SERMON SPOTLIGHT * 8/30/26
Individually and corporately God uses His Church to be that unique part of the mission that says – Look what God has done in our life. Look at how the steadfast love of God has transformed me. The Church’s existence testifies to God’s CHESED LOVE and His FAITHFULNESS. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.
SERIES: SUMMER IN THE PSALMS
TEXT: Psalm 117
TITLE: The Reason and Result of Evangelism
PREACHER: Tim Lambros
BIG IDEA: Evangelism exists because worship doesn’t.
POINTS:
I. The Reason for Evangelism
II. The Result of Evangelism
SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes and text emphasis are taken directly from the pastor’s notes.
ILLUSTRATION: Mark Cahill’s book, ONE THING YOU CAN’T DO IN HEAVEN
“Mark's favorite thing to do is to go out and meet people and find out what they believe and why they believe it. You can find Mark at malls, concerts, art and music festivals, airports, beaches, sporting events, bar sections of towns, college campuses, etc., doing just that.”
“Psalm 117 is often seen as a summary conclusion for Psalm 111 – Psalm 117. These are called the Hallelujah series. Psalm 117 is an appropriate climax to these Psalms.”
RUNNING APPLICATION: Read Paslms 111-117
“Notice in V. 1 there is a call to the entire world. ALL NATIONS brings attention to God’s desire from the beginning that all mankind would Praise the Lord! All the people groups would extol Him.”
“In the OT “NATIONS” was the word typically used to speak of the Gentiles. There was the people of God – Israel, chosen to be God’s people then there was the others – Gentiles. The word “PEOPLES” is a lesser used word in the OT but typically addresses people groups. Less than the size of a nation like the Canaanites, the Jebusites, the Samaritans, etc.”
“Notice the repeated use of the word ALL. This is not just a simple call for all the world to come join them in Sunday worship for a few songs. The summons here is to the world to come and submit to the Creator of the world, embrace the offer of His grace and join with Israel – and now the Church – in the praises of His name.”
“Two things that can easily be overlooked in this first verse. 1. God’s plan has always been to the nations 2. Mission and evangelism are at the heart of God’s character.”
“God’s plan has always been to the nations - Israel is singing this Psalm, this divine summons that ALL NATIONS are called to praise Him. From Abraham to the nation of Israel to the temple life Israel was called to God had the “nations” in mind. The NT authors clearly saw this after Pentecost.”
“Unfortunately, Isreal failed in their effort to evangelize the Gentiles. Israel did what many of us NT believers tend to do. We experience the goodness of God and we functionally believe God’s plan is inside these four walls only!”
ILLUSTRATION: How the nature of God shapes and drives the mission of the Church, Michael Reeves book, GOD SHINES FORTH
“God desires that His glory be praised in every inch of the world. Every heart of every human. Why? Because the glory of God is the most precious “thing” if you will in the universe. It would be wrong for God to promote or desire something else. …The end game of God’s saving purposes are to the praise of His glory.”
“Creation/Fall/Redemption is the revelation of who God is. The Bible is the story of God’s mission to accomplish this. God works in the lives of people to open their eyes. To what? To the glory of God. For the purpose of praising Him! God has been actively doing this from the garden.”
“His ultimate display of His glory is in the person of Jesus Christ.”
“Part of being on mission is putting on display what God has done in our life.”
“As we read our Bibles, it’s very clear very early in Genesis that God has a redemptive plan in mind. From Gen. 3 to Noah, to Abraham to Israel to David to Christ you can easily see in God’s Word that He is on the move. God is the initiator. God is working His redemptive plan out in all that He created.”
“God redeems. God’s plan is that He initiates to save people. People experiencing God’s loving, transforming power in our lives. Notice the Psalmist points the reader to God’s work in their lives in v. 2. FOR GREAT IS HIS STEADFAST LOVE TOWARD US. One of the obvious results of evangelism is that we experience God’s love – or the OT understanding of it is God’s Chesed love.”
“The Hebrew word here is a strong one and carries with it the idea of prevailing. In Exodus 17:11, whenever Moses held up his arms, Israel prevailed in battle. In Genesis 7:18-20, the flood waters in Noah’s days are said to prevail … mightily.”
“Israel singing this song – most likely when they returned from exile and rebuilt the temple – those singing would immediately believe the object of God’s steadfast love would be on them. HIS STEADFAST LOVE TOWARD US. God’s steadfast love conveys loyalty. It’s like a family or people that covenant together. It’s the kind of love that keeps parents up at night. Blood is thicker than water. Love that drops everything to help a friend –– helps us continue to forgive over and over.”
“Why is God’s steadfast love GREAT? God’s love always comes in the presence of our failure, our sin – when he’s always there to pick them up in their depravity. We sing the great Hymn I once was lost but now I’m found. God’s love to Israel’s was great. Great in the sense of Israel constantly failing. It’s no different than you and I. He loves and is committed to His people.”
“As NT believers, we know from 1 Peter that God caused us to be born again. God initiated in your life. Scripture knows no context where people are called out of their faithfulness but only out of sinful failure. This is why the CHESED love of God is so great. What is the result? People are transformed, changed and brought into the family of God TO PRAISE HIM!”
ILLUSTRATION: How God’s steadfast love has affected JOEY AND BRODY
“When people see the Church what do they see? People who have been transformed by the love of God. One of the RESULTS OF EVANGELISM is the testimony of the Church. When outsiders look at the Church says “if you want to see a good reason to see and savor Christ just look at those who have failed him over and over. His goodness and love toward us is amazing. We should in no way be in His family.”
“Little did they know that 500 years later the fullness of God’s love and redemptive plan would burst forth into all the known world – Jew and Gentile – would experience God’s chesed love. All nations and people groups would experience the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Psalmist would have no idea of God’s plan about 500 years later. God would incarnate Himself – people would physically SEE what God was like. John’s gospel account says ‘the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.’”
“What happens when the steadfast love of Christ meets broken people? What do we see in the four gospels when Jesus encounters people? Men born deaf and blind hear and see, a woman shackled with a blood issue all her life is healed, a demon possessed man cast out of the community is restored – all sorts of people who encounter the steadfast love of Jesus are never left the same. Transformed forever. That’s the power of the steadfast love of the Lord.”
RUNNING APPLICATION: Think about this. His faithfulness is constant. It never lets up. I know at times you think ‘where is God right now” but His faithfulness endures forever. Say that to yourself. How much more evidence do we need to see than what’s recorded in God’s faithfulness to His plan – ultimately sending His Son?
ILLUSTRATION: We can all relate to this. What happens when you get a call in the middle of the night that your daughter is in trouble?
“This becomes part of our mission and evangelism. The steadfast love and the faithfulness of God we have experienced fuels what we say and do. CHURCH – we are a people that God has set His love on and will be faithful to us until the end. It’s the demonstration of the gospel of Jesus Christ in your life. Psalm 117 isn’t just a generic call for the lost to come join us in singing! It’s much more than that. It’s much than singing. Planting a Church on the east side of Tucson is not the end game. All of Tucson praising the Lord is the end game. Mission statement: We exist to glorify God through the proclamation and demonstration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Romans 15:8–12
Ephesians 1
Exodus 34:6–7
Philippians 1:6
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
QUOTES:
Martin Luther - “With a few short words the Psalmist prophesies and proclaims the great work and wonder of God, namely the Gospel and the kingdom of Christ, which was foretold but not yet revealed at that time, and he says: Praise the Lord, all heathens.”
Ray Ortland - “God called Abraham and his descendants to be a channel, not a dam; to pass on, not gobble up, God’s grace and mercy. And the true and final descendant of Abraham, Jesus Christ, broke open God’s grace for all the world once and for all.”
Michael Reeves - “Yet God’s glory is not only the fuel of missions in the sense of being its grand objective. God’s glory – His own naturally overspilling life, showcased in His Son – is Misson’s rationale and it’s motor.”
Michael Reeves - “If someone were to ask us, “What is God like?” the answer must be “Jesus Christ.” That is the result of all we have seen about the glory of God. Bound up in all this is the fact that the very being of God is outwardly propulsive. God, in having glory radiates; in having a Word; speaks, in have a Son, loves. It is his very nature to shine, communicate and give Himself in relationship. This is the beating heart of mission.”
APPLICATION:
Challenge you to consider some geographical divides. Here and east side. It will take sacrifice over the coming months to prep for a Church plant.
Start with the easy stuff to overcome your reluctance. Review the love of God in your life and His faithfulness in the many times we fail Him.
I have an even geographical divide I want you to consider crossing. Not crossing the great divide of the Atlantic ocean to Europe, the Middle East or Africa. Not the great divide of the Pacific ocean to Asia or Japan. A different geographical divide. One that might even be more challenging than crossing the great divide of oceans. I’m talking about crossing the great geographical divide of your street. Yes, the street you live on. Your street. Crossing the great divide of your street to reach your neighbors.
Individually and corporately God uses His Church to be that unique part of the mission that says – Look what God has done in our life. Look at how the steadfast love of God has transformed me. The Church’s existence testifies to God’s CHESED LOVE and His FAITHFULNESS. John 13: they will know you are my disciples by your love for one another.
SCRIPTURE MEMORIZATION:
Romans 8 (entire chapter)
SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
He Is Our God
How Great Thou Art
Jesus, There's No One Like You
All I Have Is Christ
Let Your Kingdom Come
Come Praise And Glorify
NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Psalm 91
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