Atlanta Westside Presbyterian Church
Because Delight
The Once and Final King
Death and Praxis
His Hidden Hand
The Heavy Yoke
A Deconstructed Heart
Love and Litter
The Queen's Junket
The Politics of Power
por Walter Henegar
Psalm 18 is a picture of resurrection that finds fulfillment in Jesus. In particular:• God rescued David from death because he delighted in him. • God rescued Jesus from death because he supremely delighted in him. • God rescues all who are united to Jesus by faith – because he delights in you, too!When we understand this delight at the heart of God the father, it frees us up to delight right back in him, to fight the enemies of our soul with the same ferocity, and to delight in others the way he delights in us.
Psalm 72 offers a template for godly leadership, measured in terms of flourishing, compassion and worship. Solomon’s own record as a king was mixed, but Jesus’s record is perfect. Palm Sunday celebrates his triumphal entry into Jerusalem as our humble king, who is then crowned with thorns, lifted onto the cross, raised from the grave, and ascended to the right hand of the Father. This “coronation” of Jesus effects a seismic shift in God’s pattern of relating to the world: not through a human king of a single nation, but through the Spirit working in all of his people throughout the nations, as prophets priests and kings. With Jesus as our king, we are both liberated from ruling our own lives and also empowered to be princes and princes who reflect his character in the world.
The inevitability of death should change the way we live, but not in the predictable ways we might think. Three popular temptations are variations on the YOLO theme (You Only Live Once): YOLO nihilism, YOLO hedonism, and YOLO moralism. Ecclesiastes teaches instead that we always live before the face of God, whether alive or dead. This confidence in his character is what enables us to trust him as our Creator, Uncreator, and Recreator; as our Wise Shepherd and Just Lawgiver, as our Judge and Savior in the person of Jesus. With this trust in Jesus' finished work, we can enjoy God's gifts in this life, trust him through the trials of aging, and have firm hope in his promises of eternal life in his presence.
We can rest knowing that God's hidden hand is always at work in our work and in our relationships. It takes a lot out of us to do good work and to keep what we love safe. But it will only be worth the effort if we're trusting that our Heavenly Father is active all along the way, and it's not all up to us. And having your own family is a good thing, but it's not the best thing. The best thing is being God's beloved now and forever, which only comes by faith in Christ.
A yoke is a metaphor for shared labor and/or harsh oppression. The choices made by Rehoboam and Jeroboam illustrate how we all wear yokes, and every yoke is a heavy yoke, except Jesus’ yoke. As we consider the yokes of followership, of leadership, and ultimately of worship, it drives us away from idols toward Jesus, who bore the yoke of sin so that we might wear the yoke of salvation.
Solomon’s late-life turn illustrates some of the common dynamics in a recent phenomenon called deconstruction, where some Christians are re-evaluating, modifying, or in some cases rejecting their faith. Whether we are deconstructing or constructing faith, we all need to do "why work," asking at least three questions: 1. Where do I get my yardsticks?2. Whose opinion matters most to me?3. What is my deepest need?*If you’re not deconstructing, please don’t just forward this sermon to someone who is. Instead, consider using these questions to start a discussion.
One way of reading the Song of Songs is to see Solomon as a sad contrast to the simple monogamy of the young shepherd and shepherdess at the heart of the poem. In this contrast we find surprising strengths of marital intimacy, but without idealizing the many non-sexual "lanes" on which love travels for all people, whether single, married, divorced or widowed. Ultimately, Jesus is our Better King who loves us with deep wells of grace and equips us with fresh draughts of transforming power to love others well.
The Queen of Sheba experienced the wisdom of Solomon and saw through it to the goodness of God. This is the hope of every believer, but it is often hindered by two problems: broken mirrors and untested muscles. In the Gospel of Jesus, however, neither problem is insurmountable. Broken mirrors together can still reflect a flawed but faithful image of Jesus, and the muscles of faith in Christ can bear far more weight than we realize.
Power is the ability to influence reality, and everyone has it. While Solomon had more power than any of us today, each of us exercises multiple forms of power every day. Pete Scazzero names six of them: Positional, Personal, Representative (or "God factor" power in ministry), Projected, Relational and Cultural. Solomon exercises various forms of power in his relationships with Hiram and Pharaoh, in his administration of Israelite land and labor, and in his religious leadership. In each case, the person of Jesus shows us a better way: laying down our power in order to empower others.
1. Worry Can be a Good Emotion (v.34, Philippians 2:19-20, 2:28, 2 Corinthians 11:28, 1 Corinthians 12:25).2. Worry Can be A Troubling and Even Debilitating Emotion (vv. 25-33)3. How Can You Replace Anxiety with Peace? (vv. 25-33; Luke 12:32)