029 St. Stephen s Anglican Church Belrose Sunday, 1 January 2017 Growing in Adoration and Authority PSALM 8:1-9 HEBREWS 2:5-3:6 Stephen B Morse Introduction Good morning. It s pleasure to be here today on the first day of the year, and the last day of my role as the Associate Minister. I trust the year ahead will be full of God s joy, favour and goodness, and that God will continue to bless this church and use it for his glory. Today is the day we traditionally make new year s resolutions. Can anyone guess the Top 10 Commonly Broken New Year s Resolutions are? Lose Weight and Get Fit Quit Smoking Learn Something New Eat Healthier and Diet Get Out of Debt and Save Money Spend More Time with Family Travel to New Places Be Less Stressed Volunteer Drink Less Well, today I wish to present you a new year s resolution with a difference two in fact: to grow in adoration and to grow in authority. To grow in your adoration of God in the fullness of his majesty as our maker and redeemer. And, to grow in your authority as men and women, taking responsibility and ownership of God s plans and purposes in the world. Theme We re in Psalm 8, which is a wonderful celebration of the royal majesty of God and the glory of humankind. It s a hymn of praise from King David himself, built around the adoration of God, and his pondering of God s mindfulness of humankind. David describes a world in perfect order. Not only is the creation well ordered, but humankind occupies a crucial role in the maintenance of that order. Human beings are not simply passive recipients of God s creative work, but are also gifted as co-creators with God. And that, my friends, is truly amazing! That God not only saves us, but through his Son, restores our place of authority in his new creation project. Strangely, the Psalm does not mention the fall of man. David seems to only look back to the very beginning of the world, to the ideal and pure world of Genesis 1 and 2. But we know, as well as David did, that this is not the world in which he lived. It s not the world in which we live either. Ours is a world which is forever trying to shun or rip apart the image of God in humankind, as well as to overstate the dominion of men and women as the masters of all things It s for this reason that the psalm looks forward to a time when another Man is made a little lower than the angels, that being the Lord Jesus Christ. And when this psalm is read in light of Hebrews 2, we see that it is Jesus, who comes to us as both fully God and fully man. And having been made a little lower than the angels, he lived, died and rose from the dead, in order to restore in us the imagebearing life of God, and then through us, to usher in the redemption of the entire world. Jesus offers us another way to go against the grain, and to step further into God s work in the 1
world. And he calls on us to grow in our adoration of God, and to grow in the gift of authority that God has given us to advance his purposes, so that he is truly glorified in all the earth. Let s begin with how we can grow in our adoration of God. 1. Growing in the Adoration of God The psalm begins with a celebration of who God is as the royal creator of the universe and everything in it. Psalm 8:1-2 1 LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. 2 Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. These verses are a celebration of God s majesty. In relation to the creation, the name of God, or the imprint of who God is, is found everywhere. That doesn t mean that God is the creation, but the creation reveals the marks of its maker. The praise of God comes from those who seem the least significant children and infants. Recall how Jesus esteemed the little ones (cf. Mt 19:14; Mk 10:14, Lk 18:16). Even the least among us can topple those who work against God s purposes. Verse 3, we see that the vastness of the universe to the naked eye is enough for David to ponder God s magnitude. And David is not shy about drawing the conclusion that because the universe is vast, so God must be vast. No apology is offered for this. Christian adoration takes into account God s hand in creation, but also centres on the person and work of Jesus. In Hebrews 1 and 2, we see the central place of Jesus in the universe: Hebrews 1:3-4 3 The Son is the radiance of God s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. 4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs. And again, from: Hebrews 2:9 9 But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honour because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. And so, together the Psalm and Hebrews exhort us to look up, look out, look far. To step out of ourselves, and our busy little lives, and step into the vastness of God, to be lost in wonder at his name. This is the highest expression of worship, which extends to the broader activity of worship as all of life. I once told that worship is obedience to God. But is far grander than that. It s about cultivating the love and majesty of God in our lives. It s about personal devotion, getting lost in the wilderness, turning off the noise of our culture zero screen time (even for adults). We adore God with everything we have. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind 2
and strength. (Mt 22:37; Mk 12:30; Lk 10:27). In Romans 12, Paul encourages us to, be transformed by the renewing of your mind this is your spiritual act of worship (Romans 12:1-3). Illustration A very big part of that renewing and loving activity is about finding space to sit with God and be in presence. This is not so much about knowledge, as about cultivating God s presence, practicing the language of praise and thanksgiving, inviting the life of God into the core of your being, on a daily basis. Now if you re like me, you may need to go somewhere to do this. I need to get out into the wilderness, in solitude, with only the sounds of nature around me. For those who are bit more housebound, perhaps, you need to create a space within you home where you can be with God. To grow in our adoration can be challenge as we go through different seasons of life. I know for myself, having been in church since I was in kindergarten, the challenge of growing in the adoration of God. John Piper once said: If you don't feel strong desires for the manifestation of the glory of God, it is not because you have drunk deeply and are satisfied. It is because you have nibbled so long at the table of the world. Your soul is stuffed with small things, and there is no room for the great. Application How well do we celebrate the God of the universe? What can we do this year to deepen our understanding of God, and to be filled up with a love and passion for his name? Psalm 8 exhorts us to lift up our eyes to a God whose gaze and careful eye is upon us. Which leads me to my second point: 2. Growing in the Gift of Human Authority Psalm 8 reveals that God has created us to live with authority: not only to live under authority, but to exercise authority. Traditionally, this psalm has been used to describe the insignificance of humanity. But while humanity may seem physically insignificant compared to the universe, the role of men and women in the creation utterly God-like. Let s look again at Psalm 8:3-6 3 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4 what is humankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? 5 You have made them a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned them with glory and honour. 6 You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet. At the centre of this psalm is the celebration of humankind, first in relation to the heavenly beings (verses 3-5) and second in relation to the creation itself (verses 6-8). But when the writer to the Hebrews picks up the psalm he adds: Hebrews 2:8b-9 8b Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them. 9 But we do see Jesus, who was 3
made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honour because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. So, that while not everything is currently subject to us, Hebrews tell us that Jesus has put us on the right track to taking hold of what Christ accomplished perfectly in his death and resurrection. What kind of authority has been given to us through the saving work of Christ? There are many dimensions to this. From the point of view of the creation itself, Christ reaffirms our role in caring for the natural world. The creation was considered good by God, and human beings have been given authority to care and nurture it, not to misuse it. The of the New Testament is of a creation transformed, not of a creation done away with. In calling us his brothers and sisters we are not only God s servants, but we are destined to judge the world with Christ on earth (cf. 1Co 6:1-3). From the point of view of Christ s redeeming work, God equips his people carry on the work of reconciliation. Jesus gives his followers great authority to act in his name. In Matthew 16:17-19, the promise given to Peter about the keys of the kingdom of heaven extend to every disciple of Jesus, not only Peter as supposed by the Roman Catholic tradition. In that, God s people have this kind to bind in heaven, what they bind on earth; to loose in heaven, what they loose on earth. (cf. Matthew 16:19) This verse calls attention to the central mission of this community: the invitation and mission to exercise the power of forgiveness in the binding and loosing of sin in the name of God. The apostle Paul speaks of this in 2 Corinthians 5:16-21, where he talks about the new creation. God has given us the ministry of reconciliation, to not only bring people back to God but to also anticipate the redemption of the entire creation. Reconciliation work vast and complex, demanding both wisdom and prayer. It includes the forgiveness of sins, fight for restorative justice, embracing the stranger, excellence in workmanship, investing in people, restoring dignity, breaking the yoke of oppression, providing for the poor and oppressed. You don t need to be in a position of authority to exercise this kind of authority, despite our need for people in authority. You don t need to be an authority on some matter either, or though having a specialisation is important. You don t have been an ordained minister, a politician or a judge. We can all exercise authority from whatever state of life we find ourselves. It s up to us and our imagination, and our willingness to serve. We can exercise authority from any position: speaking up in the group when the conversation descends into ungodly chatter, gossip, racial slurs. At times taking authority can court problems. Illustration I recently been in a difficult situation with my family in which I sensed the need to exercise authority. Helping aging parents is a diplomatic process, requiring wisdom, patience and prayer, as many of you know well. We can exercise authority over ourselves when we are tempted to boss other around or control them, even when we are tempted to resist others exercising authority over us. Having authority is not about being right, or being in charge, or having everything done your way it about being open to others 4
to take the lead, being willing to trust. Moreover, it s about step up the plate, making sure that whatever we do, is done to the honour and glory of God. It s about excellence, it s about edification, it s about embracing life. It s about making our gatherings the best they can be to the praise of Jesus. For our musicians to be skilled in their craft and sensitive to the Spirit their playing. For those who read the Bible to learn the text and to put emphasis on those words and phrases that are central to it. For those who welcome for those who cater to provide nutritious food for those who serve, who count with integrity, Application As you think about the year ahead? What kind of authority is calling you to exercise? Perhaps you need to exercise authority over: A. Yourself: your thoughts, speech, self-esteem, addictions, the tendency to withdraw or dominate, to aggression and passivity B. Your family: exercising servant-hearted love, mutual submission, taking the initiative in asking for forgiveness, being honest with our needs, communication C. Your local community: take an active role in strengthening our schools (quality of education), hospitals (quality of healthcare), aged care, emergency services D. Future generations: information technology, mentoring programs Conclusion Well, by way of conclusion, God has put before us a glorious mandate. As image bearers, we are not called to be passive recipients, but rather as active servants, serving saints, do those works that God prepared for us to in advance (cf. Ephesians 2:10). Human beings are glorious in God s sight and esteemed so highly in the creation. But this dominion is God s gift to us that we must be careful with. Our authority as his royal priesthood (cf. 1 Peter 2:9). Psalm 8 tells that human beings find their place and fulfilment within the sphere of God s majesty. When humans are placed at the highest value, then they are prone to domination and destruction. We need to both look to God as the one who has given human beings the gift of dominion, and see it as a gift. We also need to see that power and authority that is given to us in the name of Jesus. Sadly, we live in a world that has shunned this dynamic, but urgently needs it. Reading the Australian this week, it would appear that many in our world are not looking forward to 2017: to a world in which the politics of reason and due process has given way to popular protest and celebrity: Brexit, Trump, Putin the impact of which is yet to be seen. Is this therefore, not an opportunity to step out with fresh faith and confidence, trusting in who God is the creator of the universe who has given us the mandate as his royal priesthood, to further the work of his kingdom? I would like to take this moment to once again thank Michael, the Wardens and Parish Council for the opportunity to serve my family here at St. Stephen s. Thank you to all of you for the words of affirmation and encouragement that you have given me and Sarah, and the way you have blessed us as a family. St. Stephen s will continue to be our base over the next year as we raise support for our work and prepare for the birth of our new baby. However, we will be off visiting other churches from a time to time promoting our work. (Phil and Laura (and baby)). Let us pray. 5