Tag: Psalm 24

September 27th 2024: Harvest Service Martin Williams

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Psalm 24

This is a psalm of David. Most people believe the psalm was written when David brought the Ark to Jerusalem. This song begins and ends with a harvest theme. It is a psalm that points us to the Lord Jesus Christ. We are going to focus on 4 points:

  1. God owns this world.

The earth is the Lord‘s and the fullness thereof,
    the world and those who dwell therein,
2 for he has founded it upon the seas
    and established it upon the rivers.

This world and everything in it is all owned by God. This is because He created it. We have a God who created all. We are not here to celebrate by accident; the seasons are a result of an almighty, all gracious God, the one true living God. These two verses teach that the world is created by God’s handiwork. All things were created by Him. The New Testament reminds us in John chapter 1, “All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.” We also read in Colossians 1, “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.”

It is wonderful to remember we live in a world created by God and sustained by God. What an almighty God we have, an all-wise God, to create such complexity. He must be a beautiful God. We live in a fallen, cursed world. But even then, we can see such beauty, especially as we look around the Pembrokeshire landscapes. He is worthy to be worshipped. It was for His pleasure all things were created (Revelation 4).

  • The Psalmist then asks, ‘Who may come before this God?’

    “Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
        And who shall stand in his holy place?
    4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
        who does not lift up his soul to what is false
        and does not swear deceitfully.
    5 He will receive blessing from the Lord
        and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
    6 Such is the generation of those who seek him,
        who seek the face of the God of Jacob.    ”

It is one of the most important questions any of us can ask. How may I draw near to this God and know Him?

“Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
    And who shall stand in his holy place?

Why is that place called a holy place? Because God dwells there! God is a God of absolute, inflexible holiness. God is light, in Him is no darkness. Our God is an all-consuming fire. That describes His holiness. If a sinner stood before Him, His holiness would consume us. Who will stand in this holy place? We are told exactly who can come,

“He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
    who does not lift up his soul to what is false
    and does not swear deceitfully.”

God will accept those with clean hands which show outward action, outward life – a life where there is no sinful action whatsoever. But we have stained hands. Outwardly, we have not lived a life in conformity to Lord God. We don’t have a wholehearted obedience. We don’t have clean hands by nature.

But it goes deeper – “He who has a pure heart.” Our God is a God who looks upon the heart (1 Samuel 16). Our hearts by nature are sinful, vile, evil. God requires truth, “He who has not lifted up his soul to an idol.” Lifting up your soul is to trust in God, but we have lifted up our souls to false gods and idols. What occupies your thoughts? What brings you the greatest joy? Is it family, work, your bank balance, your reputation? That is lifting up your heart to vanity. God requires you to worship Him and Him alone. We come to the conclusion, none of us could stand before this God in and of ourselves.

  • The Lord Jesus Christ is able to bring us to God.
    “He will receive blessing from the Lord
        and righteousness from the God of his salvation.”     (v.5).

‘He.’ There is only One who could do this. None of us could, but there is one – the Lord Jesus Christ. God’s Son came into this world and said, “I delight to do the will of God.” Look at His life and see a life of sinless perfection. Here is a man with clean hands and a pure heart. He is one who completely and wholly kept the word of God. Even His enemies spoke of Him in this way.

The remarkable truth is when Jesus Christ honoured God’s law, He honoured it for you and me, in our place. In His life and death, He died as our representative. When He was in this world, as He rendered to the Father in wholehearted obedience, He was earning righteousness for all those who believe in Him.

We have broken the law, “The wages of sin is death.” The Lord Jesus Christ, upon Calvary’s cross, honoured to the law in another way. In His death He honours the law by bearing it’s just penalty for those who have broken it. He bore our curse, our debt, the judgement of God. On Calvary’s cross the Lord Jesus Christ endured the fire of God’s holiness. When Moses stood before the burning Bush he was not consumed. On the cross of Calvary, Jesus Christ was our burning bush, raging in His holy soul. Yet, He was not consumed. In His Life and in His death, He honours the Lord God for you and me.

When we come and wholly trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, we receive pardon for our sins. God cannot demand twice. The great transaction is done. We are then clothed in righteousness divine. God sees my sin has been pardoned. He sees me righteous as Jesus is, pure as Jesus is. The robe covers me completely. God sees me in Christ, righteous. In that way, I can approach God – something no Jew could do in the Old Testament, let alone the high priest once a year. But we can enter into the holiest through the Lord Jesus Christ – not once a year but every day. By myself, I cannot stand before God, but through Christ Jesus I can.

  • The triumph of all in Christ.

“Lift up your heads, O gates!
    And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
    that the King of glory may come in.
8 Who is this King of glory?
    The Lord, strong and mighty,
    the Lord, mighty in battle!
9 Lift up your heads, O gates!
    And lift them up, O ancient doors,
    that the King of glory may come in.
10 Who is this King of glory?
    The Lord of hosts,
    he is the King of glory!” Selah

We see in these final verses the entrance of Christ into heaven. The cry goes out twice. This tells us the everlasting doors will open for Christ twice. The first time has already happened,

“Who is this King of glory?
    The Lord, strong and mighty,
    the Lord, mighty in battle!”

This took place at the Ascension. The one who has gained a victory, triumphed in the battle. A mighty battle was fought at Calvary and He gained the victory. Now the triumph begins. The King of glory returns. He comes to reign, to intercede for His people.

But then in verses 9 to 10 we read of the ‘Lord of hosts,’ the Lord with a vast army coming in His train. When will this happen? There is a day coming when our Lord shall descend, when He will come for His people. He will come to bring them home – a harvest reaped (1 Thessalonians 4).

There is a day coming when they will be a shout from heaven. The king of glory is coming with a vast host of people, so numerous no man can count them. They will come in triumph. He will be bringing His harvest home. Will you be among that throng? Will you be there? I pray that each and every one will be. But if you are not sure, if you haven’t got clean hands and a pure heart, if you haven’t truly trusted in Jesus Christ, what do you need to do? My friends, simply this – turn your eyes upon Jesus and look full in His wonderful face. Turn from the life you are living and turn and trust in Him. Trust in Him alone.

Our Lord does not play hide and seek. He is freely available. If you want Christ, you can have Him, no matter how young or old you are. You can know the certainty you will be among the harvest on that great last day.

April 9th 2023: Easter Sunday – Gaius Douglas

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Luke 24:1-12

We are raised with Him! Death is dead! Love has won! Christ has conquered! It’s a wonderful thing when we read the Bible; we learn the beginning and the end of the world. This book thrills our hearts when we read it. The more we read, the more we know about the One who is on high.

“Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee,” (Luke 24:5-6). I read from Psalm 24, a wonderful chapter which speaks about the One. David wrote a little bit about himself but also about someone else. Throughout the Bible we can see writers God would use to write about someone else – about the future. When we read it we need to see the current situation but also look ahead.

“Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?
Or who may stand in His holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol,
Nor sworn deceitfully.”

Psalm 24: 3-4

When we read the Bible we need to be looking at what the writer says about the current situation, but also looking ahead, to the future. In the above verses from Psalm 24 we read, ‘Who may ascend into the of the Lord?’ The writer speaks about someone who would come – none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. Just think about the different hills He would climb when He came into this world, when He walked this life. He had to climb up a hill of the religious authorities, the arrogant people, the obstinate people, the people who hated Him. Finally, He ascended the hill called Calvary, where He laid down His life for you and for me.

He ascended many hills. Why was He able to do that? Because He had ‘clean hands and a pure heart.’ He did not bow down to idols. He ascended that hill, He died, He gave His life for you and for me. He is no longer dead, no longer buried. He is alive! He had to destroy death in order that he would rise in victory. 2 Corinthians 5:21 confirms the same thought, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” He was the only man who ever walked this Earth who was able to do that.

A perfect path of purest grace,
Unblemished and complete,
Was Thine, Thou spotless Nazarite,
Pure, even to the feet.

Wylie McLeod

It’s wonderful, as we celebrate today and everyday of our lives. He is ascended to God, awaiting that day when we’ll come again and receive us to Himself. That is our home, where we’ll one day be because we are raised with Him. We are celebrating a risen Saviour! Even now, in our current situation, we are raised with Him. We should be living with Him. “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)

Today, there are those who would say that they are Christians. They may be found in churches and chapels, but they deny that Christ ever rose from the dead. This is nothing new. The Sadducees didn’t believe in the resurrection of the dead. This is what the writer of Corinthians says, “But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. 14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. 15 Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. 16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. 17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!”   (1 Corinthians 15:13-17). If you don’t believe the Lord Jesus Christ has risen from the dead, you are a miserable person. That is what the Bible says.

Those of us who have trusted Him as our Saviour are not just living for this life, we are raised with Him. Christ died for our sins. He was buried and rose again. Because He lives, we should be the happiest people. The Resurrection confirmed that Jesus Christ is Lord, the Son of God. In Acts 2 Peter preached the first gospel message – Christ died for our sins, He bore our own sins. By rising from the dead, we have the proof that He is victorious over death. We see the physical demonstration of God’s power over death, over sin, over Satan.

“Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.” (John 10:17-18). The power that has saved you and me, given you life, comes from God Himself. Christ has risen! God’s power is over everything, including death.

“Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but is risen! (Luke 24: 5b-6a). The scriptures are the infallible word of God, inspired by God. We must believe them. If people who struggle to appreciate Christ see us doubting the word of God, doubting the fact that He is risen from the dead, living as if our life is for this world only, then what are we preaching, what are we teaching, what are we living?

The purpose of the Resurrection is the power over sin and death. The women who followed Jesus Christ cared for Him; the fed and made sure He never went hungry. They went to take spices to embalm His body. The tomb was empty. Today, in Israel, there will be thousands of people visiting a tomb. The tomb is empty! That is evidence that Christ is not there. The angel asked the women, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?” How often we forget what God has said in His word. We forget His promises. The women were so distressed. The religious people knew Jesus had said He would rise again, so they made sure the tomb was sealed. Imagine these women running to tell Peter and them all that Jesus is risen! The dour men thought it was women’s gossip. They did not believe.

Later, we read of two travelling on the Emmaus Road who were sad. Jesus joined them but they did not recognise Him. He took them back into the scriptures. I wonder if He took them back to Psalm 24? He spoke to them. They invited Him into their home. They said, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32). Wow! This is exciting. Seven miles, in the dark, on the road to Emmaus, they would run back to Jerusalem to tell the others Christ has risen, risen from the dead. This is proof of the Resurrection.

One of the truths of the Resurrection is the transformation that took place in the life of the disciples and of us today. Are you living? Are you alive? “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”  (Ephesians 2:4-7)

You are sitting today in Penuel Chapel, but you are also alive in glory. We are raised with Him. We are a testimony of His grace and favour to us. Do we appreciate who we are in Christ? He has resurrected us. The Resurrection power is what has occurred in your life and my life. We were dead in trespasses, in sins. We are raised with Him! He has destroyed the power of Satan. In Christ, God sees us sitting in heavenly places, raised with Him. If that doesn’t excite you, nothing will! We are raised with Him. Wow!

The Lord Jesus Christ travelled to Bethany because He was told his friend Lazarus was dead. The disciples said, ‘When you heard he wasn’t well you didn’t go, but now he’s dead you’re going.’ He met Martha, who was very sad and said, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” (John 11:21-22). Jesus replied by saying, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26). Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Do you believe it? We are raised with Him. Oh, my friends, if only we can grasp that today.

 “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.” (Revelation 1:18). Wow! He is alive and we are raised with Him. If that doesn’t move your heart, nothing will. Knowing Christ is one thing, but living in the power of an endless life, living in Him, relying on Him, living in Him – amazing!  

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:1-3).

Are you ready to go with Him? He may come today.

January 16th 2022: John Funnell

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Psalm 24: The Aseity of God

Not many have heard of the term, ‘the aseity of God’ but it is so important for Christians to know. All the other attributes of God link together in His character that is described as aseity. Aseity is where all of God’s attributes are one.

Aseity comes from the Latin ‘a’ which means ‘from’ and ‘se’ which means ‘self.’ So ‘aseity’ means ‘from self.’ Aseity is the property of a being that can only exist in and of itself – a being that has no dependence, just is and always has been.

Who hear has heard the term ‘science has disproved God?’ That is actually rubbish. The natural sciences actually prove the aseity of God. The natural sciences prove that the aseity of God cannot exist within creation.

In this natural material system that we live in, every cause must have an effect. Everything is inter-related, reliant, and dependent on everything else. We live today because of the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat. We are dependent on these other things. All the scientific evidence suggests there is something that exists outside, or independent of this closed, natural material system we live in – something that is and always has been. This is because we know that the material universe, that works from cause and effect, cause and effect, could not have caused itself to be. Nowhere in science has it ever been proven that nothing can create something. To be able to exist, the universe itself must have had a first cause, an ultimate first cause that exists in and of itself, outside of this closed material system.

In 1925 Edwin Hubble discovered that the material universe has expanded. That proves that everything came from a singular point, known as the singularity. So, what was outside of the singularity that caused the singularity to be? It has to be something that exists in and of itself. It has to be something that has no cause, just is and always was. So, Hubble proved it.

The Second Law of Thermodynamics says that the universe is winding down, that energy is dissipating. So there had to be something that existed before the universe that wound it up. What could have wound it up? Well, it had to be something that can exist outside of this system that can exist in and of itself, that has no cause – just is and always has been. It’s a thermodynamics boost.

Albert Einstein’s Theory of Relativity proves that time, space and matter are co-related; one cannot exist without the other. If you have matter and no time, when would you put the matter? And if you had no space, where would you put it? You need all three. They must all coexist and must come to a single external point of dependence, which again has to be something which exists outside of this system, that can exist in and of itself, that has no cause, just is and always has been.

So, a first cause that is outside of time has to be eternal. A first cause outside of space has to be omnipresent. A first cause that is powerful enough to create everything has to be omnipotent. A first cause that can exist in and of itself, outside of the universe, outside of the time, space and matter that it created, who is not reliant on anyone or anything else, just simply is. Let me introduce you to the God of the Bible.

The Bible is the only worldview that stands for the scientific rigour of creation. Isn’t it wonderful, as Christians, we can refer to this first cause not as a something, not as an it, but as someone, a real person, who in Christ Jesus, we can call out, ‘Abba, Father.’ Isn’t that amazing!

Aseity is an attribute of God that encompasses all of His actions. That means God exists in and of Himself. He is eternal life. He is eternal goodness. He is eternal love. He is totally content, totally fulfilled, totally happy in every way, in and of Himself. He is the great ‘I am.’

To understand how this is possible, we need to consider for a moment God’s being. God is a very different type of being than anything we know or comprehend. Firstly, He is totally holy, which essentially means separate. He is separate from creation, and He is totally self-sustaining.

He is one in being, but three persons: Father, Son and Holy Ghost – the Trinity. How is this? A being is what you are, a person is who you are. What I am is a human being. Who I am is John Funnell. I have an earthly hero, a gentleman called Dietrich Bonhoeffer – the first Christian, an evangelical Christian, to stand up to Hitler. I look up to him, what he suffered for the truth, how he made a stand against the evil of fascism. Hitler hated him and personally signed his death warrant two weeks before the end of the war. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a much better person than me in every way; he was far more intelligent, he was far stronger, far more steadfast, far more influential than I would ever be. As a person I look up to Him. He was better than me in every way imaginable. No matter how much better a person he is than me, he could never be more human than me; we are both equally human beings.

In the same way, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost are equal in being but different in person. They have different roles. The Father is greater in roles than the Son, but no greater than being. Both are equal. And as a being, the three persons, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost, are totally self-sufficient between the three of them. That’s aseity.

Out of this co-existing oneness, out of this eternal love and life that they share, creation was birthed. Time, space and matter, you and me, Penuel, Roch, Pembrokeshire, Wales, this world, came to be out of this life. Isn’t that amazing!

God’s aseity is everywhere in scripture. We see it right in the beginning. Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning, God.” We see Creator, owner, ruler, sovereign over all things.

“The earth is the Lord‘s and the fullness thereof,
    the world and those who dwell therein,
for he has founded it upon the seas
    and established it upon the rivers.”
Psalm 24:1-2

Abraham entered a covenant with an independent God who was outside our natural material system, yet had the power to remove Abraham’s enemies, and guarantee a Saviour from his seed.

In 1 Kings 8:27, King Solomon said at the dedication of the temple, “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built!”

Acts 17, Paul is in Athens and he states to the philosophers that God cannot live in temples made by man, neither can He be served by human hands.

When God came into His creation, Emmanuel, Jesus, He was incarnate. To be incarnate means that he would have had to come in from the outside.

The aseity of God is an all-important attribute for Christians to know, as it ties together all other attributes we know of God. God is utterly independent of us. He is utterly self-sustaining. He is sovereign. He is Lord of all. He is all-powerful and eternally loving, holy, holy, holy, absolute truth, unchanging God.

He does not possess the truth or know the truth or speak the truth – He is the truth.

“Whom did he consult,
    and who made him understand?
Who taught him the path of justice,
    and taught him knowledge,
    and showed him the way of understanding?”
Isaiah 40:14

Who can teach God anything? He is utterly self-sufficient. He is life. He is the source and sustainer. He is the Creator, not the creature. He is the ultimate standard. He is the measure to judge all things because only He is totally independent of all things because of His aseity.

The key message of God’s aseity is that because of His aseity, His utter independence, God doesn’t need you. God doesn’t need your prayers, your worship, your gifts, your service. He doesn’t need anything. “And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.” (Matthew 3:9). We can be replaced right now. He doesn’t need me. He is totally and utterly independent of everything. This is truly amazing! This means that everything we have from God, every breathe we take, every small revelation we have of who He is through His word, His word itself, every drawing of our heart to call on Him and worship Him, every prayer we make, is all a gift from Him, because He doesn’t need us. It is all grace. Isn’t that fantastic?

Friends, God does not need us. God does not need me. It makes the fact that He has chosen us in all our brokenness to serve Him for His glory, so much better. A god who needs my skills is no god at all. A god who needs my love and favour is not a god I want to worship. A god who gives to me, to receive from me, is no god at all.

But an all-powerful, all-knowing, totally self-sufficient God who needs nothing, absolutely nothing from any of us, yet invites us all in, and gives us the opportunity to serve Him is magnificent. Shouldn’t that motivate us to serve Him every day? A God who could destroy us all in a second for our failure, yet a God who sends His only begotten Son to die for our sin and redeem us whilst we were still His enemies, is a God worthy of worship. Surely a God worthy of our service – not because He needs it but simply because of His grace. By His grace He has allowed me to come here today and I thank Him for that. Amen.