The Churchtown Weekly Thursday, June 20, 2024

Learn-Grow-Become-GO!
Shout it in the assembly.
Shout it to the world. (Psalm 40)

We will be embarking upon a journey through the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes over the next several weeks. Our journey will be interrupted by our Celebration Service NEXT Sunday, the 30th, and by a vacation day for your pastor July 13th.

Interestingly enough, we will begin our journey via two different passages of scripture. Today, we look at Psalm 39 and its relationship to what we call wisdom literature. Sunday, we will examine in depth passages from Provers chapters 1 and 2 for the same reasons.
There are commonly two sets of books that scholars will consider to be wisdom literature. The first set is Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Job. The second set also include Song of Songs, and the Psalms.
I tend to agree with the second set with the caveat that Song of Songs and Psalms are also rather unique in their own ways. Thus, we take a look at a Psalm today understanding that it is wisdom that laments the brevity of life and is embedded in beautiful poetry.

Let’s go through it together.

Before we get started in earnest, it is important to note two things about the wisdom literature embedded in scripture.
The first is that wisdom literature is not prophecy or the laws and mandates of Yahweh. A proverb promising prosperity, or a lament in Ecclesiastes professing the meaningless of life should never be considered commands, laws, or even promises of God. They are, in fact, how we humans interpret the fullness of life relative to what we know about God, man, and our relationship.

The second is that Biblical wisdom literature should never be taken out of its context and floated in a vacuum. What I mean by this is that when it comes to the wisdom books, they should be taken as a whole – with each of them complimenting the others. (For a simple example, think of how Ecclesiastes ‘balances out’ Proverbs)

Psalm 39 (BSB)
1I said, “I will watch my ways
so that I will not sin with my tongue;
I will guard my mouth with a muzzle
as long as the wicked are present.”

Why? Are we not called to be open with our faith and our faith practices? Yes…but…As we follow the tenant that “scripture informs scripture,” we are also taught to not cast our pearls before swine. Ecclesiastes 3 teaches us that there is a time for everything under the sun. It would seem by this opening passage that David does not believe this is the time to be evangelizing opening. He will guard his tongue as long as those who would take his words, twist them and use them against him, and possibly thus speaking lies about Yahweh, are around.
Sounds like wisdom in practice.

2I was speechless and still;
I remained silent, even from speaking good,
and my sorrow was stirred.
3My heart grew hot within me;
as I mused, the fire burned.
Then I spoke with my tongue:
4“Show me, O LORD, my end
and the measure of my days.
Let me know how fleeting my life is.
5You, indeed, have made my days as handbreadths,
and my lifetime as nothing before You.
Truly each man at his best
exists as but a breath.
Selah
6Surely every man goes about like a phantom;
surely he bustles in vain;
he heaps up riches
not knowing who will haul them away.
7And now, O Lord, for what do I wait?
My hope is in You.
8Deliver me from all my transgressions;
do not make me the reproach of fools.

This passage profoundly speaks to me for two reasons. The first is the consideration that David gives to the words he is about to say. Henri Nouwen speaks of what he calls, “the economy of words,” which, as you might guess, operates much as an economy of money – the more words that are in circulation, the less valuable they are. This is one of the most evident negative results of our modern information superhighway culture. Words are tossed around like they mean nothing and, shocking enough, pretty soon they don’t.
But not in this case with David. Not only will he wait until his enemies are far from him, but he will also wait until he has the correct words to say, or in this case, pray. Nouwen refers to these words as, “words born of silence.” I like that. It sounds very wise. It is something that I actually try to practice.
The second reason that this passage strikes me is the humble, contrite prayer that David pours forth. It is not a prayer to smite his enemies or wondering where God is; no, it is the prayer of a man facing his own mortality and wondering what will happen next. Daavid is honest in his realization that all of the material things he has acquired over his lifetime are about to be somebody else’s responsibility – they mean nothing to him now.
Anybody who has experienced the passing of a close relative understands exactly how this feels. The person may be literally on life support systems, but as long as they are still breathing, all of their material good belong to them. The moment they take their last breath, however, all of those material things are somebody else’s responsibility. It is a very strange thing indeed – and it is wise to consider all that we have now, how much it really means to us, and what will happen to it all after we take our last breath.
David is asking real life questions in real time (as this Psalm was being written) He is not questioning his faith or the reality of Yahweh and His power to save.
Re-read verse 7.

9I have become mute;
I do not open my mouth
because of what You have done.
10Remove Your scourge from me;
I am perishing by the force of Your hand.
11You discipline and correct a man for his iniquity,
consuming like a moth what he holds dear;
surely each man is but a vapor.

As we all know, reality can be harsh. These are not complaints; they are realities in which David is living. If you recall, God made David’s life harsh after David blatantly sinned against Him and lied about it. After the events with Bathsheba, Uriah, and Nathan, David lived under a “plague” imposed upon him by Yahweh. The weight was heavy and has taken its toll. David realizes that God’s correction is what saved him in the long run. Even after all that he endured as punishment, and it was much, David understands that Yahweh did it because Yahweh loves him and wants him to stay on the narrow path. This takes the words out of David’s mouth – what else is there to say? God is good. God is sovereign. God will make his own decisions regarding His image-bearers.
God is wise. God is, in fact, wisdom.

Selah
12Hear my prayer, O LORD,
and give ear to my cry for help;
do not be deaf to my weeping.
For I am a foreigner dwelling with You,
a stranger like all my fathers.
13Turn Your gaze away from me,
that I may again be cheered
before I depart and am no more.”

This is perhaps the most powerful realization that our self-centered, self-important, egotistical selves can come to realize… God is Holy.
We are indeed His special creation. We are, to be sure, His image-bearers; but we are also NOT Him. We are strangers, notice the wording of David, not TO you, but WITH you. We are different.
And what is the great temptation of the Satan? “Don’t you want to more like Yahweh?”
David is broken to the point that he realizes these Truths with great clarity, and they powerfully impact the end of his life.
Verse 13 chokes me up. David pleads with God to remove his correction for the last days of his life that he “may be cheered before I depart and am no more.” David would like to feel that presence and power of God as it was upon his anointing just once more before He dies. He knows that he has lived his life both in and out of God’s favor – but never losing sight of the Holy One whom he served.

If you may think that David somehow lost the faith or did not realize that it is the saving grace of Yahweh alone that redeems a human soul – read Psalm 40.

Side note: Throughout this psalm you have read the word, “Selah” in between segments of the passage. Selah is most commonly understood, rather vaguely, as a musical term used, of course, in ancient Hebrew poetry. Some of the most common theories on its exact meaning are:

Selah indicates a pause in the text.
Selah is a synonym of Hebrew words that mean “forever.”
Selah is a derivative of the Hebrew root salal (note the s and l), which means to “raise voices in praise” or “make the instruments louder.”
Selah is an acronym for a phrase in Numbers 14:19 , “Please forgive the sins of this people” (this option is found mainly in rabbinic tradition).
(information taken from LOGOS Bible Study Software, Bible Study magazine, “Word by Word”)

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BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!

You can now subscribe and listen to the

“Churchtown Podcast Network!”

Available on both Apple Podcasts and Spotify, just search “Turning on the Lights!” and “Churchtown Church of God Sermons” – subscribe and then leave a rating and a review! More folks will see it!

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*Audio and video are always posted on our YouTube channel @churchtownchurch (there are 1,100 videos there)

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Church Calendar

The Yard and Bake Sale is Saturday June 22!
Randy is back Saturday June 29th at 6pm.
Sunday the 30th is a FIFTH SUNDAY CELEBRATION!
SERVICE OF THE ORDINANCE DATES:
July 21
October 13th
November 27th – Thanksgiving Eve.

Remember, the single biggest reason given for why someone attends church for the first time is that a friend asked them!

As always, we continue in prayer for Churchtown, for our community, for the church universal, and for the lost everywhere.

God is good. God provides. Keep your eyes up and on the cross people.

Be well and do good, my friends. And, as always, Keep Looking Up! The lord comes!
REMEMBER THAT!

Opportunities!
We are always seeking individuals to be trained in technology. We would like to develop TEAMS that could rotate weekends.
There is always the opportunity to provide music – join up with the New Song Singers and / or talk to me about a special prelude or piece.

Gather-Grow-Become-Go

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Churchtown Church of God
Sunday, June 23, 2024

Welcome to Churchtown!
We are glad you are here!

 We will sing the prelude, “Sanctuary”

“Come Let Us Worship and Bow Down”

The Opening Word

Proverbs 1:20-33 (NLT)

“This Is the Air I Breathe”

74, “Majesty”

“Draw Me Close to You”

“I’ll Fly Away”

Our Time in the Word

Proverbs 2 (NLT)

247, “Spirit of the Living God” – a cappella

Our Time of Testimony and Prayer

“The Lord’s Prayer”

The Final Word: James 1:2-9 (NLT)

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As a “little” church, we are always asking the question, “What CAN we do?” Well, we can start by caring for the spiritual, emotional, and physical needs of each other.

We CAN serve the next person God places before us.
We CAN invite that person to church!
We CAN be intentional about going to church and strengthening ourselves and the body.
We CAN serve our community and show who Christ is to those who do not know Him.
We CAN PRAY, PRAY, PRAY – and we can REMAIN FATIHFUL!

I Love Being Your Pastor and Your Friend,

Brian