Contending

Excited to announce that over the next few weeks are going to take a break from our series and 1st Corinthians in order to get into a study on prayer prayer contending with God contending by preaching and contending with others the church. So over the past month Brett and I have been sent the fencing the mounting pressure. You can say if covid-19 pandemic and particularly like the re-entry and face coverings all attempting to polarize and divide our nation, of course our state and our town and therefore and really recognize responses been prayer this whole time many of you have been praying this whole time. Thank you, but we just feel like it's time to do it together right to gather the church together in prayer. Yeah. Okay. I'm going to try to apply to get a broken thumb. This is the best I can do all ready to go. Yeah, so what that's going to look like maybe a couple different things one. We want to gather here more than just Sunday. So we'll still do Sundays but we're thinking like maybe a Monday morning thing and maybe a Tuesday or Wednesday night. I think we're still kind of planning that out. So stay to make sure you have the E weekly cuz we'll be updating you on that in the future and the second thing is simply teaching on prayer and that kicks off this morning. We're actually going to get into the song this morning the songs. Is that ancient Hebrew prayer book right hymn book if you will that we have adopted to ourselves today 2018 year is later. It is our prayer book. So we're taking off is Sunday Psalms contending is what the series is called. That sound good you guys ready? I think it's fitting to start by just going in prayer again before we get into this teaching. So if you would father as we just song. You are the one who makes a way for us. And we're here because of that because of your son Jesus. You are the one who will teach us that will direct us. But also your holy spirit is with us now. And so we pray that your voice would speak whether it's through the scriptures or song or conversation that we would be a people lead by the voice of God. So we can meet the next 20-25 minutes here as we continue to Worship You Lord you have our attention Lord. You have our eyes our mind our ears and our hearts God. Amen. Amen. Well, if you remember from the last few times I taught on the podcast and I think of Siri of couple years ago, you totally don't remember just nod your head and smile. I've been telling like stories from my adolescent years. It was in Middle School is like when I first started following Jesus as longing to pick up that story I was at youth group I Rose my hand to get saved for second-time, right? Cuz it sounded so good. The second time was like I need that when your middle school you sent a lot in a week. So I was like, yeah, but yeah, but what do I do now and a response was just a couple of spiritual disciplines their perfect. You said we'll keep coming to church and read the scriptures Bible. So I went to the the church bookstore and this is kind of a strange church. We definitely didn't read the NIV. I'll just say that And for the version of the Bible that I was looking for was no not new King James King James version. Yes Shakespeare era the Visa Nevada. So I go and I get this that's my son by the way. He's going to keep trying to come up here. Hey, John.

Okay. Okay. I get the King James leather-bound Bible, right and Scott the footnotes and it comes with that like exclusive negative 12 point font, you know comes with a magnifying glass that one and I am so proud of this Bible like I go of course I get like my name engraved on the outside and like gold dust or something. So I'm super stoked. I've got my Bible. I'm ready to face the world and all of its troubles and later that week. I actually found myself in a very life-threatening situation. I was playing cards with my brothers and we were running out of dr. Pepper. Super real I know. Is the best coat of all set out there, you know, the reality is I was drinking with a over my limit. I was having one too many drinks. He came in like plastic bottle. Why did they ever make those you know, so I'm just I'm throwing these drinks. I'm like, you know, this is going to go flat in the next few hours. We got to drink this now and my brothers like Michael you need to stop a problem. I don't have a problem. You know, I only drink when I'm thirsty can't drink all day unless you start in the morning.

I get furious. They steal the dr. Pepper. If I made her say Michael you don't get any more drinks and I am just raging that anger management issues for sure. I storm up to the bedroom. I slammed the door and I threw myself onto the bed there and I'm grabbing the pillow just imagining my brothers faces. Older brother's man older brother's can be the worst.

Yep, that makes sense. Yeah, Ron. Yeah, totally. Older brother is now I know who you are.

Serious, but then I remembered I got this Bible I should give it a shot. So I grabbed the scriptures and I do what we call Bible roulette. You know, you just know I have no idea where parents. Which of course puts me right in the middle of their Bible which as you know is the song and I open up the song for and I read this. In your anger do not sin. When you are on your beds search your hearts and be silent, no joke offer, the sacrifices of righteousness and trust in the Lord many Lord are asking who will bring us prosperity. Let the light of your face shine on us fill my heart with joy. When their grain and the new dr. Pepper abound buy wine abound in peace, I will lie down and sleep for you alone Lord Make Me dwell in safety. I mean my mind was like what is in this this is crazy off living powerful it is right or because that the Holy Spirit can work through any means he can But because the songs did for me something that they've been doing for a long time from millions of people throughout history. They gave me a language to talk to God. It gave me a language to pray to talk to God because what can I say to the all-powerful transcending God in the heavens what words are appropriate you guys ever feel that way. What words are inappropriate right? Will you listen shity? What do I do with my emotions the highs and lows the joys and the sorrow of Life do I express that to God In Prayer? In other words to express times of deep pain that we all go through suffering or Injustice. Where do I even begin in prayer I want to put this question before you guys this comes from Eugene Peterson. Where can we go to learn our prayer language as it develops into maturity as it answers God and the answer is

The Bible. Okay, I'll take that the Psalms. Yeah, the song specifically give us that prayer language. So this morning we're going to go and do kind of an intro to the songs of the we're going to get through that really quick so we can get coming to the meet all the good stuff about the Psalms first one how to read the Psalms II to emotions. What do we do with our feelings? Right? And then third world you to my hope is that simply after this teaching if you're not already reading or praying the Psalms every day that you would join us know how many people are actually doing that like you read a Psalm or make time to pray every morning. That's awesome. That's so good. Yes. So again, that's the angle. I'm just hoping that as a church. We are in the Psalms daily in prayer daily. So the first thing how to read the Psalms your some fun facts on the song. Wasn't this bad at I laugh every time I say funvax because at my dad, you know Dad's know a lot about things that don't matter. My wife was getting it on my Dad. We just got married and my dad was going off about something or another and and I was really I was in the next room listening. Like, how is my wife going to respond you please put her in quite the pickle hair and my dad gets done. There's a little bit of space and I just did my wife go. fun facts gym

Fun fact that I just laugh sounds like that's what else do you say when he's telling you about all that unnatural breeding effects of mutations of the Pug plush. All right. So here's some fun facts on the phone. The songs are quoted all over the Bible all the larger books of the New Testament the four gospels romance Hebrews, etcetera all Quote the songs more than any other book in the Old Testament 116 * to be exact even Satan gets in on the song. He actually missed quotes Psalm 91:11 and Luke chapter 4, of course, we know that this is a very special but it's like the hymn book of that generation. So Jesus and his followers right would know all the songs or have them memorized by heart. They hear them so often to be like Take Me Out to the Ballgame Take Me Out To The Crowd by me tracker Jacker if you cut it or with another one, it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood a beautiful day for a neighbor. Would you be mine? Could you remind me a little harder songs?

Yeah, I'm looking at my father-in-law. I'm surprised you didn't go for it. You would have nailed it bro. That was for you. At least Psalms the songs were familiar and worship. Memorizing the songs as a prerequisite prerequisite for some of the Eastern Orthodox churches. And then if you want to come on staff you had to have all 150 songs memorized anybody anybody now, I don't think so. He's actually prayed the entire book of Psalms everyday. That's pretty cool that I'm just I'm actually curious that I might try that one the entire book of Psalms in one day Martin Luther said the songs are like a microcosm of the scriptures a little bible of the Old Testament. They contain the story the Old Testament and The Prophecy of the Messiah Jesus Billy Graham red five songs. Add a add a n t Wright did the same thing to get along with God. How cool is that then he said he also got a proverb a day cuz it's taught him how to get along with people. Dallas Willard, we love Dallas Willard around here read Psalm 23 everyday in order to curb his anxieties of control and live with trust and gratitude. I like that. I've been reading a Psalm a day since I was 18 years old it started with trying to read the Bible in a year and remember after that year was done. I was exhausted interview that I've ever read the Bible in a year, you know you like I need a break the one thing I didn't want to break from that. I just grown to love with starting off every day with the song. So cool. I love this coat from tremper Longman the third. Yep. That's his name as we read the Psalms. We are entering into the sanctuary the place where God meets men and women in a special way different feel that way and you read the Psalms. It's like you're invited into this space was hearing the voice of God is clear and being able to respond is easy. So now send text over we're going to do something. We love around here and just watch a video from the Bible project love the Bible project and they're going to in 5 minutes give you guys an introduction on the songs. That would take me two hours. So is that sound good? Alright Britain, are we good to go? Write enjoy this video of the next five minutes about poetry in the Bible how biblical poets love design and masterfully use metaphor and symbolism these poems invite us into an experience to plunder ideas slowly and from many angles and the largest collection of poetry in the Bible is the Book of Psalms. So that's what we're going to look at here. Now, the Israelites composed lots of poetry throughout their history poems were written by Israelites ages Kings and Prophets. Some poems were sung by choirs in the Jerusalem Temple While others were Prayed by families at home and over the centuries the most important and widely read poems were compiled together to be red or something on special occasions and I'm familiar with books of poetry a large collection the greatest poems in one place and I can read through and pick my favorites but the book of Psalms isn't that kind of collection? Each column has been expertly crafted and then placed where it is for a reason to create a story line from the books beginning to attend the Psalms poetically. The entire biblical story and they invite you into a literary Temple literary Temple yasso the Tabernacle and then later the temple in Jerusalem where where ancient Israelites went to meet with God when you arrive you would see art and imagery everywhere. You see priest performing rituals use your songs and prayers all of it symbolically proclaiming that you are God rules the world from this mountain and you're in his living room. So the temple was a place to be in God's presence and also to immerse yourself in the story of God's kingdom exactly was invaded Jerusalem plundered and burned the temple and then took many Israelites into Exile now to meet with God sing their story and say the prayers that's where the book of Psalms comes in. It's a prayer book for Exile designed as a virtual Temple you enter the Psalms to meet with God and to hear the entire biblical story of God's kingdom some back to you in poetry. How does the song do it? Let's start with the books design. There are 150 Palms broken up in the five clear sections at the beginning has been placed a short introduction Psalms 1 and 2 switch layout the main themes of the whole book by reviewing the biblical story line to the Garden of Eden and it's River of Life has Bull and hear humans decide Define Good and Evil on their own terms and so are exiled from the garden. But the first song paint the portrait of Hope about an upright human who Delights in God's wisdom, which is called torra for construction. This person is like the Tree of Life In The Garden Temple, they eternally Blossom because they're planted in the river of God's life is beautiful. But whose is supposed to be? Well remember that story in Genesis after Humanities foolish Rebellion. God made a promise. I'll write a future human the seed of the woman who would come in to feed evil and restore the world and that's what song About God's promise that a king would come from the line of David. He's called the Son of God and the Messiah got to point them to bring Justice on human evil. And to restore God's Kingdom in peace over the nation's the Psalms wanted to introduce all these main themes and then the book develops those themes through the five sections the first to explore the complicated story of David and his royal family the third section focuses on the tragedy of Israel's Exile and the downfall of David's Royal line, but then the 4th and 5th sections rekindle the hope for the Messiah a new Temple and God's Kingdom on the other side of the Exile. Then the book ends with a five-part conclusion praising God for his faithfulness nearly half of the songs are connected to the one guy King David who God chose to rule Israel. David story is really important in this book experience.

Confesses his failures and offers. Thanks to his Redeemer and he's constantly speaking of a deep longing to be in God's presence in the temple way David lived before the temple was even though exactly this portrait of David hoping and praying for God's Kingdom in a future Temple. It resembles the hopes of the later generations of the X-Files. And so David's prayers could become theirs as well David's Like a Prayer coach giving us words for how to pray and how to discover God's presence in good times and bad exactly. There is 73 Palms connected to David but most of the rent come from later generations of biblical poet and they have learned to pray and hope like David and so the end result is the Book of Psalms designed as a virtual Temple for all generations of God, like this isn't a kind of book you just read once and put down for a lifetime of slowly reading and reflection these prayers and laments and songs of praise are meant to become our They're poems for Exiles who are learning to live by God's wisdom and seek God's justice in the world as they hoped for the coming Messiah and the kingdom of God.

All right. Pretty cool, huh?

I love it and you can go watch a video anytime. They actually have another whole video on the songs that you can use as like a roadmap as your reading thrown last little fun fact on the song This is a quote from NT Wright. Anyone at all whose Heart is Open to the new dimension of The Human Experience anyone who loves a good riding anyone who wants a window into the bright lights and dark corners of the human soul anyone open to the beautiful expression of a larger vision of reality would react to these poems like someone who hasn't eaten a good meal for a week or two. It's all here. So good. So that's our first point how to read the Psalms a second thing. Let's talk about feeling let's talk about feelings emotions and attitudes because we want to get to the meat of what the Psalms do for us, you know, the cry my parents generation was what is truth. That was a big question. They're asking what is tree The Cry of my generation was what's my purpose? What's my Rising look like Jon Foreman Switchfoot. We were meant to live for so much more.

What's our purpose? But the Cry of this Generations I've worked with young people's. What do I do with my feelings? What do I do do with my emotions and reality is we live? We live in a time where your feelings or emotions can either be glorified as your God or they can be suppressed completely and you don't talk about it and you don't think about it. But the Bible in the song specifically want us to go right in with our emotions with our feelings with their attitudes. The songs are full of every human emotion. They invite us to I like this complete vulnerability complete vulnerability. I mean almost embarrassing, It's kind of how honest they can be. We got a glimpse of that in Psalm 139. It's like everything's good. God knows who I am. I hate the wicked destroy them. I mean I even like choked up on stage of those readings like I was kind of a killer honest with God. They are truthful. It's kind of like, you know, like the first few episodes using people just go for it with everything they have in the judges are like you shouldn't have tried out today play Paradise Island. Just me, okay. the entire shows in embarrassment It's embarrassing how emotional people can get similar to songs can get very emotional just got a quote for men to write the songs may not always seem to us particularly Pure or worthy as sacrifices should be but I think part of the point is that they are truthful. The sincere outpouring of who and what the worshipper actually is. Another office said they are full of power and passion horrendous misery and unrestrained you Valatie tender sensitivity and Powerful hope and because the songs are full of different emotional states are modes or attitudes. They validate the emotions and attitudes that we have that should be comforting to us the Psalms validate our different emotions and attitudes This lights working on that one prisoner. The songs will not let us become empty will not let us the press or glorifier emotions to serve him as a God or not to focus on them or see them they force us into a healthy relationship with God with others with ourselves. And with creation John Calvin called the Psalms and anatomy of all parts of the Soul. For there is not an emotion of which anyone can be conscious but it's not here represented as in a mirror or rather. The Holy Spirit has here drawn to the life. All the griefs Sorrows fears doubts. Hope scares perplexities in short all the distracting emotions with which the minds of men are wanting to be agitated. Now when you read the Psalms, you'll notice that they have what they can seem almost bipolar and I have this graph that made for you. Yeah, this is a songs and notes and you'll see that in time you open a song even within one song or multiple Psalms. You can enter into the sprayer at any point. So you start with request God would you feel so and so would you heal me Lord what you do something about this situation to Justice Lord. There's Injustice in the world. Will you actually set those people free? Will you do something about the evil in the world to lament? I'm grieving because I lost a loved one or loved one of mine a friend. Someone is going through a hard time and then it might jump over to what I'm calling Torah and it's really just teaching all the teachings of the scriptures. You'll see that as well and a Psalms Psalm 119 right is a list alphabetical all these like with a value of the teachings of God. So you see that and then as well forgiveness, I think you guys get the At this point it's going to move from motemote. And then praise of course hallelujah what you see all over the songs back. The last five songs are this big triumphant finale think like Fourth of July that last moment of the fireworks show. It's like it's just going crazy. Right that is the finale of the song the last five of them Hallelujah. And so now this is interesting. Why because this means I don't get to pick and choose What feelings I'm going to have when I open the Psalms would be nice to do the Bible relay. Like I told that story just open up to the one that speaks exactly to my situation. But often times I open up to a song that Doesn't or isn't relatable to my situation in fact laments in the Psalms. outnumber Psalms of anything else 221

life is pretty good. All I'll say that for myself life is pretty good, which means the Bible forces me to see the Injustice in the world. It forces me to see the pain and then join in and pray and contend with God In Prayer for the things that aren't right.

Psalm 136 you guys probably know it. Well, it's the one that constantly repeats his love endures forever. God delivered us from Pharaoh his love endures that he gave us a land of going to his love endures forever just constantly but then you flip over to Psalm 137. It reads by the Rivers of Babylon. We wept how can we sing songs of joy and then it's outstanding statement at the end happy is the one who seizes Babylons infants and dashes them against The Rock. whoa That is intense. But then there's Psalm 74 contending rise up God and defend your cause. Rise up God has he gone from Psalm the song again going through all these different modes and emotions. You can quickly go from the height of Joy to the pits of grief to send them again to thankfulness to God. The point is that God validates our emotions. He invites us to pray different emotions. Therefore we must be honest with God. Application for you today as you must be honest with God and see right takes it a step further to say that our emotions are than an offering to God is worship. The goddess, please. When you're honest with them. Most of all he says the songs are designed as worship the multi-dimensional worship in which every aspect of the human life. Love fear the light anger Despair and gratitude is laid as an offering before God himself comes to stand at the Crossroad of time space and matter. That's pretty cool.

Match my notes I could say but I want to keep us move and we're going to do a third client worldview and our last point to finally worldview really quick the songs help us see the world as it truly is the song help us see the world as it truly is now worldview. If you're wondering what the definition of that is worldviews are the lenses through which a society looks at the world the great upon which we are plotted the multiplier which are plotted the multiple experiences of life. So we all have a world you don't leave I was up in Alaska fishing this last week. I now don't be angry. Don't be mad at me. I got a lot of family in Halibut, but at the end of the day, we would join around the fire with all the other people at the lodge at a come from different parts of our nation even around the world and you're just meeting strangers and talking about things but they're coming from all different walks of life and their moments were laughing River moments re like why because their World Views are shaped differently. Then mine the fact we had a police officer. They've been getting close to retiring now, but has been serving in the LA area his entire life. You better believe he had a worldview. Yeah, and so don't try the slide. It's just to give you an idea of the difference between World Uso on your left is what I'm calling post modernity. Secular you can just called the world if you want and then on the right is a worldview That Shaped by scripture right shape by discipleship to Jesus. Let me just read these out. So in the secular World our world you can be shaped. Like if you watching tons of TV and you're always on your newsfeed, you know, or an Instagram whatever it is your world. You can be shaped like this God is a long way away. He is distant. We progressed three facts we debate what is good and bad popularity matters. So have power have money and influence conquer or be conquered consume all that you can that is the pursuit of happiness consume control your life prolong death and then anxiety, of course, it's feeding us anxiety being filled with fear and bitterness and envy. While on the other side at the scripture shape our worldview God is here. His kingdom has come we progressed by obedience. God knows what is good and bad Character Matters compassion faithfulness and creation. Love your enemies. The victory is already won death has lost its sting right give away all that you can that is our Pursuit of Happiness Surrender Your Life die. Well, there's life after death. Shalom right. That's a Hebrew word. That's full of meaning. I just did my best year filled with peace good and life. You got a good idea at world use. Yeah, if you don't like this list, I totally made it up. You can't find it anywhere on the internet. This is just me going something like that.

From the Psalms when can in principle discover how to answer basic questions that determine human existence existentialism who we are where are we what is wrong? And what is the solution of the Psalms invite us to see the world as it truly is so let's land of fine hair and clothes just with a brief story. My morning routine is pretty sacred. Anybody that knows me knows that the first thing I do when I get out is go make the best coffee in the world. Single origin pour over the temperature has to be just right the water has to be filtered. You know, I wet the filter before just to get the paper taste out. I mean every little detail matters I'm way in the coffee. I've got the grind set perfect and this is like my my ritualism waking up and smell the coffee. It's so good. But then I take that coffee over to the most amazing chair in the world that Eames lounge chair, if you know, you know this chair just like once you're in it, you just feel like you're in the presence of God ready to read anything. I sit down with my coffee in my chair and and I'm ready and I've got the Bible next to me and maybe a book that I'm going through the prayer list and I just go there with God over the next 10-15 minutes. How long until John Fox wakes up. And this is my time with God. This is my ritual what I've been doing this for a number of years and something happened. The iPhone was invented in 2018. Also the iPhone. Invite invited into my routine. And so this morning routine that you know, somewhere in there, I would sit down in the lounge. I got my coffee and you know at first it was just like the weather today in quick stick out what I'm going to put on, you know, but eventually have my coffee and make people jealous or how good it is. You got leads to which probably see the news feed what's going on in the world after all my pastor. So I got to be aware of stuff, you know that leads to hide those emails. So I start checking my emails at least that's today. Oh my gosh commedia. Just to see if anybody like my post.

And it's been going on for a little while and finally had had enough. Remember that morning. We're living in Portland renting a place of the time and remember that morning clears day woke up and I said, you know what? This is shaping my worldview towards anxiety. I need to get back to this moment of God. And where you know if the marker was in Psalms that morning was Psalm 131 and I read this. My heart is not proud lord. My eyes are not lofty. I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me, but I have calmed and quieted myself. I'm like a weaned child with its mother like a weaned child. I'm content Israel. Put your hope in the Lord both now and forever. CS Lewis said This Way Comes the very moment you wake up each morning all your wishes and hopes for the day Russia. You like wild animals and the first job each morning consistently of shoving them all back and listening to the other voice and taking that other point of you letting that other larger stronger quieter life come flowing in and so on all day standing back from all your natural scenes in Freddy's coming in out of the Wind.

Fell in that video earlier. We enter that literary Temple by the Bandit. Come on back up.

To be in God's presence to worship him to know him to respond to his presence. In fact, we're going to do that. Now as a band comes back up. We're going to respond to his goodness and again my info I said flat out in beginning we want to be taking up God on the invitation to be in his presence everyday. So let's do this as individual. I'm not going to mandate it. But I hope that every single one of you tomorrow morning. If you're not already wakes up and opens up the song and allows it to ooze out the emotions and feelings and frustrations you have but also that it would give you a world you have how you're going to see the rest of your day.

Last. And we're done. This is from athanasius. He's a fourth-century Egyptian Theologian and Bishop. He pointed out to the songs have unique place in the Bible. He said this most of the scripture speaks to us the Psalms speak for us the Psalms speak for us to go to songs and you're happy and everything seems right with you sing laments to God when your life seems to crumble. God hears your prayers, don't forget to thank him for his kindness. When you're frightened be encouraged by the Psalms of confidence and above all go to the Psalms to be honest with God.

Cigar thank you for this ancient prayer book. That is now our prayer book our handbook. Right now we want to respond to your goodness. Is it table Lord you invite us to this deep relationship? We do not need to be afraid of our actual thoughts and emotions and feelings. But instead we are invited in as children adopted by our God into this family with a spirit is leading us and we celebrate that now.