A very smelly Christmas (Mark 14:1-11)

To some it is the king of fruits. To others it is the world’s smelliest fruit. I am describing, of course, the durian. Smelling like gym socks yet tasting like custard, the durian is a fruit you completely love or absolutely loathe. Mmm, durian.

Imagine durian for Christmas. Instead of a tree, a durian. Instead of roast turkey, a durian. Instead of a present, a durian. Your family will disown you. Your neighbours will call the police on you.

Extreme reactions. That is the theme of today’s passage from Mark Chapter 14 - extreme reactions or responses to Jesus Christ. One of hatred and murder. But the other of love and worship. And the question is: Pushed to the extreme, what is your response to Jesus? What is your extreme reaction to Christ?

Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him. “But not during the Feast,” they said, “or the people may riot.”

Mark 14:1-2

The passage begins (and ends) with murder - with the religious leaders scratching their heads thinking of a way to kill Jesus. And it’s tempting to say, “It’s just those extremists.” Or, “Let’s skip this bit,” but we lose something if we do. Mark wants us to compare the religious leaders with this anonymous lady. To compare their reaction with hers.

It’s not as simple as saying one is bad and the other is good. Look at verse 1 and notice how secretive they are. “They were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus.” Verse 2, “Not during the Feast,” they said. Why? Because the people would riot. Because there were too many witnesses. This was a business meeting. They wanted to kill Jesus - to commit murder, yes - but to do it in such a way that they still looked respectable, that they still maintained control.

But then comes this woman who does something so public, so embarrassing yet so full of love.

While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.

Mark 14:3

She has no words, no name, she probably has no invitation. But Mark tells us that the jar was made of alabaster. The perfume was made of pure nard. That was the centre of attention. This rare, expensive jar of perfume which was broken, which was poured out on Jesus’ head. In John’s gospel, he writes, “The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume” (John 12:3). Everyone could smell the extravagance of this act of worship.

Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages (three hundred denarii) and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.

Mark 14:4

A very Asian thing to do when we see a friend with a new phone or a new toy is ask, “Eh, how much?” As Asians, we measure everything in dollar signs. That’s how much something is worth - my clothes, my car. That’s how much I am worth - my salary, my Christmas present that my loved one gave to me. It’s interesting how they knew how much that jar of perfume cost. Three hundred denarii. What a waste - not of perfume - but a waste of money. Three hundred denarii poured down the drain.

Three hundred denarii in today’s money is twenty thousand pounds. “We could have given twenty thousand pounds to the poor.” That’s what they were saying. “We could hire a new pastor.” “We can renovate the church centre.” We can do so many things with twenty thousand pounds. But what you do not do with twenty thousand pounds is buy one gigantic bottle of Chanel Number 5 and pour it out on your pastor’s head. What a waste!

So they scolded her, “Silly girl.” But what does Jesus say? “She has done a beautiful thing to me.”

“Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me.”

Mark 14:6-7

It’s strange. When Jesus says, “The poor you will always have with you… but you will not always have me,” it almost sounds wrong. Is Jesus saying he is more important than the poor?

Well, remembering their objections in verse 5, “This money could have been given to the poor,” Jesus is quoting an Old Testament passage back at them - back at the bullies - about the importance of helping the poor. Hopefully, when I read it, you will see the connection. This is Deuteronomy 15, verse 11.

There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be open-handed towards your brothers and towards the poor and needy in your land.

Deuteronomy 15:11

Jesus says there will always be poor among us - there will always be this problem of poverty in this world - but then quotes a verse that says this is why we should be generous. To be open-handed with the poor. Now, that same chapter in Deuteronomy also has this to say about the poor.

However, there should be no poor among you, for in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance, he will richly bless you.

Deuteronomy 15:4

It sounds like a contradiction: There should be no poor (verse 4) and yet the poor you will always have with you (verse 11). How can that be? The reason for the poor is not lack of money, not lack of blessing, not lack of food - no, after all, God says he will richly bless the land he has given them as his people. Yet even in this special land he has given to his people overflowing with his blessing, God has to give the command to be open-handed. Why? Because we forget. We need to be reminded not to hold onto God’s blessing with closed fists. Be open-handed, God says. Be generous.

Do you see what Jesus is saying? Some of us think, “If only I had twenty thousand pounds, wow, I will donate all that money to the poor.” You know you won’t. You will be thinking, “I need twenty thousand more.” But what has this woman done? She poured out everything she had, emptied everything she owned in one single act of abandonment, one single act of worship. Notice, Jesus says, in verse 8, “She did what she could.” Meaning if she had two bottle of perfume, she would break both bottles on Jesus’ head. Well, not quite. What it means is, in her eyes, this was nothing. She didn’t think she was rich. She didn’t wait until she was rich. We give out of our excess, our spare change, but this woman she poured out everything she had in worship and in love for Jesus Christ.

You don’t need to wait. Till you are older. Till you have more talents, more money, more respect. Coming to Jesus means you don’t have much but you give him everything. That’s worship. He is worth everything.

She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.

Mark 14:8-9

A couple of days ago at a friend’s birthday bible study (that’s right, he had bible study on his birthday), I was reminded this was not the first time Jesus was given perfume. If you remember the magi, the wise men from Matthew Chapter 2, who followed the star and came to Christ when he was a child, you will recall how they gave him gold, incense and myrrh as gifts - gold symbolising kingship, incense which was used for worship - but then there is also myrrh. What’s the point of giving myrrh to a kid? (It’s not chocolate). Myrrh is used at funerals, as a kind of perfume to preserve dead bodies. Jesus says, “She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial.” Aside from the fact that Jesus is God and Jesus is King is the fact the Jesus has come to die on the cross for our sins. He has come to save us from God’s judgement by dying in our place for our forgiveness.

And he says wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what this woman has done will also be told in memory of her. The cross hasn’t happened yet, it’s two days to the Passover, two days to the crucifixion, but Jesus is saying, “This is a picture of what I am going to do for you on the cross.” Think of the shame she endured - “Foolish girl”. Think of the price she paid pouring out everything she had. Think of her love measured in terms of her sacrifice.

Jesus says, “She has done a beautiful thing to me.” What she did was make Jesus’ death look good. That’s the gospel. It’s pointing others to Jesus on the cross and showing them what a beautiful Saviour we have in Jesus Christ.

At that same bible study, someone said, “Loving someone always looks foolish.” Why would God give up his Son to die for you, a sinner? Why would Jesus Christ become a man, become a baby, die on the cross, for you, a sinner? Because of love. Others will say, “What a waste!” If you know this love of God, you will say, “What a Saviour!”

Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

Mark 14:10-11

And so the story ends with the plans to kill Jesus moving swiftly ahead. Back in verse 2, they were stuck, they put their plans on hold, but here comes Judas handing Jesus to them as a gift.

I am reminded of a story a pastor once told about a bible study in prison (gives new meaning to cell group) when the prisoners were asked, “Who killed Jesus?” One prisoner said, “The Pharisees!” Another prisoner said, “I killed Jesus,” in remorse over his sinfulness. But the bible study leader wisely said, “God killed Jesus.” It was God who gave Jesus into the hands of the chief priests. It was God who made this happen.

And you have to ask: Why did it have to be this way - through betrayal, through deception? The reason is: Jesus is the ultimate poor man. When Jesus says, “The poor you will always have with you but you will not always have me,” Jesus is calling himself the ultimate poor man. You see, the poor are the oppressed, the victimised. Jesus could not save us as a rich man. The bible says, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, for you sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9)

Recently, scientists in Singapore discovered the gene which gives the durian its pungent smell and the significance of that discovery opens up the possibility of creating an odourless or milder-tasting durian of the future. But one Singapore wrote back and said this, “A durian without smell is like a human who has lost his soul.” It’s the smell that’s the essence of the soul of the durian. It is the cross that is the essence of Christ, that is the essence of Christmas.

For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life.

2 Corinthians 2:15-16

How do you make important choices? (Joshua 24)

Marty and Jennifer are about to kiss when suddenly they hear a sonic boom. A silver DeLorean crashes into the rubbish bins and Doc Brown jumps out dressed in a yellow labcoat and plastic tie.

“Marty!” Doc says. “You’ve got to come with me… back to the future!”

“What do you mean?” Marty says.

“It’s your kids! Something’s got to be done about your kids!”

Marty and Jennifer get into the time travelling automobile as Doc Brown reverses onto the street.

“Doc!” Marty says, “There’s not enough road to get up to eighty-eight.”

“Roads?” says Doc Brown. “Where we’re going, we don’t need roads!”

In the 1985 hit movie “Back to the Future”, Marty McFly travels thirty years into the past (to meet his parents) and then thirty years into the future (to meet his kids). Marty learns that small actions have big consequences. His mother falls in love with him and he is almost never born. His enemy steals the time machine creating an alternate future ruled by Donald Trump (I mean, Biff Tannen). Small actions can have big consequences.

That’s the lesson we see today as Joshua 24 neatly divides into past, present and future.

Verse 2: “Long ago your ancestors...”
(That’s the past)

Verse 14: “Now fear the LORD…”  
(That’s the present.)

Verse 29: “After these things…”
(That’s the future)

The question today is: How do you make important choices? Three things to look out for today: (a) Our past choices (verses 1 to 13), (b) our present commitments (verses 14 to 27) and (c) our future consequences (verses 28 to 33).

Past choices, present commitments and future consequences.

1. Our past choices

We begin with verse 2.

Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says, ‘Long ago your forefathers, (or ancestors) including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the River and worshipped other gods.’”

Joshua 24:1-2

Joshua begins - not thirty years - but four hundred years into the past. Verses 2 to 13 summarise the first six books of the bible - the history of the nation of Israel. What does Joshua want them to see as they look back at four hundred years of history? He wants them to see the choices their fathers have made. More importantly, he wants them to see the choices that God has made.

Verse 3, God says:
“But I took your father…
I led him throughout Canaan…
and I gave him many descendants.”

The same way that your browsing history reveals the choices you have made online so the bible is God’s history revealing God’s choices in calling, blessing and saving his people. God says, “I did this… I did this,” in verses 2 to 13.

At the same time we see God’s choices working through different people; different generations. Abraham’s generation (verses 3 to 4) lived beyond the River; they worshipped other gods but God chose to call Abraham. Moses’ generation (verses 5 to 7) were slaves in Egypt but God chose to save them. Finally, Joshua’s generation (verses 8 to 13) were homeless in the desert but God chose to protect them and to give them a home in the Promised Land.

Three generations called by God, saved by God and blessed by God. Interestingly, we also see three rivers - the “River” (Euphrates in verse 2), the Red Sea (in verse 6) and the Jordan (in verse 8)  - representing three hurdles - three borders - that each generation had to cross in order to follow God.

Why is this important? Because we think that we are different; that our choices are unique. We have the Internet. We have Obama. And yet a sign which hangs in a World War II concentration camp reads, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”. Joshua looks back at four hundred years of history and he sees the same mistakes, the same regrets.

Like my mum who sometimes says to me, “You are your father’s son” (Both of us are stubborn!), God says the same thing in verses 6 and 7.

Verse 6:
“When I brought your fathers out of Egypt, you came to the sea, and the Egyptians pursued them with chariots and horsemen as far as the Red Sea.”

Verse 7:
“But they cried out to the LORD for help, and he put darkness between you and Egyptians.”

Meaning: Their history is your history. Their situation then is your situation now. The big question running throughout the book of Joshua is: Will this generation be any different?

That’s a key theme running through the book of Joshua: Will Israel make the same choices as the past. Moses’ generation disobeyed God and perished in the desert. Would Joshua’s generation do the same? You see, the past reveals the lessons we need to learn. The past reveals the choices that we need to make.

But what if you are ashamed of your past? Or what if you are constrained by your past?

A friend of mine works with girls who have been abused. These are girls who want to forget their past. One day, a twelve year-old girl asked her, “What is love?” My friend replied, “God is love.” She wondered if her answer made any sense. But the little girl walked away singing “Jesus loves me this I know, for the bible tells me so.” You see, God’s love makes most sense to the unloved. Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor but the sick.” (Luke 5:31, Matthew 9:12)

Conversely, the healthy are those who try to impress God with their CV. If that’s you, listen to what God says in verse 13:

So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities which you did not build.

The point is: You did not do this. You did not earn this. Your degree, your witty charm, your privileged education are all gifts that God gave you. You did not do this.

And yet, the tragedy is, those who have been blessed most by God are those most likely to take God’s blessing for granted. We read this week at Rock, these words from Romans Chapter 1, verse 21: “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.” That’s the bible’s definition of sin. Not doing bad things but ignoring a good God. Looking back at all the good things in your past and saying, “I did this.”

Whether you are a Christian or not, the past ought to humble us. It teaches us that the biggest decisions in our lives were not made by us. If you know that, then looking back to the past always gives us two choices - Will we live God’s way or will we live our way?

That’s the first thing we see.

2. Our present commitments

But next, we see our present commitments.

Verse 14 again:

Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshipped beyond the River and in Egypt and serve the LORD.

And in verse 24...

All the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the LORD our God and obey him.”

End of story. They all became Christians and lived happily ever after. Well, not quite. As soon as Joshua gives them a command (“Worship God!”) he gives them a choice! He says to them, “How many of you would like to be Muslim?” and “Why don’t you try Buddhism?” Don’t believe me? Look at verse 15.

But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, the choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.

Joshua 24:15

Now, of course - of course - Joshua wants them to worship the only God who called them, blessed them, saved them...  but why does he give them a choice to worship other gods? Because making an important choice always means a commitment. Making an important choice means sticking to that choice.

The problem is: Most of us hear the word choices and we think “options”. Like McDonalds: “Would you like fries with that?” No one subscribes to Netflix and watches the same show over and over again. We want options. Many Cambridge students do that with church - “I like the worship in that church but ooh, that church has food.”

But friends, the biggest decisions in life are not about choices but commitments. The person you marry. The God whom you worship. These are exclusive choices in life. Following God means forsaking all other gods. Some of us hear that and go, “Whoa, that’s a big decision!” and that’s the right response. The bible wants us to consider carefully what it means to follow Jesus. It gives us evidence that he really died on the cross. He really rose from the dead. A good response is to say, “I need to think about this.”

A bad response is to say, “Mo man tai” (No problem!) Which is what they say in verse 16:

Then the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake the LORD to serve other gods!

Verse 19:
Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the LORD. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you.”

Verse 21:
But the people said to Joshua, “No! We will serve the LORD.”

What Joshua is calling Israel to do is what the bible calls repentance. Repentance is not about feeling really, really sorry about your sin or feeling really, really passionate about God. To repent is simply to turn. 1 Thessalonians 1:9 describes Christians as those who “turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God.” That is exactly what Joshua is calling Israel to do. To turn away from foreign gods, to turn their back on idols, literally, to “throw away the foreign gods” (verses 14 and 23) and to worship God and God alone.

And yet, Joshua has to remind them - twice - to throw away their idols. Why? Because even as they are jumping up and down in church declaring, “Only you, Jesus!” you can see a Pat Kua sticking out of their back pocket.

My parents aren’t Christian. Every year at Chinese New Year, my mum sets up an altar to “pai tee kong” - to pray to the Hokkien God of Heaven. And she says, “Even Christians come. It’s OK.” Joshua is saying to us, “It’s not OK to pai tee kong.” It’s not OK to worship God passionately on Sundays but then to live like your career is your god every other day.

The most important choices in life are commitments: Will you do what you say you are going to do. The reasons why Christians get married in church is because husband and wife are making commitments to one another - “for better, for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health” - and as they make these commitments they are saying to God and to the church, “Be our witness.”

We see this in verse 22:

Then Joshua said, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the LORD.”

“Yes, we are witnesses,” they replied.

Again in verse 27:
“See,” he said to all the people, “This stone will be a witness against us. It has heard all the words the LORD has said to us. It will be a witness against you if you are untrue to your God.”

I had a very irritating friend back when I was a non-Christian. My friend would keep asking me, “Do you want to be a Christian? Are you a Christian yet?” Every time I saw my friend - “Do you want to be a Christian?” Then one day, I became a Christian. And my friend said to me, “Are you sure you are Christian? Are you still following Christ?” What do you call that? An irritating friend!

No, I call that a faithful witness. Joshua says, “You are witnesses!” meaning, “You are supposed to remind each other: ‘Are you still following God?’”

Hebrews 10:25 says

Let us not give up meeting together, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

The important choices in life are about making commitments not having options. When we commit to following God it means forsaking all other gods.

3. Our future consequences

Finally, our future consequences. What see in this last section is Joshua… dying.

Verse 29:
After these things, Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of one hundred and ten.

It’s like the Sixth Sense (“I see dead people.”) Joshua dies. Joseph’s dead. Eleazar dies in verse 33. Everyone dies. But that’s not the sad bit because Joseph was buried at a hundred and ten (symbolising a full life), he was buried in the land of his inheritance, meaning, he received God’s promises. Same with Joseph; same with Eleazar the son of Aaron. They saw all of God’s promises fulfilled within their lifetime.

No, the sad bit happens after they die. Turn over the page and the first words of the next chapter are: “After the death of Joshua.” It’s the book of Judges where the entire nation abandons god. That’s really sad because Joshua tried his best. Joshua was a fantastic leader of God’s people.

But the point is: That’s not enough. It is not enough to have a leader like Joshua. It is not enough to be sincere and serious in our decision making. Because the truth is, it doesn’t take very much to turn the best decisions in life into the biggest regrets in life. Think of the best decisions you’ve made - moving to Cambridge, coming to the Chinese Church (!) - it doesn’t take very much to turn a dream into a nightmare. An argument will do that. Or just time - you get bored. It doesn’t take much to turn our best decisions into our biggest regrets.

I think that’s one of the reasons why so many people put off being a Christian. They put off getting baptised. Oh, you come to church every week. You know that Jesus died for your sins. You believe that he rose from the dead. But you want to wait till the very last minute, that very last moment, before you have to say, “Yes, he is my God.” Why? Because most of us make the hardest choices only when we have no other choice. (In Hokkien: Bo pian)

Friends, if you don’t feel like choosing Jesus today, what makes you think you will want to choose Jesus tomorrow? If you are not faithful with the small things today, what makes you think you will be faithful with the big things tomorrow?

The book of Hebrews reflects on the book of Joshua by saying this:

“Today, if you hear his voice,

do not harden your hearts.”

Let me say that again. Hebrews 4, verse 7:

“Today, if you hear his voice,

do not harden your hearts.”

For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. There remains then a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no-one will fall by following their example of disobedience.

Hebrew 4:7-11

If you hear God’s voice today, respond to God’s Son today. Because in Jesus we have Joshua who died but rose again. In Jesus we have a Joshua who said, “Come to me all, all you who are weary, and I will give you rest.”

But most importantly, in Jesus we have a Joshua who was forsaken. Joshua lived a full life and he died a good death. But Jesus hung on a cross and cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Christians understand that the reason he was forsaken was because he was taking the full judgement of our sin upon himself. Jesus is the better Joshua who was forsaken so that you and I could be forgiven.

Conclusion

We have seen three things: the past, present and future.

The past reveals the lessons we need to learn. To recognise God’s grace. To repent of our own ungratefulness.

The present calls us to commitment. To worship God and forsake all other gods. To keep each other accountable in our promises to live for God alone.

The future points us to Jesus. He is the better Joshua who died but rose again, who was forsaken so we could be forgiven.

One of the most misquoted verses regarding Jesus is from Hebrew 13:7 - you see it in posters and bookmarks - “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Many take that to mean how Jesus is so lovable, never changing and always the same. But look just a couple of verses earlier:

Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Hebrews 13:7-8

It looks to the past, present and future. Look at your leaders who preached the gospel to you. Consider what it meant for them to speak for Jesus, to live for Jesus, and - in the context of the book of Hebrews - to suffer for Jesus. It is no different for you today and it will be the same for those who come after you tomorrow. Keep preaching the gospel!

That’s what it means for Jesus to be same yesterday, today and forever. It means trusting in God’s word and responding to God’s word every single day of your life.

“Today, if you hear his voice,

do not harden your hearts.”

For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. There remains then a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no-one will fall by following their example of disobedience.

Hebrew 4:7-11

Confessions of a church musician (Psalm 73)

What is the biggest challenge playing on the music team?

Is it playing new and unfamiliar songs? Or playing the same songs again and again?

Or maybe it’s playing in front of other people (especially at combined services with the aunties and uncles from the Chinese congregation)?

For me, the biggest adjustment was playing in a group, playing with other musicians who were real pros. That was stressful!

What about you? What has been the biggest challenge since joining the church music team? Keep that question in mind as we turn to Psalm 73, which is a song written by a musician named Asaph.

In fact, we know from 1 Chronicles 16, that Asaph was appointed by King David to be in charge of all the musicians. He was the the worship leader, in charge of all the priests, to worship God before the ark of the covenant (built during the time of Moses). And you will notice that Psalm 73, together with Psalm 74, 75… all the way to Psalm 83 was written by Asaph, meaning, he was a songwriter, too.

Here, in Psalm 73, he says.

Surely God is good to Israel,

to those who are pure in heart.

But as for me, my feet had almost slipped,

I had nearly lost my foothold.

For I envied the arrogant,

when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

I call Psalm 73 “Confessions of a Church Musician.” Why? Because, in verse 2, he confesses, “My feet had almost slipped.” He’s not talking about playing the wrong chord or reading the wrong verse. No, he is confessing - honestly admitting - that he doesn’t feel like worshipping God today.

How can you say that Asaph? You are the worship leader!

Aigoo!

Notice, verse 1: “Surely, God is good to Israel.” And that expression - Surely - happens three times in the passage. It’s like “Crikey!” (if you British) or “Wah!” (if you are Chinese) or “Aigoo” (if you are Korean).

Asaph says, “Surely!” three times (in verses 1, 13 and 18) to give us three honest confessions; he gives us three honest reflections as a church musician. He tells us (1) what he knows, (2) what he feels and (3) what is true. That’s what we are looking at today. What he knows, what he feels and what is true.

1. What he knows

Firstly, what he knows. Right from the beginning, Asaph knows that God is good. Asaph knows that God deserves our worshipped. But when he looks at this world, what Asaph knows and what Asaph sees are two different things.

I know that God blesses his people. But when I look at the world (verse 4), “they have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong.”

I know that God loves the pure in heart. But (verse 7) “from their callous hearts comes iniquity; the evil conceits of their minds know no limits.”

I know that God will judge on the wicked, but (verse 8) “They scoff, and speak with malice; in their arrogance they threaten oppression.”

What Asaph knows doesn’t line up with what Asaph sees. But here’s the confession: Asaph is tempted to worship what he sees, not what he knows about God. Even though it’s wrong, Asaph is tempted to follow wicked men rather than worship a good God.

Verse 2: “But as for me, my feet at almost slipped… for I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” You might say, “How can you let such a person be the worship leader?”

But friends, Asaph knows what worship means. Do you? Worship means giving to God what he is worth. Literally: “Worth-ship” - it’s talking about worth and value. It’s a price tag. There are some restaurants where you go in and the menu has no prices. Instead, you order the food and at the end you pay what you think that chicken or that salad was worth. Our worship to God is a direct reflection of what God is worth in our lives.

Meaning: Worship is not about singing or giving money. It’s much more than that. Christians believe that God is worth our whole lives and therefore our worship is 24/7. Paul says in Romans 12: “Offer up your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship.” It means you can worship God in church and at work, while you are eating your breakfast or taking the bus to school. Your whole life belongs to God and therefore everything you do, say and think is about being thankful to God and giving him all the glory he is due. At least, that is what Christians are called to do in their worship.

But when Asaph looks at the world, they think they owe God nothing. They think God is worth nothing. Instead, they live to worship their wealth, their health and their status. Verse 4: Their bodies are healthy and strong (meaning they go to the gym). Verse 6: Pride is their necklace (They dress to impress).

And he confesses, honestly, “I was tempted.” Why? Because in verse 9, Asaph sees a different kind of worship leader - one who is popular - but one who leads people away from God.

Their mouths lay claim to heaven,

and their tongues take possession of the earth.

Therefore their people turn to them

and drink up waters in abundance.

Verses 9-10

When it says, “their people turn to them,” it could be talking about how popular these worship leaders are in the world. It might also mean God’s people are turning to them. And that’s worrying, because in verse 11, they say, “How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?” Who cares about God? He’s not going to do anything about it.

Finally, Asaph concludes:

This is what the wicked are like -

always carefree, they increase in wealth.

Verse 12

What was Asaph tempted to do? To do evil? No. To be wicked? No. But to be comfortable. To be popular. You see, the world offers us another way to worship, one that is attractive. One that really works. Friends, it’s saying that it’s possible to love worship but hate God. It is possible to do evil but look good.

When you turn on the TV. When you check Facebook. This world is worshipping 24/7. The question is whether we are worshipping God - with our lives, our time, our money. Or are we worshipping money, our time, our lives as our God. Asaph says, “Honestly, I was tempted to do the latter.”

That’s what he knows. But next, he tells us what he feels. And in verse 13, what he feels like doing is giving up.

2. What he feels

Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure;

in vain have I washed my hands in innocence.

All day long I have been plagued;

I have been punished every morning.

Verses 13-14

Have you ever had one of those bad days when all you want to do is stay at home, watch Netflix and eat junk food? Not a bad thing, in and of itself. But what if you are a worship leader and you are supposed get up and lead worship that morning? What if you are the pastor and you are supposed to preach?

Asaph doesn’t feel like going to church today. He feels guilty about it (“All day long, I’ve been plagued”). But most of all, he feels like giving up. “Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure.”

But then he says, Verse 15:

If I had said, “I will speak thus,”

I would have betrayed your children.

Verse 15

He’s saying, “When you step up to the mic, people are listening.” You need to be responsible as a worship leader. What you say reflects not just who you are but who God is.

Now I don’t think Asaph is saying you must be dishonest, otherwise, he wouldn’t have written Psalm 73, confessing all his struggles as a church musician. Psalm 73 is actually a song, meaning, they would have sung these words in church.

But he is saying that the times when you are depressed are tempted to say things that are hurtful and untrue about God. “I would have betrayed your children,” he says. Be extra careful about saying things on behalf of God that God isn’t saying in his Word. Eg. God isn’t good. God doesn’t care. That’s not true - and you know that it’s not true. And as leaders of God’s people, we must be careful about speaking words and singing words that go against the truth of God’s Word.

Yet at the same time, Asaph is conflicted. He is burdened with guilt. What does he do?

When I tried to understand all this,

it was oppressive to me

till I entered the sanctuary of God;

then I understood their final destiny.

Verses 16-17

He tried figuring it out on his own - “I tried to understand all this” - but it just got worse! Has that ever happened to you? You are stressed out about playing on Sunday. You are stressed out about your presentation. So you stay up all night practising and working - which is a great thing to do, don’t get me wrong - but at the end of all that hard work, you end up getting more stressed!!

Serving God is not something you can do with your own strength. The more you try, the more stressed out, the more frustrated you will get. Even an experienced worship leader like Asaph forgot this. He tried to figure it out on his own when only one thing could ever change things.

“Until I entered the sanctuary of God, then I understood their final destiny.” It is so obvious, yet we forget this. Only God can help us when we have a problem with God. It is so obvious!

And yet, most of us, when you have a problem with God, stay away. When things get tough in a ministry, we stop serving. When things get tough in church, we stay at home, thinking, “I’ll try to figure this out on my own.” It always - always - gets worse. Why? Because when your problem is God, you can’t solve it without God.

Let me put this another way. There are times when you will not feel like worshipping God. What should you do? Worship God. There are times when you will not feel like being with God’s people, when you feel like taking a break from church. What should you do? Come to church?

And you say, “What? That’s crazy?” No, that’s what Asaph is saying to us. It won’t work trying to sort out a problem you have with God by being by yourself. You cannot fix a relationship by breaking a relationship. Asaph is saying, “It’s not just about you.” Your worship before God affects your relationship with others (especially if you are responsible for them as a leader). And, at the heart of it, your worship of God flows from your own relationship with God.

So, when you do don’t feel like worshipping God, worship God anyway. You can say to him, as Asaph does in this psalm, “My feet are slipping. It doesn’t make sense. I am tempted to follow the world, not your Word.” Come near to God and the promise is: He will come near to you (James 4:8).

Which brings us to the final point - the final “Surely” in verse 18.

3. What is true

Surely you place them on slippery ground;

you cast them down to ruin.

How suddenly are they destroyed,

completely swept away by terrors!

Verses 18-19

What is your favourite love song? (The guys will say, “I don’t listen to love songs!”)

For some, it’s Ed Sheeren’s “Thinking out loud” - “Darling, I’ll be loving you till we’re seventy.” For others, it’s a classic like Whitney Houston’s, “Eyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee will always lo-ove you.” Do you notice how so many love songs have words like “eternal” and “forever”? Everyone wants a love that lasts forever. That’s eternal. But here in this last section, Asaph says they are nothing but fantasies.

As a dream when one awakes,

so when you arise, O Lord,

you will despise them as fantasies.
Verse 20

These love songs are beautiful, yes, and they are wonderful. But they are untrue. You can sing them till you are blue in your face but they are nothing but fantasies.

But the songs we were singing today were all based on God’s truth. “Rock of ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee.” It’s talking about Jesus who was cleft - who was cut; who was killed - for me. And we’re saying, “Let me hide myself in you, Jesus.” His death opens up the way for me receive his life.

That is the kind of truth that speaks of eternity, not just wishful thinking. Therefore, when we long for the world’s fantasies, which will one day fade away, which God will one day judge and completely wipe away, we are being short-sighted. We are being foolish.

When my heart was grieved

and my spirit embittered,

I was senseless and ignorant;

I was a brute beast before you.

Verses 21-22

Previously, Asaph was so focussed on the world - “They have no struggles; they are free from burdens; Their mouths lay claim to heaven.” Then he was focussed on himself - “I have been plagued, I tried to understand this, it was oppressive to me.” But it’s only when he started looking to God, that he realises: It’s not about me. It’s about you, Lord.

Yet I am always with you;

you hold me by my right hand.

You guide me with your counsel,

and afterwards you will take me into glory.

Verses 23-24

Here’s the thing: God allows us to go through this process to realise just how much he loves us. The difficulties, the doubts are part of God’s plan - to do what? To strip away everything else from our lives so that only He is left in our sight. The bad things as well as the good things, one by one, God allows them to be stripped away, until we realise that the only permanent thing we have is Him.

Whom have I in heaven but you?

And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

My flesh and my heart may fail,

but God is the strength of my heart

and my portion for ever.

Verses 25-26

It’s like fasting. Muslims all over the world began fasting this week as part of Ramadhan, abstaining from food and drink. But Christians fast not because of Ramadhan. And we do not fast because we are trying to cut down on carbs and chocolate.

Rather, when we fast as Christians, we are putting aside things which are good, food and water which we need to survive (we would die without food and water) and we are saying to God, “You are more important to me than food. You are more precious to me than my life.”

Asaph says to God, “Nothing in heaven and nothing on earth is more important to me than you.” How can he say that honestly and truly? Because his heart is failing him. Because his flesh is failing him. Verse 26 can and probably should be read in the present tense. “My flesh and my heart is failing.” Meaning: Right now, my body is breaking down. I am physically restrained. Right now, my depression is acting up.

“But God is the strength of my heart.” The only thing that’s keeping me going is You.

As a church musician, as a servant of God, that brings glory to God. When others look at you and they do not see your gifts, they do not praise you for playing so skillfully on the piano this morning, but they say to you, “I clearly see that God is working through you.” Our weakness makes God’s strength easier to see in our lives. By all means, worship God with your gifts. But never forget, you can also worship God with your grief. You can worship God with your weakness.

Conclusion: I will tell of all your deeds

Asaph knows that God is good. He has known this all his life - from Sunday School, from church. He knows this.

And yet, Asaph feels like giving up. “My feet had almost slipped. In vain, I have kept my heart pure.” His heart is failing him. He feels like giving up.

But in the end, God reminds Asaph of what is true and eternal. He holds him by his right hand. He guides him with his counsel. He strengthens him in his weakness.

Those who are far from you will perish;

you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.

But as for me, it is good to be near God.

I have made the sovereign Lord my refuge;

I will tell of all your deeds.

Verses 27-28

The only difference between the music team and the congregation; the only difference between the song leader and the song-led, is this: The privilege to tell of all His deeds. You are leading God’s people to praise God for who He is and for all that He has done.

He is the only true and eternal God. He is holy. He hates evil. And one day, He will judge the world in righteousness and truth through Jesus Christ, destroying all who are far from him and unfaithful to him.

He has sent his Son to die for your sins. Taking it upon himself, bearing our judgement on the cross, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day conquering sin, death and the Devil. All who trust in him receive full forgiveness and new life that is indestructible and conformed to the image of the Son of God.

These are truths about God that are eternal, that are revealed fully in his Word to us, that we as musicians, as song leaders, as Sunday School teachers, as pastors and bible study leaders have a great privilege to speak and teach and remind one another here in the Chinese Church.

Know this truth. Love this truth. And with all your heart, sing this truth with faithfulness and boldness to glory of our Saviour and God, Jesus Christ.