The NXR Podcast - SUNDAY SERMON - The Sermon Of The Skies (Part 1) - Psalm 19

00:00:00.000 Hey guys, real quick before we get started, I have a small request.

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00:00:18.100 Psalm chapter 19, verses 1 through 6.

00:00:22.020 The Bible says this,

00:00:23.780 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork.

00:00:29.320 Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.

00:00:33.600 There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard.

00:00:38.140 Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.

00:00:42.720 In them he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom, leaving his chamber,

00:00:48.740 and like a strong man, runs its course with joy.

00:00:52.820 Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them.

00:00:56.980 and there is nothing hidden from its heat.

00:00:59.660 This is the word of the Lord.

00:01:01.760 Thanks be to God.

00:01:02.880 All right, please be seated and join me as I pray for us once more.

00:01:06.900 Father, we pray that through the preaching of your word

00:01:09.380 that your people would indeed arrive at a right knowledge of who you are,

00:01:13.560 what you've done, and what it is that you require from us.

00:01:17.860 Father, we pray that in your word we would see who you are,

00:01:21.500 your character, your heart, your nature.

00:01:24.680 And Father, we pray that we'd also see what it is that you've done for us.

00:01:29.260 What you've done as the universal creator of all things.

00:01:32.980 What you've done in your work of creation.

00:01:34.960 But Father, we pray that for those of us who have been given by grace eyes to see and ears to hear.

00:01:41.080 That we would see beyond merely your work in creation.

00:01:44.480 But we would see your work in redemption and salvation.

00:01:48.560 Even in this Old Testament psalm.

00:01:50.820 That we would see your love for us through the person and work of Jesus Christ.

00:01:55.900 And Father, we also pray that we would see, we would receive a revelation of what it is that we're required to do.

00:02:02.900 What it is that you command of us in light of who you are, in light of what you've done, and in light of what you promised to do.

00:02:10.700 So Father, our prayer today is that you would equip us by the power of your spirit and by your grace with spiritual eyes to see,

00:02:18.260 spiritual ears to hear new hearts that are softened and malleable and receptive to your truth so that

00:02:24.600 we might indeed receive the truth of your word today and that we might receive it with gladness

00:02:31.780 and with joy this revelation of a right knowledge of who you are what you've done and what you

00:02:38.000 require that it would not serve as merely an end in itself but as a necessary means propelling your

00:02:44.280 people into greater love, adoration, worship, and obedience like never before. We pray all these

00:02:51.560 things ultimately that you might be glorified in all the earth, but we also pray these things for

00:02:57.040 the good of those people that you're saving across the globe, in our city, and perhaps if you would

00:03:01.960 be so kind even in this room, especially with our children. We pray all these things with confidence

00:03:08.020 For we pray them in Jesus' name, and amen.

00:03:12.220 All right.

00:03:13.200 As a brief introduction, just to set a little bit of theological groundwork,

00:03:18.700 I just wanted to define two terms that I've used a few times as we've gathered together on the Lord's Day.

00:03:24.800 But I wanted to provide in your sermon notes and then also verbally a little bit more of a specific and detailed description

00:03:33.340 or definition of these two theological terms.

00:03:35.840 The two terms are as follows.

00:03:38.020 natural revelation and supernatural revelation, also known as general revelation and special

00:03:44.940 revelation. In the case of natural revelation or general revelation, I've written the following.

00:03:50.980 Natural revelation is the display of some attributes, some, not all, that's key, some

00:03:57.400 attributes of God through creation, by what God has made, his physical creation. Now, there's

00:04:04.300 something that we should be aware of. We need to be cautious because natural revelation is inferred

00:04:09.580 from fallible human observations. You and I, we are fallible creatures, fallen creatures, and finite

00:04:16.400 creatures, and we are the ones perceiving God's attributes through natural revelation. But also

00:04:22.180 there's another concern with natural revelation, and that is the natural world, the creation itself.

00:04:27.920 So it's not only that you and I are a part of God's natural creation, that we are creatures, and we

00:04:33.500 are finite and fallen and therefore our perceptions are fallible our perceptions can be flawed but

00:04:39.300 it's also that what we're looking at what it is that we're actually perceiving not only the one

00:04:44.000 who is perceiving but the object we're perceiving is also subject to the curse when we think of

00:04:51.180 creation it's important for us to keep in mind that this world is under the curse of sin and so

00:04:56.960 this world reveals according to scripture we'll get there in a moment this world reveals the glory

00:05:02.260 of God, some of the attributes of God, and this world reveals those things accurately. And we

00:05:09.720 receive or perceive those things accurately. And the we that I'm using in this context is not just

00:05:16.200 believers, not just those who are God's people, born again by grace through faith in Jesus Christ,

00:05:22.160 but I'm using an even broader we to describe all human beings. Romans 1, and I'll get there in just

00:05:28.500 a moment, but Romans 1 is clear that all people, both believers and unbelievers alike, have not

00:05:34.560 only seen a revelation of God's attributes, who God is in creation, in natural or general

00:05:42.020 revelation, but they've also understood it. It's one thing for God to manifest something,

00:05:47.200 reveal something, but it's another. In Romans chapter 1, God goes further and actually says,

00:05:51.380 he doesn't just say, I have displayed a portion of who I am to all people, but he says, and all

00:05:58.280 people have seen it. They all know. They've all understood. They've all perceived. And that's

00:06:04.520 precisely why all people, believers and unbelievers alike, are without excuse, is what Romans chapter

00:06:11.200 one says. So we have natural revelation. That is what God has revealed about himself through his

00:06:17.720 physical creation, by his general revelation, by what he has made. However, we need to be cautious

00:06:24.640 as we seek to interpret attributes of God

00:06:28.260 through natural revelation or general revelation

00:06:31.080 because we are a part of God's creation.

00:06:33.680 We are creatures and we are both finite and fallen.

00:06:37.200 And the world that we're perceiving,

00:06:39.960 this physical creation is also fallen by man's rebellion,

00:06:44.560 by man's willful sin.

00:06:46.280 Not only has man fallen underneath the curse of sin,

00:06:49.480 But the whole creation has become subject to the curse.

00:06:55.420 So to give you an example, if you're looking at the world, you're going to be confronted on a regular basis with something such as death.

00:07:05.100 And it might be convenient for someone to take away from that natural revelation the fact that things die.

00:07:14.400 Trees die. Plants, animals, people die.

00:07:18.380 You look at the world and you're confronted regularly with the concept, the reality of death.

00:07:23.980 And it might be easy, if we're not careful, to all of a sudden impute that understanding of death to God in a wrongful way.

00:07:32.580 That we might be tempted to say, God is the author of death.

00:07:36.000 God is responsible for death.

00:07:39.200 But that would be wrong.

00:07:41.000 You see, death did not come into the world in creation.

00:07:44.060 God did not create the world with death.

00:07:46.300 Now, death came into the world by sin.

00:07:49.740 God didn't introduce death to the world.

00:07:52.080 We did.

00:07:53.300 So we need to be careful because we,

00:07:55.940 the ones who are perceiving God's attributes

00:07:58.360 in natural revelation or general revelation,

00:08:01.080 we ourselves are creatures, not the creator.

00:08:04.100 We're a part of that creation and we are finite and fallen.

00:08:08.360 And also the creation that we are looking at,

00:08:11.080 that we're observing is also finite and fallen.

00:08:14.760 By man's rebellion, creation, not only humankind, but all creation has been subject to sin.

00:08:21.440 Even the ground, the earth itself, was cursed because of Adam's sin.

00:08:26.440 It would now produce thorns and thistles. 0.79

00:08:29.040 Man was always required and always called and created to work.

00:08:33.460 But the curse introduced that the ground, the earth, would actually work against man.

00:08:38.820 That his work would be frustrating and exasperating and at times futile.

00:08:44.760 So, we need to be careful as we seek to perceive the character of God in general or natural revelation.

00:08:53.940 Romans chapter 1 verse 18 through 20 says this,

00:08:56.560 For since the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities, his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood.

00:09:06.680 That's what I was speaking of earlier.

00:09:08.220 They've not just been displayed, but they've been perceived.

00:09:11.560 The display has been received and perceived and understood by all people, believers and unbelievers alike, through natural revelation, by what God has made.

00:09:25.160 And because of this, this is precisely why all men are without an excuse. 0.54

00:09:30.920 Even that lost people tribe somewhere in the deep, dark jungles of South America, this hypothetical group of people who have never received even a page of scripture.

00:09:39.800 They've never had a single preacher come to them.

00:09:43.260 They've never had any ounce of special revelation.

00:09:46.720 Natural revelation, simply by what God has physically made, is still sufficient, but sufficient for what?

00:09:53.860 Sufficient for their condemnation.

00:09:55.960 It's not sufficient to save, but it is sufficient to strip man of any and all excuse.

00:10:05.880 Does that make sense?

00:10:06.780 So natural revelation, the way God reveals himself through his physical creation to all people, both believers and unbelievers alike, it is sufficient.

00:10:15.360 It is accurate in a sense.

00:10:17.860 It is accurate to a point.

00:10:19.720 It's clearly seen.

00:10:21.020 The word clearly is used in Romans chapter 1.

00:10:23.520 So it's clear enough. 1.00

00:10:25.280 It's accurate enough.

00:10:26.520 It's credible enough to all people for the purpose of stripping them of any and all excuses.

00:10:34.420 For the purpose of indicting them, for the purpose of condemnation, for the purpose of making them clearly guilty without having any kind of excuse.

00:10:48.660 And what would be, just to list one example of an excuse, what would be the number one excuse that the unbeliever would try to cite in the presence of God for not submitting to him, not believing the gospel, not loving him? 0.64

00:11:01.240 It would be ignorance, right?

00:11:03.240 It's the classic argument of innocence on the basis of ignorance.

00:11:08.840 We didn't know.

00:11:10.640 Well, natural revelation says, yes, you did.

00:11:14.620 But we didn't know everything.

00:11:16.360 You knew enough.

00:11:18.620 That's what natural revelation accomplishes.

00:11:21.580 It reveals not all the attributes of God, but some of the attributes of God.

00:11:26.500 And Paul explicitly names at least two.

00:11:29.640 The eternal power of God, the divine nature of God.

00:11:32.760 he lists these two in specific and he says that this partial revelation of the character of God

00:11:39.220 has been clearly displayed and clearly perceived by all people and it is sufficient not to save

00:11:46.900 but to strip you of excuses and to condemn now supernatural revelation or special revelation

00:11:55.700 by contrast is the method that God has chosen to reveal himself by miraculous means special

00:12:01.920 revelation includes appearances of God. That would be theophanies. This isn't God who is spirit,

00:12:08.740 right? That's John chapter four, the conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well.

00:12:14.620 She asks him a question about worship, right? Which is really her attempt to change the subject

00:12:19.320 because he's just convicted her of sin, right? He says, hey, go and bring your husband. I don't

00:12:24.280 want to just sit here and talk to a woman alone. Let's go ahead and get the head of your house and 1.00

00:12:29.300 Let's have a conversation with both of you about God, about spiritual matters, things that are eternal, the things that are of ultimate significance.

00:12:39.080 And she says, well, I don't have a husband.

00:12:41.440 And he says, you're right to say that you don't have a husband.

00:12:43.740 The fact is, you've had five husbands, and the man you're currently with is not your husband.

00:12:47.960 And then she immediately responds by saying, I perceive you're a prophet.

00:12:50.820 Could we talk about something else?

00:12:53.300 You know, let's talk about the theological, you know, elements of worship.

00:12:58.520 Where should we worship?

00:13:00.620 You know, your people, the Jews, they say that we should worship in Jerusalem, at the temple.

00:13:06.080 My people say that we should worship at the mountain.

00:13:09.760 Jesus says, I tell you the truth, paraphrasing Christ at this moment,

00:13:14.100 where you worship is not the primary issue.

00:13:17.520 The primary issue is who you worship, the one true God, and how you worship, in spirit and in truth.

00:13:25.400 And why does Jesus say that you must worship in spirit and in truth?

00:13:29.360 He says you should worship in spirit and in truth because God is spirit.

00:13:34.420 So all these physical elements of worship, like the physical location, the place, a temple or a mountain,

00:13:43.200 that you're emphasizing is a misplaced emphasis.

00:13:47.980 Why? Because the God that you're worshiping, to focus on the physical is a wrong emphasis

00:13:54.540 because the God that you're worshiping is not physical.

00:13:58.140 He is God without body, parts, and passions.

00:14:01.000 You are worshiping a God who is spirit,

00:14:03.340 and therefore, true worshipers worship in spirit and truth.

00:14:08.920 And so we worship God in spirit.

00:14:10.920 So special revelation is God revealing himself by miraculous means,

00:14:15.280 and one of the examples of this would be a physical appearance of God,

00:14:18.460 theologically known as a theophany.

00:14:20.360 Now, a theophany is a physical appearance of God,

00:14:23.700 But I went through the John chapter 4 explanation just to be clear.

00:14:28.220 A physical appearance of God does not mean that God himself has a physical body.

00:14:33.500 So all throughout the Old Testament, we have multiple examples of theophanies.

00:14:37.740 But this is the God who is spirit.

00:14:40.100 And if we want to break it down to the three persons of the Trinity,

00:14:42.780 God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

00:14:45.240 in the Old Testament, this is before even the Son has taken on flesh.

00:14:49.620 So when we, with the confession,

00:14:51.520 both the Westminster and the 1689 London Baptist Confession

00:14:55.060 speak of God in these terms.

00:14:57.680 God is a most pure spirit

00:15:00.300 without body, hearts, or passions.

00:15:03.340 Now that description of God

00:15:04.760 who dwells in unapproachable light,

00:15:06.560 that description of God

00:15:08.400 is accurate and true of all three persons,

00:15:12.340 not just two, not just the Father and the Spirit,

00:15:14.640 but all three persons of the Trinity

00:15:16.080 up until a particular moment in human history.

00:15:19.640 Jesus has not eternally been the God-man.

00:15:23.960 He has not eternally been the God-man.

00:15:25.780 He is forever the God-man.

00:15:27.480 Forever and eternity, using these in two different ways,

00:15:29.920 forever meaning there will be no end.

00:15:32.000 But eternity means there will be no end and there is no beginning.

00:15:35.920 So Jesus is not eternally the God-man.

00:15:38.220 There is a precise moment in real human history,

00:15:41.800 preordained before the foundations of the world and the council of eternity,

00:15:45.660 a moment, a time, when Jesus Christ, the Son of God,

00:15:50.280 the second member of the eternal Trinity, would take on flesh.

00:15:55.700 Until that moment, until 2,000 years ago, give or take, when Christ was incarnate.

00:16:02.800 Jesus, just as the Father and just as the Spirit,

00:16:05.980 was a most pure spirit without body, parts, and passions.

00:16:09.560 So in the Old Testament, theophanies, physical appearances of God,

00:16:13.520 are not God meaning for us to interpret as God having a physical form or a physical body.

00:16:21.880 It's a physical appearance that God is taking on, but it's not his actual essence.

00:16:27.480 It's not that God has a physical body.

00:16:29.360 So for instance, the first one that we would have is in Genesis chapter 1 and 2,

00:16:34.060 that in the cool of the day, God walked with Adam and Eve.

00:16:38.680 Most of the biblical scholars and theologians that I would trust would say

00:16:41.720 that this was actually a physical appearance of Jesus.

00:16:45.840 He had not yet taken on literal physical flesh,

00:16:48.860 but whether this be you picture it or imagine it

00:16:52.680 as a hologram or whatever you might need to do,

00:16:54.860 it's something they could physically see,

00:16:57.400 but it doesn't mean God has a physical body.

00:16:59.500 Here's another example of a theophany,

00:17:01.420 the burning bush, when God speaks to Moses.

00:17:05.340 The bush is a flame, but there is no smoke.

00:17:08.680 The bush is not actually being consumed by the fire.

00:17:12.380 The bush is on fire, but it's not being burned.

00:17:16.140 And God speaks from the bush.

00:17:18.660 Now, we're not meant to interpret that, that the bush is God.

00:17:21.540 That when we get to heaven, we're going to see, seated on a throne,

00:17:24.820 surrounded by four living creatures and 24 elders,

00:17:28.320 we're going to see a bush on fire.

00:17:31.560 No, that's not who God is in a literal, physical sense.

00:17:35.600 And yet, that was a physical appearance.

00:17:37.720 It's something that Moses could see.

00:17:40.120 He could literally see.

00:17:41.860 Another theophany would be multiple times throughout the Old Testament,

00:17:45.640 we hear this phrase, right?

00:17:47.920 There are multiple appearances of angels,

00:17:49.920 but from time to time we hear the phrase, the angel of the Lord.

00:17:54.060 Like in the case of Joshua, the angel of the Lord.

00:17:57.100 Even the case of Nahum, the prophet who was beating his donkey.

00:18:04.740 Is it Nahum or am I getting it wrong?

00:18:07.720 Who was the prophet who was on his way?

00:18:09.700 Balaam, Balaam's donkey. 0.96

00:18:11.500 Balaam, in the case of Balaam,

00:18:13.300 you know, his donkey stops in the middle of the road

00:18:15.540 and he starts to beat his donkey.

00:18:17.860 And eventually God supernaturally gives the donkey

00:18:20.440 the ability to speak.

00:18:21.840 And the donkey says to the prophet, Balaam,

00:18:24.460 well, why are you beating me?

00:18:26.660 And you would think his immediate reaction,

00:18:28.480 I mean, this kind of speaks to the level of arrogance.

00:18:31.120 He's very frustrated and stressed at this point

00:18:33.300 because you would think that the natural reaction would be, 0.97

00:18:35.660 whoa, a donkey's talking. 0.94

00:18:37.720 But his reaction is actually to answer the donkey's question, right?

00:18:41.440 What kind of frame of mind do you have to be in to not be taken so far aback, so shocked,

00:18:46.640 but rather to argue?

00:18:47.960 His first inclination is not shock and bewilderment and wonder, but frustration and begins to 0.89

00:18:53.740 engage in an argument with a donkey.

00:18:56.680 Because at that moment, I would say that you really, Balaam has stooped to the level of 0.98

00:19:01.760 the donkey. 0.97

00:19:02.120 You have an argument, a debate between two jackasses, if you will.

00:19:07.720 you know, Balaam and the donkey, using that term and, you know, and the physical animal description. 0.93

00:19:13.600 So anyways, he's arguing with the donkey, well, I'm beating you because you won't obey me. And if I

00:19:17.480 had a sword, he says, I would actually kill you. Pretty dramatic, pretty heated, pretty frustrated 0.99

00:19:23.120 in that moment. But then the angel of the Lord appears, not just an angel, an angel, but the

00:19:29.160 angel of the Lord and says, I've given the donkey eyes to see. And really what the angel of the 0.99

00:19:35.200 Lord is saying in that moment is this, the angel of the Lord is saying, the donkey, right? Because

00:19:39.760 prophets, one of the words in the Old Testament for a prophet was seer, S-E-E-R, one who sees.

00:19:46.040 And so what the angel of the Lord is saying in that moment is the donkey is more perceptive than

00:19:50.220 you. The donkey is functioning in a greater and superior prophetic role than you who are supposed

00:19:58.160 to be the prophet. The donkey is seeing and you are oblivious, dull, blind. And if it were not 1.00

00:20:07.660 for the donkey's ability to see in this moment, if the donkey had gone one step further, if the

00:20:12.880 donkey hadn't responded and had submitted to your commands and your physical beatings, I would have 0.99

00:20:18.840 killed you. And the angel of the Lord goes a step further and says, but I would have let the donkey 0.99

00:20:22.560 live because it wouldn't have been her fault so i would have let the donkey live but i would have

00:20:27.920 killed you and now all of a sudden finally he has a posture that's humble but again this is an 0.95

00:20:33.460 example of the angel of the lord joshua same thing i've already mentioned joshua but remember he's

00:20:39.060 he falls down with fear and trembling and his first question is are you for us or against us

00:20:47.400 And the angel of the Lord says neither.

00:20:50.040 Unfor God.

00:20:51.220 The angel of the Lord, most biblical scholars and theologians would say this is an example of God himself.

00:20:57.580 It's not just an angel, but the angel of the Lord is actually Jesus.

00:21:01.320 But this is Old Testament before Jesus has taken on flesh.

00:21:04.460 And yet, it's still a physical appearance of Jesus.

00:21:08.920 Jesus who is not yet incarnate.

00:21:11.220 Jesus who has not yet taken on a human nature.

00:21:13.940 and yet still a physical appearance of Jesus

00:21:16.800 that looks enough like a man to where people can see it,

00:21:20.840 recognize, and have a conversation.

00:21:23.000 So God reveals himself in natural revelation,

00:21:25.400 but also special revelation.

00:21:27.400 Special revelation is miraculous means.

00:21:30.460 One example of that would be theophanies,

00:21:32.960 physical appearances of God who is without a physical body.

00:21:37.840 And yet he still physically appears,

00:21:39.660 even in the Old Testament, on multiple occasions.

00:21:42.100 also dreams, also visions, also prophecies, and then especially the Bible.

00:21:48.800 Now, I went, I labored the point of theophanies, and I wanted to mention dreams and visions and prophecies

00:21:55.620 because we often think that special revelation is relegated exclusively to the written Word of God,

00:22:02.760 the 66 books of the Bible.

00:22:04.860 But the reality is until these books of the Bible were inscripturated by the prophets and the apostles,

00:22:11.220 inspired by the Holy Spirit,

00:22:13.560 God was providing for his people

00:22:16.220 even before New Covenant,

00:22:19.220 even before New Testament,

00:22:21.200 God was providing for his people,

00:22:22.760 even in the Old Testament,

00:22:24.020 for millennium, special revelation.

00:22:26.560 The law of God that comes from Mount Sinai

00:22:28.940 written on two tablets of stone

00:22:30.240 is special revelation.

00:22:32.520 The finger of God wrote something to people.

00:22:36.060 Every prophecy that we see

00:22:37.660 in the Old Testament and the New

00:22:38.920 was special revelation.

00:22:41.220 And we know that in the apostolic age, in the beginning of the New Testament, that there were many, many prophets.

00:22:48.420 We know that in the case of Philip, he had four daughters who prophesied.

00:22:52.040 We know that Agabus was a prophet.

00:22:53.800 There were many prophecies that were given that we actually don't even have record of.

00:22:58.920 And so God was speaking to his people, not just by what he has made in natural or general revelation,

00:23:04.680 not just by the sunrise and the sunset, not just by the stars and the moon and the sky,

00:23:10.080 But God was speaking specifically, particularly in his special revelation to his church, to his people all throughout the Old Testament, by the law and the prophets, but even in the New Testament through apostles and the special revelation he provided for them, but also through prophets like Agabus.

00:23:27.640 And many of these examples of special revelation we don't actually have inscripturated.

00:23:32.720 We don't have recorded in our Bibles.

00:23:35.360 And so why did God do that?

00:23:36.640 Well, one of the reasons that he did that is because we didn't have the Bible.

00:23:40.080 The Bible hadn't yet been inscripturated.

00:23:42.420 It hadn't yet been translated into every tribe and tongue and language.

00:23:47.160 You and I have far more.

00:23:48.860 This is what I want you to get.

00:23:50.080 You and I, sometimes we look back on the early church.

00:23:53.300 We look back on that apostolic age and we feel a sense of carnal, fleshly envy.

00:24:00.340 Oh, what it would have been like to be discipled personally by the Apostle Paul.

00:24:05.220 But the reason why we envy the early church, the people of that age,

00:24:10.480 is often because they received so much specific, particular, intimate, personal revelation from God.

00:24:18.640 But we have not less, but more.

00:24:21.640 We have more.

00:24:23.300 We have, I don't know, it depends on the size of your font and what particular translation,

00:24:28.240 but we have 1,500 to 3,000 pages of revelation, give or take, from God.

00:24:34.380 special revelation. The Corinthian church would have done anything to have that many prophecies.

00:24:41.380 They certainly received many, but not that much. And the prophecies that they received still had

00:24:47.460 to be tested, right? One should prophesy while the rest weigh what is being said. They still

00:24:53.620 had the danger, the threat, the potential of false prophets rising up in their midst and misleading

00:24:59.420 them. Whereas for you and I, when we read the word of God, we want to read it carefully. We want to

00:25:05.260 read it with discernment, but the discernment that we utilize in our private study and public

00:25:11.140 preaching of the word of God is a discernment to get at the meaning. It's not a discernment to find

00:25:16.540 out whether or not the word of God is true or false. So we're able to read 3,000, 1,500 to 3,000

00:25:23.760 pages of special revelation without any fear, without any concern, any worry that it might be

00:25:30.740 false or that it might be intended to mislead. What a privilege, what grace. We have been given

00:25:37.580 many words from God. So special revelation, it comes in the form of appearances of God,

00:25:43.740 theophanies. It comes in the form of dreams and visions, the law given at Mount Sinai and other

00:25:48.940 laws given through Moses in Deuteronomy and Leviticus and Numbers, but then also through

00:25:55.460 the prophets, both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. But for you and I, we have

00:26:00.880 the Bible inscripturated. We have the law and the prophets summed up for us in binding that we're

00:26:08.300 able to preach from and hear from and study week in and week out. This is such an incredible

00:26:13.660 privilege. But did you know, brothers and sisters, there is one more example of special revelation

00:26:19.540 that's actually even greater than the Bible. And that is Jesus Christ. Jesus, in his incarnation,

00:26:30.040 is an example, the premier example of special revelation. Because special revelation, all it is,

00:26:36.580 is a word from God, but Jesus is the word.

00:26:40.500 He is the logos, the logic, the word,

00:26:44.080 the message personified, the word of God in flesh

00:26:49.300 who came and dwelt among us.

00:26:51.520 The word there in the Greek is he tabernacled among us.

00:26:54.620 So in the way that God's presence, as it were,

00:26:57.520 what was potent in the tabernacle

00:27:00.700 in Old Testament Israel, present with the people of God,

00:27:03.840 Jesus is the personified presence of God, more clearly displayed than the tabernacle, more clearly displayed than the temple or any of these other things.

00:27:16.640 Jesus is an example, the premier example, even greater than the Bible, of special revelation.

00:27:24.040 Hebrews 1, chapter 1, verse 1 through 3 says this,

00:27:28.680 long ago, God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets, right? God provided special

00:27:34.560 revelation through other means like the prophets. And he did this in various ways, right? That's

00:27:39.680 what I've already labored. Dreams, visions, there are various ways that God provided special

00:27:43.940 revelation in the times of old through the prophets. But in these last days, God has provided

00:27:50.220 special revelation for us by his son. Jesus is the radiance of God's glory and the exact

00:27:57.960 representation of his being. If you want to hear from God, if you want to know what God is saying,

00:28:04.960 if you want to see what God is like, look to the person and work of Jesus Christ. There is no more

00:28:12.960 accurate portrayal of the nature, the character, and the word of God than Christ. Where do we see

00:28:20.640 Christ, though, for you and I, who were not eyewitnesses 2,000 years ago, well, we see Christ

00:28:27.560 in the written word. We see Jesus in the Bible, and we see him most clearly when the Spirit of God

00:28:36.460 illuminates the word to us. So the Spirit is working in conjunction with the word to help us

00:28:42.760 ultimately see Christ, which shows us the Father. That is special revelation. Now, with that

00:28:50.720 framework, I wanted to labor all that natural or general revelation, which is what we primarily

00:28:55.900 are getting a picture of, a description of in our text today, Psalm 19 verses 1 through 6,

00:29:03.040 but I also wanted us to understand supernatural or special revelation. Now that the framework,

00:29:08.080 the ground has been laid, I'll be able to move efficiently or rather quickly through these six

00:29:14.320 verses. So Psalm chapter 19 verse 1 says this, the heavens are telling the glory of God and the

00:29:21.880 firmament declares his handiwork. Here David references the physical skies and all that they

00:29:31.080 contain. What you can see when you look to the skies, the sun, the moon, the stars, the planets,

00:29:36.140 the clouds. This is what David is speaking of. So when he says the heavens, he's not speaking of

00:29:40.860 the spiritual heavens. He's using the word heavens as it's often used in the Old Testament to describe

00:29:46.540 the skies. The heavens and the sea would be the sky, the physical sky and the sea. And so what

00:29:52.780 he says is this, the heavens are telling, they're proclaiming, they're speaking. The sky is saying

00:30:02.400 something about God. And the firmament is speaking. Again, that's speaking to the

00:30:09.120 atmosphere, speaking to the sky. It's also speaking. So in both cases, the heavens and

00:30:13.980 the firmament, David is referencing the physical earthly creation, but particularly the sky.

00:30:20.820 And he's saying the sky, the physical sky, when we look at it, it's shouting something to us

00:30:26.900 about God. So that's verse one. David, in a nutshell, in short, he says, the skies are speaking

00:30:34.820 about God. Verse two, day to day pours out speech and night to night reveals knowledge.

00:30:42.420 So David began in verse one by saying the sky speaks. In verse two, David is saying that the

00:30:48.680 sky, not only does it speak, the sky won't shut up. In other words, God is constantly speaking

00:30:54.660 all day and all night by what he has made.

00:30:58.760 Look at verse two again.

00:31:00.060 Day to day pours out, right?

00:31:03.740 It's this image of day to day,

00:31:05.300 meaning every day and all day,

00:31:08.260 without pause, without ceasing,

00:31:10.720 and not just a trickle,

00:31:12.020 not just a continual constant trickle,

00:31:14.300 but a pouring, a gushing of what?

00:31:17.480 Of speech.

00:31:18.880 So the sky speaks, verse one.

00:31:21.540 the sky is constantly speaking a lot verse two now verse three says this there is no speech

00:31:30.960 nor are there words whose voice is not heard now notice the apparent at first glance at a surface

00:31:38.680 look notice the apparent contradiction before between verse two and verse three see in verse

00:31:44.040 two David says that the sky never stops talking but in verse three David says that the sky never

00:31:49.260 utters a word. Now we know that God's word does not contradict itself. So we know that verse three

00:31:55.580 is not meant to contradict or eradicate or erase verse two. Therefore, we must logically conclude

00:32:02.360 that both of these verses are somehow simultaneously true. So how do we resolve the

00:32:10.120 apparent tension or contradiction between these two verses? I believe the natural conclusion for

00:32:15.160 us is this the constant speaking of the skies so we can't say oh the skies are constantly speaking

00:32:20.680 verse 2 oh actually they're not really speaking verse 3 no the skies are constantly speaking

00:32:25.260 verse 2 is true but they're constantly speaking somehow without literal words verse 3 so the

00:32:32.320 skies they speak something about God verse 1 the skies are always speaking and they're speaking a

00:32:38.400 lot about God. Verse 2, and the skies are doing this, speaking constantly a lot about God somehow

00:32:45.700 without words. Verse 3. Now we're ready for verse 4. Verse 4 in our text says this, their voice goes

00:32:52.760 out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world. In verse 1, we saw that the skies

00:32:59.220 are speaking. In verse 2, we saw that God is speaking through the skies all the time. And in

00:33:04.380 verse 3 we learn that this constant speaking is accomplished somehow without the medium of words

00:33:10.160 but now in verse 4 we discover that God is not merely speaking all the time but he is also

00:33:16.800 speaking in all places so the point thus far has been this without the need for words literal human

00:33:24.840 words God is still speaking through the skies at all times to all people in all places look at

00:33:32.760 Verse four again, their voice goes out through all the earth

00:33:36.700 and their words to the end of the world.

00:33:39.860 Verse two is day-to-day pours out speech.

00:33:43.160 So lots of speech all the time.

00:33:44.980 That's verse two.

00:33:45.680 But verse four is all the speech pouring out all the time.

00:33:49.880 It's going to all the earth.

00:33:52.220 It's going to the end of the world.

00:33:54.520 It's going everywhere.

00:33:56.180 So in the first four verses of Psalm 19,

00:33:58.660 this is the framework we have thus far.

00:34:01.180 The skies are saying something about God,

00:34:04.380 and they are speaking all the time,

00:34:07.140 and they're speaking in every place,

00:34:09.460 and they're doing this without the need for literal words.

00:34:13.760 They're speaking as it were.

00:34:16.140 Now, the main point of our text is verse 5 and verse 6,

00:34:21.460 and that's what I want us to focus on now.

00:34:24.200 Verses 5 through 6 of our text says this,

00:34:26.280 In them, he, that is God, in the skies, God has set a tent.

00:34:30.440 for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom, leaving his chamber. And like a strong man,

00:34:36.820 it runs its course with joy. Its rising is from one end of the heavens and its circuit to the end

00:34:43.520 of them. And there is nothing hidden from its heat. So in the first four verses of Psalm 19,

00:34:49.960 we discover that without the need for words, God is speaking through the skies at all times,

00:34:55.860 to all people in all places and because God never speaks in vain we must conclude that God is

00:35:02.460 speaking something important something significant for us to hear however the question that still

00:35:09.040 remains at this point in our text is this what is God speaking well according to verse one that's

00:35:15.620 where we actually find the answers all the way back in verse one but we only find the answer

00:35:20.180 in summary, in a short word.

00:35:24.600 Verse one says that God is speaking through the skies

00:35:27.360 simply one word.

00:35:30.080 And he's speaking this word everywhere all of the time.

00:35:33.320 God is shouting, as it were, through the skies,

00:35:36.780 one word over and over and over again.

00:35:40.540 The word is glory.

00:35:43.300 Verse one says the heavens speak,

00:35:46.360 but they declare, they speak of the glory.

00:35:50.180 of God. Now contrary to the opinions of atheists, creation, notice in verse 1 of our text, this is

00:35:57.040 so plain, creation, the skies, the heavens, the sun and moon and stars, they do not sing their own

00:36:05.480 praises. Creation speaks to the glory of another. Creation speaks to the glory of the God who made

00:36:14.880 Unlike the atheist, contrary to the atheist opinion, creation is singing.

00:36:19.520 The atheists would say that.

00:36:20.840 They would say, yes, in a metaphorical sense, creation sings.

00:36:23.540 It sings to its own glory.

00:36:25.640 It sings to its own majesty.

00:36:27.580 Look at this sunset.

00:36:28.660 Look at this creature. 1.00

00:36:30.220 Crikey, she's a beaut. 0.99

00:36:31.420 You know, like the creation is shouting all the time about how amazing it is.

00:36:37.400 Well, the Bible would agree with half of that statement and then disagree with the other.

00:36:43.840 Yes, creation is speaking all the time.

00:36:45.740 That's absolutely right.

00:36:46.820 But it's not speaking about how glorious it is.

00:36:49.760 It's speaking about how glorious the one who made it is.

00:36:53.960 That's verse one.

00:36:55.560 The heavens declare the glory of themselves.

00:36:58.860 No, the heavens declare the glory of God.

00:37:03.540 Now we know that the revelation of God's glory

00:37:06.020 through creation can actually mean two things.

00:37:10.220 So this is the big point I want you to get.

00:37:11.680 God is saying something to everyone at every time in every place by what he has made in particular

00:37:20.340 in our text today through the skies and and if we were to sum it up in a word according to verse

00:37:25.560 one of our text that one word would be glory so God is speaking over and over and over again to

00:37:31.260 everyone throughout all the earth through what he has made one word about himself glory but what we

00:37:38.240 know with a whole biblical theology is that this one word that God continues to speak to everyone

00:37:45.060 through his general revelation, his natural revelation, this is one word, but it can have

00:37:51.540 two very distinct meanings. The one word that God is shouting by what he has made again and again

00:37:59.060 about himself is glory, glory, glory. I am the glorious one. But what it means for God to be

00:38:07.420 glorious can be one of two things. The old adage is this, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

00:38:14.120 And depending on the one who perceives the glory of God, the glory of God, if we were to sum it up

00:38:18.740 into two words, it can be either judgment or joy. Judgment or joy. And this is precisely why the

00:38:27.260 last two verses in our text today, verses five and six, are so important. Because verse five and six

00:38:33.820 plainly tell us that in the case of David,

00:38:37.240 who's perceiving the glory of God in the sky,

00:38:40.620 he doesn't see judgment.

00:38:43.560 David, because he's born again by grace through faith in Christ,

00:38:47.960 David, because he's a child of God,

00:38:50.460 because he's a new creation,

00:38:51.800 he's been given spiritual eyes to see,

00:38:54.300 David, when he looks to the skies,

00:38:56.200 when he sees a glorious sunset,

00:38:58.060 when he sees the sun, the moon, and the stars without number,

00:39:02.160 David sees glory.

00:39:03.820 But the glory of God to him is not judgment, it's not fear, it's joy.

00:39:09.580 It's joy.

00:39:11.480 Now how do we know that the glory of God revealed through natural revelation

00:39:15.540 can mean judgment for some?

00:39:17.440 It's all the way back to the foundation we laid with Romans chapter 1,

00:39:21.980 particularly verse 19 through 20.

00:39:23.680 For what can be known about God is plain to them,

00:39:26.580 because God has shown it to them for his invisible attributes,

00:39:30.000 namely, specifically, his eternal power and divine nature

00:39:34.820 have been clearly perceived ever since the creation of the world

00:39:38.440 and the things that have been made.

00:39:40.660 So that, what's the result?

00:39:42.080 What's the conclusion of that reality?

00:39:44.020 God revealing himself by what he has made to all people?

00:39:47.240 The result is they're without an excuse.

00:39:50.700 The result is they're guilty.

00:39:53.780 That's the result.

00:39:54.560 What is the end, the outcome, the result of God revealing himself by natural revelation to the unregenerate man?

00:40:04.300 The result, the purpose, we might even say, is guilt.

00:40:10.020 So that they are without an excuse.

00:40:12.780 So that God is further justified in his judgment.

00:40:17.960 It is a defense of God.

00:40:19.960 so that no man would be able to ever accuse God of having failed.

00:40:26.060 That no man would ever be able to raise his fist to God and say,

00:40:30.000 you're the one who failed.

00:40:32.040 It's not that I didn't believe, it's that you were a bad provider.

00:40:36.100 You failed to provide sufficient evidence.

00:40:39.580 No, man is not the jury.

00:40:43.300 Man constantly, constantly places himself in the seat of the judge

00:40:47.980 or in the seats of the jurors and says, God is on trial and God is the one, he's the defense,

00:40:55.780 God's the one on trial and God is the one who is obligated to provide a compelling case for his

00:41:01.660 existence, for his glory, for his character, for his goodness, for his holiness, for his justice.

00:41:08.120 God's on trial here. And rather than innocent until proven guilty, we go even further than that.

00:41:13.460 we put God on trial and we say he's guilty until he proves himself innocent. That's not what Romans

00:41:20.200 1 verse 19 through 20 teaches. Romans 1 verse 19 through 20 teaches the reality of the situation

00:41:26.700 that God is the judge and that man is on trial and that God has indeed provided all that is necessary

00:41:34.360 to condemn man righteously. He is without an excuse. He has been provided with plenty, sufficient

00:41:43.160 evidence. God has clearly displayed something, and man has clearly understood and perceived that

00:41:50.680 something. The problem is this. The problem is that what God has displayed and what man, all men,

00:41:57.080 believers and unbelievers alike, have perceived in God's natural revelation, it's sufficient for

00:42:02.200 condemnation, for judgment, but not salvation. And how do we know that? Well, we know that by going

00:42:08.600 forward in the book of Romans, namely chapter 10. Romans chapter 10, starting with verse 14, it says,

00:42:15.300 how will they believe? How can we be saved? By belief, right? Not by works, but by faith. So if

00:42:22.260 we want to be saved, we want to be pardoned of our sin, forgiven of all our iniquity, we must believe.

00:42:28.820 But Romans 10 says, how will they believe unless they hear? And how will they hear unless someone

00:42:34.020 preaches. Someone has to preach. And how will they preach? Unless they're sent, for it is

00:42:40.220 written, blessed are the feet of those who bring good news. See, natural revelation, the skies that

00:42:46.060 David speaks of in our six verses today, the skies are sufficient to testify to some attributes of

00:42:53.060 God. If nothing else, his divine nature, his eternal power. And this is sufficient to condemn

00:43:00.920 there to strip him of any legitimate excuse where he might want to claim ignorance as a basis for

00:43:07.740 innocence but the skies are not sufficient to produce faith for that you need a preacher

00:43:17.300 someone must preach to them and preach what well the skies are preaching according to David they

00:43:22.600 already have a preacher I mean we could use that word preaching and I think it would be faithful

00:43:26.700 exegesis to say David in a sense is saying that the skies are the sky itself is a preacher and

00:43:32.960 it's constantly preaching it's a preacher like me it's long-winded but um right the skies there's

00:43:39.860 wind and there's long and you know if you explain the joke it kind of ruins it but I couldn't help

00:43:44.240 myself so the skies are long-winded they're constantly preaching and they're preaching to

00:43:48.040 everyone right I mean Billy Graham eat your heart out George Whitefield eat your heart out you've

00:43:53.660 preached to tens of thousands. The skies, they're right now preaching to 7.8 billion people.

00:43:59.860 And not just a 30-minute sermon or a 60-minute sermon, but they've been preaching for millennia.

00:44:05.020 So the skies are a preacher. But Romans 10, what it's implying is this. It's implying that the

00:44:11.320 sermon, if you will, the sky is a preacher. And it's a great preacher. But that particular sermon

00:44:16.620 that the sky preaches over and over and over again is not the sermon that will ever get anyone saved.

00:44:24.320 Because the sermon that saves is not the sermon of the eternal power and divine nature of God.

00:44:31.300 The sermon that saves is the sermon of the gospel.

00:44:35.100 It's the sermon of the mercy of God for sinners in the person and work of Jesus Christ, his son.

00:44:40.300 It's the sermon of incarnation.

00:44:42.060 It's the sermon of a substitutionary life.

00:44:44.400 It's the sermon of Christ who fulfilled every jot and tittle of the law.

00:44:49.440 It's the sermon of Jesus who, according to the scriptures, was judged and tried unfairly.

00:44:55.700 And he was found guilty and he was crucified at the hands of Pontius Pilate.

00:44:59.920 And he was laid in the tomb in the belly of the earth for three days.

00:45:03.280 And he rose physically on the third day.

00:45:05.720 And he ascended to the right hand of the Father.

00:45:08.180 And he's interceding now for his people at every moment.

00:45:12.020 That's the sermon that saves.

00:45:14.280 And the skies don't preach that sermon.

00:45:16.640 The skies are a preacher.

00:45:17.780 They preach all the time.

00:45:19.440 to everyone. The skies preach and they preach well, but just like the traveling, the traveling

00:45:25.060 preacher who's really only got two or three good sermons and he preaches over and over and over

00:45:29.060 again, that's just like the skies. And unfortunately, none of those sermons are salvific, salvific

00:45:34.360 sermons. None of the, the skies repertoire and his preaching and his preaching book are actually

00:45:41.020 redemptive sermons. See, the sermons that the skies preach are sermons of the glory of God,

00:45:46.740 but but it's the glory of god that's only sufficient ultimately to condemn

00:45:52.220 but here's the beauty for those who have heard not merely the sky's sermons but for those who

00:46:00.220 have heard a sermon of god's special revelation a sermon of the gospel like romans 10 somebody has

00:46:05.860 been sent and somebody has preached good news and god by his grace through the power of the spirit

00:46:11.180 has given them eyes to see and ears to hear and hearts to believe for that person who's been born

00:46:16.980 again who's a new creature in Christ Jesus that person not only have they heard the sermon the

00:46:22.960 gospel sermon of the preacher and been saved but now they can hear the sermons of the sky and also

00:46:29.500 see the glory of God no longer as judgment no longer is merely sufficient to condemn but they

00:46:35.900 can look and listen to the sermons of the skies and see the glory of God as joy, as beauty.

00:46:43.840 Not because the skies preach in a way that's sufficient for salvation, but for the one who

00:46:48.900 has heard preaching that is sufficient for salvation through special revelation, through

00:46:53.140 the gospel, through the scripture, for those people, now they look to everything. It's like

00:46:59.600 the matrix. It's like once you've been unplugged, once you've been woken up, everybody else is just

00:47:04.780 seeing ones and zeros, but you look to creation, you look to the scripture, not just special

00:47:10.460 revelation, but you look to the scripture, of course, right? You hear the faithful preaching,

00:47:15.380 and of course you see the beauty of God. But for you, you see the beauty of God everywhere. You

00:47:19.740 can't help but see the joy and pleasure and beauty of God. You see the grass, and you think God's

00:47:26.220 good. You drink wine, you think God's good. You look to the sunset, God is good. You hear a child

00:47:32.240 laughing, God's good. You hear a child screaming, God's good. It's all speaking to the glory of God

00:47:38.800 and for the Christian, the glory of God is our joy. So in a nutshell, Psalm 19 verses 1 through 6 is

00:47:48.960 this. The physical creation, in particular the skies, are constantly speaking all the time to

00:47:56.380 everyone in every place without the need for literal words about god what are they speaking

00:48:02.180 about god one word glory what is the meaning of this one word glory glory is in the eye of the

00:48:09.380 beholder for those who have been born again the glory of god is joy for those who have not the

00:48:14.640 glory of god is judgment judgment and joy both emanating from the glory of god which is clearly

00:48:21.860 perceived in creation itself. Now, what does it mean? Getting more specific now, digging a little

00:48:30.480 bit deeper into glory as joy. We've talked about glory as judgment, Romans 1. But our primary text

00:48:38.680 today is not Romans 1. Our primary text is Psalm 19. So Psalm 19 verses 5 and 6, we don't see

00:48:44.780 glory as judgment. We see glory as joy. And honestly, I could think of no better way

00:48:52.760 to explain this reality, the glory of God displayed through the skies through natural

00:48:58.580 revelation as joy for his people than to completely verbatim quote the words of John

00:49:06.140 Piper. John Piper says it like this in his descriptive John Piper way. The glory of God

00:49:12.420 is a happy thing. Is this not the point of verses five and six? David looks up into the sky on a

00:49:19.020 beautiful clear blue early morning from Mount Zion and hears speech ushering forth, pouring forth

00:49:25.900 about the glory of God. And then he fixes his heart's attention on one theme in that symphony

00:49:31.720 of glory and watches the sun rise out of the east over the Jordan Valley. And the spirit of God comes

00:49:38.080 upon David to help him communicate what the glory of God is really like and he says in verse 5 and

00:49:45.200 verse 6 it comes forth like a bridegroom leaving his chamber and like a strong man runs his course

00:49:52.080 with joy its rising is from the end of the heavens and its circuits to the end of them and there is

00:49:57.600 nothing hid from its heat see the point here is not merely that the bridegroom is decked out

00:50:03.020 in the finest clothes and surrounded by his noble groomsmen.

00:50:07.160 No, the point is that this is the happiest day

00:50:10.780 of the bridegroom's life.

00:50:13.060 This is the fulfillment of his dreams.

00:50:15.620 This is the beginning of a whole new kind of joy.

00:50:19.360 That's what the glory of God is like.

00:50:21.680 That's the message when the sun rises

00:50:23.780 in lavish red and gold and lavender in the eastern sky.

00:50:27.840 God's glory is a happy thing,

00:50:29.900 like the happiness of a bridegroom on his wedding day.

00:50:33.440 This is even more explicit in the other analogy or image

00:50:37.120 that David uses at the end of verse five.

00:50:40.160 When the sun rises and pours forth speech

00:50:42.620 about the glory of God,

00:50:44.400 it's not only like a bridegroom leaving his chambers,

00:50:47.300 but it's like a strong man that runs his race

00:50:50.100 with not just pain, blood, sweat, and tears,

00:50:53.800 but with joy.

00:50:55.700 Now, how can we not think of Eric Little at this moment?

00:50:58.500 in that great scene from Chariots of Fire

00:51:02.120 as he takes that last turn in the race

00:51:04.720 for the glory of God

00:51:05.860 and his arms drive like living pistons

00:51:08.420 and his head goes back

00:51:09.800 in that utterly unorthodox position

00:51:11.860 and every muscle fiber in his body

00:51:14.240 does just what it was made to do

00:51:16.300 and the smile breaks out across his face

00:51:19.180 and everything in Eric Little cries,

00:51:21.560 glory, glory, glory.

00:51:23.720 That's what the glory of God is like.

00:51:25.860 It's like the happiest day of your life.

00:51:27.800 It's like every muscle and every tendon and every ligament and every organ and all of your mind and your emotions working just the way they were created to work on the day of triumph.

00:51:39.000 The glory of God is the happiest reality in all of the world.

00:51:44.360 In conclusion, all of mankind has seen this glory.

00:51:49.800 That much is clear from scripture.

00:51:51.880 The only question is this.

00:51:53.980 Have we merely witnessed the glory of God

00:51:56.220 through his creation as judgment for sinners?

00:51:59.060 Or have we witnessed the glory of God

00:52:01.220 through creation as joy for saints?

00:52:04.280 Which message we receive from God's glory

00:52:07.200 revealed through natural revelation

00:52:09.060 is ultimately determined by whether or not

00:52:11.660 we have been given new hearts

00:52:13.040 to receive God's message in special revelation.

00:52:17.040 That is the grace of God for sinners

00:52:19.820 through the person and work of Jesus Christ.

00:52:23.220 Let's pray.

00:52:24.200 Father, we thank you for your word.

00:52:26.880 Father, we thank you for the privilege that it is

00:52:29.740 to preach your word

00:52:31.620 and the privilege that it is to hear your word preached.

00:52:35.680 God, we thank you that you have not left us

00:52:38.480 merely with a revelation of yourself in creation,

00:52:44.300 but that you have given to us, your people, your children,

00:52:47.540 a revelation of yourself

00:52:49.580 through special revelation.

00:52:51.640 That you have spoken to us

00:52:53.440 not merely through the skies

00:52:54.960 but also in your written word.

00:52:59.900 And your written word

00:53:01.000 ultimately

00:53:02.120 the sum of your word

00:53:04.260 is Jesus Christ your son.

00:53:07.700 In the days of old

00:53:09.280 to our forefathers

00:53:10.520 you spoke to us by the prophets

00:53:12.080 in many ways.

00:53:13.680 But in these last days

00:53:14.800 you have spoken to us

00:53:16.160 by your son he is the radiance of the glory of God he's the exact imprint and representation

00:53:25.020 of your character and nature and this Jesus can be seen clearly on every page of scripture

00:53:32.780 and as we see him more and more in your special revelation of your word we see him likewise even

00:53:41.480 more and more clearly when we look at natural revelation, what you have made. We thank you for

00:53:48.600 this gift, this privilege. And Lord, we pray that we would be a people who love your glory,

00:53:56.820 who are enamored with your glory, because we see your glory not merely as judgment for sinners,

00:54:04.960 but as joy for saints.

00:54:08.120 We pray these things in Jesus' name, amen.

00:54:11.200 Thanks so much for listening.

00:54:12.480 But real quick, before you go, do us a small favor,

00:54:15.700 take a moment and leave us a five-star review

00:54:18.060 if you enjoyed the show.

00:54:19.660 This is undoubtedly the best way

00:54:22.000 that you can help us get this biblically faithful content

00:54:24.900 to as many people as possible.

00:54:27.060 Thanks so much.

The NXR Podcast - July 17, 2022

SUNDAY SERMON - The Sermon Of The Skies (Part 1) - Psalm 19

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