"The king rejoices in your strength, Lord. How great is his joy in the victories you give! You have granted him the desire of his heart, and not withheld the request of his lips" (Psalm 21:1-2).

Psalm 21 is obviously a song of victory. It is not difficult to imagine the people of Israel singing these words as David returned victorious from battle. The day is perfect for Israel: king and people are following the Lord and rejoicing in his blessings of victory.

Notice how the victory clearly belongs to God alone. It was asked for by the king; it was a desire of his heart. But the song recognizes that only God is responsible for the defeat of the enemy. The psalm exudes trust and confidence in God.

Notice also that the enemies haven't got a chance. The singers are totally convinced that they are goners. None who oppose God can survive. While the enemies wither away, the king's days are lengthened, even, for ever and ever.

Of course, David did not live forever. Peter says on the first Pentecost that David's tomb is there for all to see. This phrase in verse 4 is likely a reference to the promise that David will have a descendent on Israel's throne forever.

From this perspective, Psalm 21 is about more than David coming home victorious from battle. It is filled with notes that resound with Easter. It's a psalm for Christians to pray on that festival, and even every Sunday. We worship corporately on the first day of the week because Jesus' resurrection is central to our faith, hope, and love.

It is reasonable to think that this psalm sustained Jesus on his journey to Jerusalem and the cross. Perhaps he meditated on these words as he spoke of being delivered over into the hands of sinful men. Even as he carried the weight of the sin of the world, he trusted in the steadfast love of God to raise him up in power three days later.

It is not at all difficult to hear the ascended and exalted Christ praising his Father on the other side of the empty tomb, "He asked life of you; you gave it to him, length of days forever and ever."

After passing through death on behalf of his siblings, Jesus was met with rich blessings, greeted by throngs of worshipping angels, crowned with glory and honour because of the suffering of death (Hebrews 2:9). This is a psalm for a vindicated Messiah.

What does it mean for us? We have confidence today because Christ has prayed for us that all those whom the Father had given to him "may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me" (John 17:24). We know that God will give the Messiah his heart's desires and will not withhold the request of his lips. Therefore, we live in the hope that we will share in the glories of Christ's victory. God's children do experience suffering in this life. But we suffer patiently and with hope, confident that God's victory has been secured by Jesus' resurrection.

Furthermore, God has made us "most blessed forever," giving us every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as we were chosen in him before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:3,4). Or as a paraphrase reads, "Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love" (MSG). Even as we struggle in this life, God is at work in us accomplishing his purposes. This psalm shores up our faith when it wavers.

As you journey on into the week ahead, go with the blessing of God:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.

Love must be sincere…Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited (Romans 12:16).

A student, having tea with her teacher, said, "I've learned all you have to teach me, except one thing. Please teach me about the ways of God."

Taking the pot, the teacher poured tea into the student's cup. The cup filled and the tea spilled onto the saucer. The master poured until the tea spilled over the saucer and onto the floor.

The student finally said, "Stop, stop, the tea is spilling over. The cup can't take any more." The teacher then looked at the student and said, "You are so full of yourself that there is no room in your life for God. It is not possible for you to learn the ways of God until you learn to empty yourself."

In laying out the groundwork for Christinas to get along with outsiders and each other, Paul indicates two essentials for living in harmony, illustrated by the story of the teacup.

Being conceited—full of oneself--is the first. Conceit can come from opposing directions. We may think so highly of our own ideas and abilities that we don't have time for anyone else. Or conceit may come from a place of insecurity. We dominate conversations to boost our self esteem. Either way, we have little room for other people and their ideas and abilities. Filled with conceit, we don't listen to others and get angry when we our desires are impeded.

The way forward is to close our mouths and open our ears. We are to come with open minds, eagerly listening to others and weighing their insights. Humility seeks to understand before being understood. It prefers to communicate rather than do battle with words.

The second matter Paul raises here is similar, "do not be proud." But here he speaks about our associates. We tend to connect with people like ourselves. But Christians are called to associate with all, especially with those who may be less important, as measured by our cultural standards.

To attain harmony, we must reject the temptation to think high thoughts about ourselves, as though we are a superior breed of Christian. There must be no perches of isolation but rather mingling with people of lower position.

Jesus climbed down from His heavenly place to suffer the humiliating death of a criminal…for us (Philippians 2:1-11). We are to do like wise; but there is a caveat. Its easy for us to help others from an attitude of superiority. True harmony happens when we all see each other as equal, equally valuable and equally gifted. The renewed mind of the Christian that has learned to love, truly sees no distinctions between people. This love distinguished the church from the world.

As you journey on, go with these words:

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Our scripture is from Matthew 9:37-38:

Then [Jesus] said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."

Life can feel like a hamster wheel of daily demands: work, school, relationships, home and church. Is it possible that these daily rhythms as moments filled with possibility for God's mission?

Our text is often understood as a call to action. Christians should get out there and do something for the Great Commission – serve in the church, go on a mission trip, help the homeless. That is not all wrong, but it is not the essence of the matter. There is also this: God is Lord of the harvest.

This has implications: the mission of God is not ours to initiate, carry or fulfil. It belongs to Him. Further, it implies that God is at work all around us. He is already lovingly and persistently drawing people to Himself. He is doing that in the places we frequent regularly – work, school, coffee shop. Are we paying attention?

Many of us partition our lives into two halves. We do the spiritual stuff: go to church, have devotions, attend Bible study. And we have the rest of life: laundry, work, volunteering, studying. What happens if we take the dividing wall away? What if we see the ordinary stuff of life filed with the divine? What if the harvest is right here—the people we spend our days working, studying, playing with?

If God is present everywhere and if the harvest belongs to God, then we must believe that he is with those people we encounter daily. There is really no such thing as church missions. There is only one mission—God's mission. We either join with God in his redemptive work or we don't. Mission isn't something we create or carry alone. It begins with God, and he's at work all around us, even when we're not aware of it.

There is a popular missional phrase, "You don't need to bring Jesus into your workplace – He's already there." The harvest is already plentiful, not in some faraway place, but right now in our neighbourhoods, our workplaces, the stores we frequent. And Jesus is the Lord of it.

Let's ask Jesus to open our eyes to see the harvest. Let's ask him to open our ears to hear the spiritual questions people are asking. Let's ask him to help us join in the conversations that are already happening. Let's ask that he gives us confidence to participate in the harvest, remembering that we are not responsible for it.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

Wherever God takes you today, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.

We had a guest preacher today at Immanuel. There is no podcast available.

Our Scripture is Exodus 12:38:

A mixed multitude also went up with [the Israelites], and flocks and herds—a very large number of cattle (NET).

Israel's Egyptian experience began with this, "They set a place for [Joseph], a separate place for his brothers, and another for the Egyptians who were eating with him. (The Egyptians cannot eat with Hebrews, for the Egyptians think it is disgusting to do so) (Genesis 43:32 NET).

Racism! That is how the Israelites were received in Egypt. They were not to tell Pharaoh that they were shepherds because such an occupation was detestable there (46:34). Eventually, they became slaves. Egyptian disgust of the Israelites gave way to attempted genocide.

So, when Israel leaves Egypt, we read that 'a mixed multitude' left with them. The NET footnote explains, "The "mixed multitude" refers to a great "swarm" of folk who joined the Israelites, people who were impressed by the defeat of Egypt, who came to faith, or who just wanted to escape Egypt (maybe slaves or descendants of the Hyksos).

We are allowed to wonder how the Israelites would treat these folks, later referred to as rabble (Numbers 11:4). Would the Israelites now act like the Egyptians? Would they treat the 'mixed multitude' like Egypt treated them?

All these people are gathered at Mount Sinai when the Lord gives his commandments forming them into his people. Included is this instruction regarding the Sabbath day, "On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns" (Exodus 20:10). They were all equal before God. They were all given time to rest – to be human – to take joy in life and the gracious gifts of God. Israel was not to be Egypt.

The wonder of the people of God in the Old Testament is the marvel of transformation whereby "not a people" became "God's people" (see 1 Peter 2:10), Jews and Gentiles. In Revelation, there is a great multitude gathered around God's throne, a multitude from every nation (7:9). The gathering of this crowd begins with Sabbath.

The Heidelberg Catechism offers this explanation of the Sabbath law, "that every day of my life I rest from my evil ways, let the Lord work in me through his Spirit, and so begin already in this life the eternal Sabbath". Surely, racism is one of the evil ways we must put aside.

When you gather with your Christian community is there evidence of this crowd? What attitudes do you hold that keep your community uniform? Let's allow the Spirit to probe our attitudes about other people so that we can set aside any pride that gives us superior attitudes "and so begin already in this life the eternal Sabbath".

As you journey on, hear Jesus' invitation:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).

Our text is Romans 12:15:

Love must be sincere…Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.

One of my professors warned, "There will be days when you do a funeral in the morning and a wedding in the afternoon. You will need to weep in the morning and rejoice in the afternoon. Your tears and your joy better be sincere." That advice comes directly from our text for today. Paul is laying out different shades of Christian love which is not rooted in feelings but in a decision of the mind to behave in certain ways.

Empathy is "the ability to understand and share the feelings of another." Sympathy, the capacity to share in another's pain or sorrow, is one side of empathy. To rejoice when another rejoices is the other side. This, I think, is the more difficult aspect. Think about it -- to rejoice with people who are rejoicing, even if we do not feel like it. Your loved one is dying of cancer, and someone else's is healed. And you rejoice with them. That's Spirit stuff.

We are equipped with a great capacity for giving and receiving love. Even the hardest heart melts before the innocent smile of a child or the antics of puppies. Yet these two sides of empathy are often locked up in the confines of selfishness. This may be because genuine, loving, empathetic involvement is debilitating and costly. To weep when you are more interested in having fun or to appreciate another's gain when you are suffering loss is hard, but necessary. Doing so helps us overcome our selfishness; it is an act of selflessness; it is sincere love.

The problem with this rejoicing is that someone else's success often arouses jealousy and envy in our hearts. Jealousy and envy, hatred and malice are our native bents. When we can truly rejoice with someone's success without envying them, we are demonstrating a transformed mind (12:2).

Not envying those that prosper but rejoicing with them, being truly glad that others have the success and comfort which we do not, and not despising those that are in trouble, but being concerned for them, and ready to help them: this is to do as God does. He delights in the prosperity of his servants (Ps. 35:27) and is likewise distressed in their distress (Isa. 63:9).

Where there is a mutual love between the members of the church, there will be such empathy. True love will interest us in the sorrows and joys of one another and teach us to make them our own.

But how do we get there? Philippians holds a key, "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength" (Phil. 4:12, 13).

When we learn to be content with out lot in life, because we trust God, then we can be an empathetic community.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Our scripture is from Colossians 3:12-14:

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience…Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."

When are we involved in God's mission?

Christians often think that only activity connected to the church is involved in God's work. The implication is that God is not interested in our daily lives. But this is far from the truth. In the beginning, we were made to be involved in the development of creation, in other words, to work it. That design has never been revoked. Despite human rebellion and sin's negative effect on our daily lives, Christians participate in God's grand mission of redemption as we live out our daily lives.

When we praise God by the excellence of our work, we are exercising our proper vocation. We are serving God in the way he called us to serve him. Church work is not more spiritual or more in tune with the mission of God than carrying out our daily tasks. Our main purpose in life is not to serve the church, but to serve God; sometimes we serve God by serving the church.

Our gathering for corporate worship is not separate from our work. The common prayer that we can lay aside the distractions of the week to focus on God is misplaced. God does not want us to ignore our lives when we worship. He desires that we bring all of that in with us. He wants to hear our thanksgiving for the good things we have encountered. He wants to hear the confession of words spoken and of actions that harmed him or a human or anything else he created. He wants to touch us in our brokenness and pain. He wants to hear our prayers for the grace to forgive, for strength to resist temptation, for patience for that difficult person, for wisdom for that complicated problem.

Christian, you are on the leading edge of God's mission of redemption as you live in retirement, as you inhabit your situation for earning an income, as you live together as a family. The Holy Spirit is present with you always, nudging you towards the way of Jesus' kingdom, so that you embody love's kaleidoscope: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, a capacity to forgive.

The mission of God includes the renewal, restoration and reformation of all things (Colossians 1:19-20). Vocations in business, medicine, poetry, engineering, counselling, chemistry, marketing, construction, and finance all have a role to play in Christ's cosmic work of reconciling all things. As you live this week, gather a basket full of things you will bring with you the next time you gather with God's worshipping community.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

Wherever God takes you today, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Acts 1:1-11. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!

To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca

Dive In

1. Take a stab at defining Christian communal identity.
2. What comes to mind when you hear the words 'mission' and 'missionary'? How should we understand it?
3. The disciples ask Jesus about the kingdom. How does he shift their focus?
4. Four responses to the Holy Spirit were mentioned: which one comes easiest to you, which is the most difficult? How will you respond to the Spirit this week? Pay attention to the way the Spirit is moving in your life.
5. What does it mean to be a witness to Jesus? What should the church be devoted to?