the beginning (What a beautiful name)

Lord’s Prayer

Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread

And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil.

Amen.

Bible Reading – Psalm 16

Psalm 16 is one of the lectionary readings for today. Read it aloud in your bubble. Depending on how many readers you have, you may like to read this psalm as a relay. That is, one person reads 2 or 3 verses, then the next person reads 2 or 3 verses and so on.

Protect me, O God; I trust in you for safety.
2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
    all the good things I have come from you.”

3 How excellent are the Lord‘s faithful people!
    My greatest pleasure is to be with them.

4 Those who rush to other gods
    bring many troubles on themselves.

I will not take part in their sacrifices;
    I will not worship their gods.

5 You, Lord, are all I have,
    and you give me all I need;
    my future is in your hands.
6 How wonderful are your gifts to me;
    how good they are!

7 I praise the Lord, because he guides me,
    and in the night my conscience warns me.
8 I am always aware of the Lord’s presence;
    he is near, and nothing can shake me.

9 And so I am thankful and glad,
    and I feel completely secure,
10 because you protect me from the power of death.
I have served you faithfully,
    and you will not abandon me to the world of the dead.

11 You will show me the path that leads to life;
    your presence fills me with joy
    and brings me pleasure forever.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

Song

Sing / listen to the song ‘He’s got the whole world in His hands’ on YouTube or Spotify.

Centrifugal Prayer

A centrifugal prayer is one which moves outwards from yourself to the wider world. If you imagine dropping a pebble in a pond and watching the ripples move outwards in ever expanding circles, that’s what we mean by a centrifugal prayer. In the book of Acts, we see the centrifugal movement of the Holy Spirit as the apostles took the message of Jesus’ resurrection & salvation outward from Jerusalem to Judea and all Samaria and to the ends of the earth.

Following is a basic framework for a centrifugal prayer. You can adapt this by adding in your own specifics as you feel led by the Spirit…

  • Start by praying for yourself – that is, your own soul. (For example: tell God how you are feeling and ask him for what you need.)
  • Then pray for those in your bubble or immediate family.
  • Next pray for those in your local church congregation. (For example: anyone who is sick or has lost a loved one, etc.)
  • Then pray for the wider community, suburb or city in which you live.
  • Next pray for your country. (For example: continued wisdom for your government and health authorities as they make decisions around COVID-19.)
  • Finally pray for the wider world. (For example: that Corona virus would not get into refugee camps; for protection for missionaries serving overseas; for the environment, etc.)  

Finish by praying these words: Father God, we thank you that you are present in all of these situations. We thank you that nothing is too difficult for you. May your will be done in our lives and in this world that you love. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.  

More Sung Worship

Listen and/or sing along to the following songs on YouTube or download on Spotify

  • You are good, you are good (Forever Reign)
  • In the quiet (None but Jesus)

Sermon

You can either read the sermon notes attached to this email. Or, listen to an audio recording of the sermon via the following link:

Song – As the deer pants for the water

Listen and/or sing along to ‘As the deer pants for the water’ on YouTube or Spotify.

Verse 1

As the deer pants for the water
So my soul longs after You.
You alone are my heart’s desire
And I long to worship You.

            Chorus

You alone are my strength, my shield.
To You alone may my spirit yield.
You alone are my heart’s desire
And I long to worship You.

Verse 2

I want You more than gold or silver,
Only You can satisfy.
You alone are the real joy giver
And the apple of my eye.

Verse 3

You’re my friend and You are my brother
Even though You are a King.
I love You more than any other
So much more than anything.

Benediction / Blessing

Proclaim the following blessing…

‘The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance on you and give you his peace. Amen.’

Tea & coffee

Normally after a Sunday morning worship service we have a chat over a cup of tea or coffee. As an alternative you may like to make contact with one or two people over the phone or FaceTime, etc. Just check in and see how they are getting on.

God bless you,

Will    

Tawa Baptist

As the deer pants for the water

Scripture: Psalm 42, Numbers 16 & 26:10-11, Romans 7:15-25, John 4:14.

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Psalm 42
  • Romans 7
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone

Many of you will be aware that Shona is uploading a recording of a hymn to her Facebook page most days while we’ve been in lockdown. Last Wednesday afternoon I was at my computer, working on the sermon, when Robyn walked in and played me Shona’s hymn for that day. It so happened that Shona’s hymn was ‘As the deer pants for the water…’, the very song I had been working on for this morning’s ‘Anthems’ series message. I didn’t know Shona was going to play ‘As the deer…’ and she didn’t know I was going to preach on it. 

Some would call that serendipity. Some would call it chance. Others might call it providence or a God moment. When things like that happen, I like to see God’s hand in it. For me it is a sign of God’s presence.       

As the deer pants for the water is a song about longing for God more than anything else. It was written by a guy called Marty Nystrom. Marty was born in Seattle, Washington, in 1956. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in music education in 1979. It is unclear to me exactly when Marty wrote ‘As the deer…’. Some sources say it was 1981, while others say it was 1984. In any case, the story goes that Marty had travelled to Dallas Texas to attend summer school at the ‘Christ for the Nations Institute’. Possibly there was a girl there he was interested in but that relationship didn’t work out the way he had hoped. For whatever reason it was a difficult summer for Marty. He was struggling with some inner turmoil, and he was struggling physically with the Texas heat.

Marty’s roommate suggested he go on a water fast to draw close to God. A water fast is when you don’t eat any food, you only drink water. Marty recalls what happened next…

“I took up the challenge, and on the 19th day of the fast I found myself sitting at a piano trying to write a song. I was simply playing chord progressions when I noticed a Bible on the music stand of the piano. It was open to Psalm 42. My eyes fell on the first verse of that chapter… ‘As the hart (deer) panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.’ After reading the verse I began to sing its message, right off the page. I wrote the first verse and the chorus of a song, pretty much straight through.”

Marty had no intention of showing the song to anyone. It was to be for his own devotional time with the Lord. However, before leaving the school to go back to Seattle, he did share it with one person, Dave Butterbaugh. Dave then introduced it to the students of the school and it became a favourite.

As the deer pants for the water is special for many people. (Neville tells me they played this song at his baptism.) On the face of it, As the deer appears to be quite simple, but its roots run deep in Scripture. There are many interpretative possibilities. This morning’s message focuses on just two of the Scriptures I’m in touch with as I reflect on this song. First let us consider Psalm 42… 

Psalm 42

The opening verse of Marty’s song reads…

As the deer pants for the water so my soul longs after You
You alone are my heart’s desire and I long to worship You

These lines find their inspiration from Psalm 42. Psalm 42 is oozing with the pathos of longing for God. From verse 1 we read…

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?
3 My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
4 These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God with shouts of joy and praise among the festive throng.

5 Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Saviour and my God.

6 My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.

8 By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me—a prayer to the God of my life.

9 I say to God my Rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?” 10 My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, “Where is your God?”

11 Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Saviour and my God.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

You may have heard on the news this past week of the New Zealanders who were stranded in Peru due to corona virus border closures. It was desperate times as many of them were being turned out of their accommodation and unable to “safely shelter” in Peru. I imagine they were longing deeply to return home. Fortunately, God’s providence came in the form of a government-organised mercy flight, which left Lima last Tuesday (14 April) and touched down in Auckland on Wednesday. I expect those on the flight and their loved ones were greatly relieved.

The psalmist’s home was Jerusalem. However, when we read Psalm 42 all the way through, we discover in verse 6 that the psalmist is writing these words not from the temple in Jerusalem but from the slopes of Mount Hermon. Mount Hermon is nearly 340 km’s from Jerusalem which, in the ancient world, was a formidable distance. In some ways being on Mt Hermon was (for the psalmist) sort of like being a New Zealander stranded in Peru.

The author of psalm 42 remembers how he used to lead people in a procession of worship to the temple in Jerusalem and he longs to be able to do so again. For ancient Jews the temple embodied God’s presence. It’s not that God was only present in the temple. God is omnipresent – like the air we breathe he is everywhere at once. But to the Hebrew mind, God was somehow present in a special way in the Jerusalem temple. Consequently, the psalmist longs to return to Jerusalem and worship God there. Mount Hermon just isn’t the same.   

For Christians, Jesus is our home. He is our sanctuary, our safe place, our temple. On more than one occasion Jesus identified himself as the new temple. Jesus embodies the presence of God in a special way. Jesus taught us that wherever two or three people are gathered in his name, there he is also. So, in Christian understanding, the new temple is not a building – it is a gathering of two or more believers in Christ.

With this in view there is a connection between Psalm 42 and our current experience in lockdown. Some people, perhaps especially those in a bubble by themselves or in a bubble without any fellow believers, may be longing to gather with other Christians to worship God. It’s not that we can’t worship God by ourselves. It’s just that it’s not quite the same.

Having said that, even when we are able to gather for church services, there are still some things that prevent us from worshipping God. On one level we might want to give God praise but on another level we just can’t because what we are feeling on the inside is incongruent (it doesn’t fit) with praising God.   

We may, for example, be going through some inner turmoil. Certainly the writer of Psalm 42 was in distress. He says, ‘My soul is down cast within me.’ If we are feeling anxious or sad it is very difficult to praise God and mean it. In that situation we are best not to fake it. God wants our honesty. Sometimes we don’t have words to offer God. Sometimes all we have are our tears. In verse 3 of Psalm 42 the psalmist says, ‘My tears have been my food day and night…’  He longs to worship God. He longs to have intimacy with God but all he has is a deep and overwhelming feeling of sadness. ‘All your waves and breakers have swept over me.’

If all you have to offer God are tears, then that is where you start, but it’s not where you finish. Please, don’t settle into self-pity. It is a trap. After flushing out his emotions with tears, the psalmist then engages his brain and his resolve (his will). More than once he says to himself, ‘Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?’ This shows us the psalmist is thinking about the cause of the problem, so he’s looking for a solution, or at least some way of managing his feelings. Then he engages his resolve by saying to himself, ‘Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Saviour and my God.’  Resolve is that grit, that commitment, that discipline of your will to put one foot in front of other and just keep going until you get through it.   

Praise and worship is not always the starting point. More often it is the goal and we have to do a fair bit of processing before we can reach the goal of praising the Lord. Very simply, the psalmist gives us a three stage process for dealing with our inner turmoil…

Step one: express your feelings in a healthy way – don’t bottle things up and don’t pretend but also don’t wallow in your tears for too long.

Step two: engage your brain – think about why you are in turmoil. This is where talking to someone who knows you and is wise can be helpful.

And step three: resolve to move forward in faith & hope toward God.    

Marty Nystrom was not able to worship God in the way he wanted to while he was downcast and in the pit. He had to do some processing first. In fact, Marty wrote his song at the end of 19 days of processing by fasting. Now I’m not suggesting you need to go on a water fast for 19 days. That may have been the right thing for Marty at that time but it’s not the right thing for everyone. We are all having to give up enough during this lockdown without adding a water fast to the mix. So we need to exercise some common sense.

The point is, we may long to worship God but are prevented from doing so because of what is happening inside of us. Another thing that can hold us back from worshipping God is a feeling of shame. Shame is different from guilt. Guilt is usually a private internal feeling, whereas shame is more of a public external thing. Shame is something we are made to wear so it’s something everyone sees. Often shame is undeserved.

Psalm 42 is one of the songs of the sons of Korah. The sons of Korah were part of the tribe of Levi who served in the temple, but not as priests. They were called the sons of Korah because they were descended from a man named Korah. The book of Numbers tells us that Korah rebelled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness and was killed by fire. However, the line of Korah did not die out. [1]

I imagine the descendants of Korah had to wear quite a bit of shame through no fault of their own, because of what their granddaddy did. But God is so gracious and just. Some centuries after Korah’s rebellion, his descendants served as worship musicians, composing and performing songs in the temple in Jerusalem. This is a beautiful picture of God’s providence and redemption. By giving the sons of Korah a valuable role in his service, the Lord clothed them with honour.

Perhaps, like the sons of Korah, you have a chequered ancestry, a few skeletons in the family closet. Perhaps, through no fault of your own, you live with a sense of shame because of this. Maybe this feeling of shame inhibits you from worshipping God as freely as you would like. May be you don’t feel good enough. Jesus came to set the captives free. God has a place of honour for you in his purpose.

There is more we could say about psalm 42 but I would like to move on to our next Scripture, Romans 7

Romans 7

In his letter to the Romans, chapter 7:15-25, the apostle Paul writes …

15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

Now you might be thinking, how on earth does this relate to today’s song? Well, let me explain. In this reading from Romans Paul is describing the war that rages inside each one of us. On the one hand, we love God and want to do his will. But on the other hand, there are forces at work within us that seem to sabotage our best intentions, so we end up not obeying God as we want to do. Paul calls those sabotaging forces our ‘sinful nature’. While Jesus has conquered sin on the cross, we still wrestle with sin in this life.

I don’t know if you have ever tried swimming in jeans and a pull over. It’s very difficult, not to mention dangerous. Every movement is heavy and sluggish and you keep feeling like you’re being dragged down. Swimming in a wet suit is quite the opposite. A wet suit is streamed lined and naturally buoyant – it actually helps you to stay afloat and makes swimming easier.

Obeying God is the purest form of worship. Trying to obey God while we are encumbered by our sinful nature is like trying to swim in jeans and a pullover. Our sinful nature is one of those things that gets in the way of us worshipping God properly, as he deserves. In contrast, being clothed in the righteousness of Christ is like swimming in a wet suit.

Returning to this week’s song. Part of the chorus reads: You alone are my heart’s desire and I long to worship You.

The heart here is a metaphor for a person’s inner self – our core.

In the Bible the heart isn’t just a container for our emotions. The heart more accurately refers to the mind and will.

To sing, You alone are my heart’s desire seems like a grand claim indeed.

For those of us who take seriously the words we sing it may feel dishonest to say that God is our only desire. In reality our hearts generally have a number of competing desires.

But the chorus is not the only part of the song that makes bold claims. We may also feel like we are stretching the truth when we sing lines like, ‘I love You more than any other, so much more than anything’ in verse 3.

Or ‘I want You more than gold or silver… you’re the apple of my eye’ in verse 2. While God certainly deserves our greatest loyalty and affection, he doesn’t always get it.
 

And this is where Paul’s words in Romans 7 are so helpful. Paul gives us a way of separating our heart’s desire from the competing desires of our sinful nature. In verse 25 of Romans 7 Paul says: So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

‘In my mind’ is another way of saying ‘In my heart’ because remember, in the Bible, the heart refers to the mind. ‘In his mind’ Paul is 100% devoted to doing what God wants (he’s a slave to God’s law). But in his ‘sinful nature’ (which is something different from his heart and mind) Paul is not inclined to do what God wants.

King David helps us to see the distinction Paul makes between our heart and our sinful nature. In the Bible, the prophet Samuel describes David as ‘a man after God’s own heart’. [2] Which is another way of saying that ‘in his mind’ David wanted what God wanted. And yet, despite being a man after God’s own heart, David’s sinful nature led David to commit adultery with Bathsheba and orchestrate Uriah’s murder. These were clearly things God did not want. So while the desire of David’s heart & mind was to do God’s will, David’s sinful nature sometimes sabotaged his obedience to God. This did not stop David from praising God though. David’s sinful nature did not stop him from writing psalms and delighting in the Lord.       

What I’m saying here is that we can sing to God, ‘You alone are my heart’s desire…, and mean it, because the desire of our heart & mind is something quite different from our sinful nature. While it is true that we all still struggle with sin in this life, the good news (for those who trust in Jesus) is we won’t have to wrestle with sin in the next life. Our ‘sinful nature’ was nailed to the cross with Christ and will not drag us down in the life to come. In eternity we will be free to swim (or worship God) without being encumbered by our sinful nature.  

Therefore, when we sing ‘and I long to worship you’ we mean, ‘I long for the time when Christ returns in glory and I am finally free of my sinful nature, finally free of that force in me that keeps sabotaging my obedience to God.

In verse 3 of the song we sing to Jesus these words, ‘You’re my friend and you are my brother even though you are a king…’ 

Friend, brother and king. These three relationships all have one thing in common: obedience. But the kind of obedience one gives to a friend or a brother is different from the sort of obedience one gives to a king.

We obey a king because we have to – that is our duty. But we do what a friend or a brother asks because we want to – because we love them.

In Matthew 12:48 Jesus says, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” Then pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

Jesus is saying that obedience to God is what makes us part of God’s family.

Likewise, in John 15 Jesus says to his disciples, “My command is this: Love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command…”     

Obedience is the purest form of worship. When we sing ‘I long to worship you’, we mean ‘I long to obey you Jesus, not just as a king (because I have to) but as a friend and a brother because I love you’. 

In Matthew 5 Jesus says to his disciples, ‘Blessed are you who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for you will be satisfied.’ If you truly hunger and thirst to be free of your sinful nature and to worship God in spirit and in truth, then God who looks upon the heart (and mind) will satisfy your desire. 

Conclusion

In verse 2 of the song we say of Jesus, ‘…only you can satisfy…’

Jesus is God’s providence, God’s serendipity for our thirsty soul. As Jesus says in John 4:14…

“…whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

The water Jesus was talking about is the Holy Spirit. Jesus satisfies our thirst for God through the gift of the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ Spirit is water to our soul.

What is it you long for?

Let us pray.

Father God, you know our needs and you care for us.

We pray for those who are thirsty for you but don’t know it. Save them from looking in all the wrong places. Help them to realise their need for you. May they encounter the living Christ and be satisfied by the water of your Spirit. 

We pray too for those who are thirsty for you and do know it. Help us as we wait for you. Lead us beside still waters and refresh our spirit with your Spirit. We pray these things in the name of Jesus our brother and our friend. Amen.

Let’s sing, ‘As the deer pants for the water’ in our bubbles now…

Verse 1

As the deer pants for the water
So my soul longs after You
You alone are my heart’s desire
And I long to worship You

          Chorus

You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart’s desire
And I long to worship You

Verse 2

I want You more than gold or silver
Only You can satisfy
You alone are the real joy giver
And the apple of my eye

Verse 3

You’re my friend and You are my brother
Even though You are a King
I love You more than any other
So much more than anything

Outtakes

The chorus of the song begins, You alone are my strength, my shield.

The image of God being a shield is found in a number of psalms. It is a way of saying that God is our protector, especially when we are under attack.

To say that God alone is my strength and shield is to admit our own vulnerability. We are like sheep (basically defenceless) but God is the one who defends us.    

Questions for discussion or reflection:

Listen to the song ‘As the deer pants for the water’.  What are you in touch with as you listen to this song? (What connections, memories or feelings does the song evoke for you?) 

Have you had any God moments lately? Who might benefit from hearing about your God moment?

How do you feel when reading through Psalm 42? What are you missing (longing for) most during this time in lockdown?

On a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being extremely thirsty and 10 being satisfied) where would you place yourself in longing for God? Why?

Discuss / reflect on the three practical steps the writer of psalm 42 gives for processing his inner turmoil? How might these apply to your life?

What prevents you from worshipping (obeying) God properly? Is it in your power to do anything about this? If so, what? If not, what is in your power to do?

What is Paul saying in Romans 7:15-25? How does Romans 7:15-25 help us to sing, ‘You are alone are my heart’s desire’?

What are the implications of calling Jesus our friend and brother?

[1] For the story of Korah refer to Numbers 16 & 26:10-11

[2] 1st Samuel 13:14