It is true that Cheyenne is a secure place to be. But what we discover in our Psalm today, is that there is an eternally greater fortress for the Christian. That fortress is God Himself. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: SUMMER IN THE PSALMS
TEXT: Psalm 91
TITLE: My God in Whom I trust
PREACHER: Tom Wilkins
BIG IDEA: Because our God is a mighty fortress, trust Him!

POINTS:
I. God is our mighty fortress
II. We must trust God in the darkest of times

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes and text emphasis are taken directly from the pastor’s notes.

ILLUSTRATION: Cheyenne Mountain Complex - one of the most fortified places on earth with granite armor, blast doors, and indestructible interior

“It is true that Cheyenne is a secure place to be. But what we discover in our Psalm today, is that there is an eternally greater fortress for the Christian. That fortress is God Himself.”

“Since the fall of mankind into sin, our world has become a dangerous place: physical threats and enemies of our soul lurk around every corner: war, disease, accidents, tyranny, governments, murder, theft, loss of income, storms, death, loss… Yet, our problem is that we are surprised when we suddenly find ourselves in danger. A hard situation is coming, and we cannot avoid it. Things can get really dark really fast.”

RUNNING APPLICATION: Q. When this happens, where do you go for help? Where do you go to find refuge? What do you fly, drive, or run to? In times like these, It is all too easy to forget and even abandon deep abiding truths that we dearly hold. Our hearts sink! Our faith plummets! We are not going to survive this!

“Psalm 91 is good news in the face of our worst circumstances! In fact, it sounds too good to be true. But it is infinitely good and true! Spurgeon describes this as one of the most ‘cheerful’ Psalms! And here is why we can believe that Ps 91 is most cheerful: Because our God is a mighty fortress, trust Him!”

“No matter what trouble makes it way to you, trust Him!  No matter what terror crouches near, trust Him! Q. Who will rescue you in the darkest of hours? Q. Where will you go when your very life is threatened? Q. What will protect you from the gravest of circumstances? Psalm 91 ANSWERS our deepest concerning questions! God is our mighty fortress!”

“The truth claim of the text is found in Vs 1 and 2. ‘He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.’ These two phrases repeat the same meaning for emphasis ‘Shelter.’ ‘Shadow.’ ‘Most High.’ ‘Almighty.’”

“Verse 1 tells us that there is a place that we can dwell, we can abide, we can live securely against anything that comes our way. That place is in the shelter of the Most High. This “shelter” is a secret and secure place as God hides safely in Himself! Nothing and no one can get to us! That place is in the shadow of the Almighty. This “shadow” is the active abiding presence of our all-powerful God. There is none like him in power!”

“God the Most High! God the Almighty, Himself is present! Try to imagine any fortress that even comes close to the security and protection of our God. Believing what Vs 1 declares, we join the chorus with the psalmist in Vs 2.”

“It’s personal! The Most High, the Almighty, is MY refuge, MY fortress, MY GOD! He is your God! YOUR security is in the shelter of YOUR Most High! YOUR safety is in the shadow of YOUR ALMIGHTY GOD!”

“Understanding that the LORD is our refuge and our fortress, the implications for us are staggering! Our response is “My God, in whom I trust.”

“TRUST ME! The Lord has in a sense, has taken our heads in His hands and has said, trust ME! I am your refuge! I am your Almighty fortress! He then illustrates His power, His care, and His faithfulness. He promises His protection and assures of victory. No matter what trouble lies ahead, trust Him! In the darkest of times, trust Him! Really LORD? In the darkest of times? YES, In the darkest of times. The psalmist samples the peril, threat, treachery, evil and danger in verses 3.”

“Consider the treachery of this world in verses 3-6. Some of these are real and some as metaphors the sense is that they serve as illustrations of impossible situations:

• (vs 3) The snares and pestilence (we trapped in trouble and cannot free ourselves, disease and sickness allround, pandemic like)

• (vs 5) The terrors of night, the arrow that flies by day (Sleepless nights of worry or sudden trials that hit while we are asleep. While all seems well today, we are struck down)

• (vs 6) The pestilence that stalks in darkness, and destruction that wastes at noonday. (driving home the same sudden unexpected trouble)

• (vs 10) evils and plagues

• (vs 12) stumbling

• (vs 13) lions and snakes (evil enemies including the demonic)

The threat is real! The dangers are verified! Both physical and spiritual treachery abounds! Both the weak and strong are vulnerable to these!”

“Here is the reality. When we consider the true dangers of this world, all our fixes and places we think are secure are temporary. Their walls of protection are thin. And they are powerless against these perils. They cannot shield us from these dangers. Rather than a true fortress, it's a cardboard fort. BUT Psalm 91 bursts forth in your soul, and we find that ONLY GOD CAN BE OUR TRUE SHELTER IN ALL OF THIS! We must trust Him in the darkest of times! God is your shelter against all of this, in all of this, from all of this! We see this in a beautiful illustration in verse 4”

“This verse illustrates the shadow of the Almighty. Wings of pinions (feathers) and shields of metal are metaphors describing God covering us with his wings and protecting us with his shield. The description of God’s wings is a tender covering of us with the reassuring warmth of safety and comfort “under his wings.”

ILLUSTRATION: Vulnerable baby quail

“We find that we are in the shadow of the wings of the Almighty! And from our perspective, THERE IS NO BETTER PLACE. … and the illustration gets even better! He covers us with the comfort of His pinions. His faithfulness is now a massive shield around us. And He wields a second shield (buckler) as we face the enemy! This is God’s double-shielding of us! The interior is the warmth and comfort of His covering. The exterior a double layer of protection. What I can imagine with the two combined is a fortress of wings of iron-clad feathers forming an impenetrable fortress against all enemies. His faithfulness is impenetrable! He will remain faithful to you in the trial.”

“Because God is our faithful fortress, we trust him! Dwelling in God is trusting Him. Abiding in God is trusting Him. The sense is that we continue our trust in Him. We place our confidence in Him alone. It is not a divided confidence.”

“We now arrive at a very sobering portion of this Psalm. Vs 7 and 8 sober us. If we are not IN God our Fortress, IT IS TERRIBLE! Outside of God’s safety and comfort, IT IS NOT SAFE! IT IS HORRIFYING. The wicked will receive God’s recompense! They will pay dearly for wickedness! They will receive God’s unshielded wrath. The imagery here is you and me on the battlefield. Thousands upon thousands are falling all around us. Arrows that fly by day and destruction laying waste to everyone! Everyone but us! The words “but it will not come near you” are all of MERCY! We have been shielded from the dangers and terrors of this world! Most importantly, we have been shielded from the terror of God’s destruction and righteous wrath.”

“We did not get what we deserved! THIS IS ALL OF MERCY. We did nothing! We observed all that God did around us. These verses must drive us toward humble worship. In God, and in His mercy, we are in the safest refuge. We are in the safest refuge from His wrath! In our sin, we should have fallen with the wicked! ‘...but it will not come near you…’ These words must drive us toward unspeakable relief and joy!”

“Christian, you have Gospel REFUGE in the shadow of the Cross of Jesus Christ! God is your mighty fortress. But you had nothing to do with it. The story on the battlefield that day should have ended with our corpses littered among the thousands! But that is not our story. My story is this: ‘It did not come near me!’ Your story is: ‘It did not come near you!’ How? Why? It did not come near us because we were in the shadow of the cross of Jesus! There, My God, My Savior took my place! And it did not come near to us because there, IT CAME TO HIM. He fell in my place! Jesus received the terror and fury of Father’s wrath for you! I should have received the due recompense for my sin. But My Savior, Jesus, did! Jesus is our Mighty Fortress, trust Him!”

RUNNING APPLICATION:  We decidedly make God our dwelling place, who is already our refuge!
That which is already true, I will make mine. My shelter is Christ, and that is entirely His doing. Yet, I will make him my shelter - my confession and my life.
Q. Where do you go when trouble strikes? Q. Where do you go when you sense evil coming near? Q. Where do you go when fear and panic flood in? Q. What refuge do you seek? 

• A drink? 

• A drug? 

• You run. 

• You move. 

• You shrink back from relationships… shrink back into yourself? Isn’t this our go-to refuge: ourselves! In the end, we think WE are the safest fortress. Clouded by the severity of the trial and the sinfulness of our heart, we run into ourselves seeking rest and security.

“I COMMEND VERSES 11-12 to your further study and delight - But what we find in these verses is that God will hold you up by sending His heavenly angels to guard you. He is all in to secure you and your victory!”

“Where does all this lead us? What can we do with this? We can hear the MOST CHEERFUL VOICE STANDING BEFORE THIS CHOIR! In verses 14-16, we hear the voice of our Mighty Fortress Himself. Our God sings joy, hope, and cheer back to us! What God sings are the most CHEERFUL truths for our ears:

• I will deliver him

• I will protect him

• I will answer him

• I will be with him in trouble

• I will rescue him

• I will honor him

• I will satisfy him with long life

• I will show him my salvation

8 times - ‘I will’. What a manifold unfolding of what God will do for those who dwell in Him. - Promise upon promise upon promise! ‘I will’”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Psalm 18:2–3

QUOTES:
Unknown - “If you are safe with the all-powerful God, you are safe with the all-powerful God!”

C.H. Spurgeon - “No shelter can be imagined at all comparable to the protection of Jehovah's own shadow. The Almighty himself is where his shadow is, and hence those who dwell in his secret place are shielded by himself.”

APPLICATION:
Because God is our mighty fortress, trust him.

His promises are sure!

The beauty of this Psalm is that it gives us handles to hold onto these promises. These help us dwell in His shelter. These help us abide in His shadow. They help us trust in Him. Let’s look at these last 3 handles together:

• Hold fast to Him in love - In love, we hold Him fast, only because He, in infinite love, has held us fast. In Vs. 14, our Almighty loves it when we hold fast to Him alone in steadfast love! “Hold fast to me, remembering that I hold you fast” You hold fast to me - don’t let go, because I hold fast to you and will not let you go! Now that is gospel hope! Let’s sing it back to Him!

• Know His name - God came to reveal Himself to us. Jesus came to make the Father known. The Holy Spirit is making Jesus known to us. We know His name because He made it known to us!

• Call to Him - Are you in trouble? Do you need His help? Are you alone? Are you ensnared? Are you trapped? Do you see no way out? CALL TO HIM, and he will answer! Are you afraid for your life? Are you afraid for your soul? CALL TO HIM, and He will give you eternal life and salvation!

GET TO CHRIST! GET IN HIM!

1. Jesus is your mighty fortress

2. In the face of darkest times, We trust you Jesus! 

This morning we close with beholding and worshiping our glorious Savior, our Mighty Refuge and Fortress, Our God, in whom we trust!

SCRIPTURE MEMORIZATION:
Romans 8 (entire chapter)

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
God Is For Us
My Soul Will Wait (Psalm 62)
I Have A Shelter
O Lord My Rock And My Redeemer
A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Romans 9:1-5

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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

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

CLICK BELOW TO PURCHASE ONE OF OUR BOOKS OF THE QUARTER:

In last Sunday’s sermon in Psalm 122, we saw that when we love God's church, we are passionate about God's church, and we will pray for God’s church. What a joy, privilege and call we have from God in praying for our beloved church!

When our love for the church moves us to pray for her, we find that God strengthens his church in power. In Chapter One in the book C.H. Spurgeon On Spiritual Leadership, we find these words: “When [Spurgeon] toured friends and guests through Metropolitan Tabernacle (his church), he would take them to the prayer room in the basement, where people could be found on their knees offering up intercessory petitions to God. Spurgeon would tell his visitors, ‘Here is the powerhouse of this church.’”

Church, when you love and pray together for our church, you are the powerhouse of our church!

• Pray for spiritual revival in the hearts of our members and the Holy Spirit for power and courage in our evangelism.

• Pray for your pastors - Derek as he leads the preaching and teaching ministry of the church; for Tim as he leads our evangelism efforts; and for Tom as he provides ongoing care and counsel. 

• Pray with thanksgiving for your church’s finances as we enter a new budget year.

• Pray that God would bear fruit in the lives of all who serve and are part of the various ministries of our church - SGYouth, GRACEkids, FORGE, WOVEN, Community Groups, Journey of Generous, Bridge Course, and more.

• Pray for our ministry on the Eastside - our monthly public service, Community Group, and the Bridge Course beginning in the fall.

• Pray for the Blanco and Overstreet families who have now relocated to Louisville to attend the Sovereign Grace Pastors College with classes beginning on September 1st.

• Pray for the Pastors and Leaders Conference and the 13 men from our church that will be attending in November.

• Pray for Derek, as he gathers with the West Region Senior Pastors at their annual retreat at the end of September.

• Pray for Rick Baker and Triston Hooks as they transition into new roles on our Worship Team.

• Pray for the preaching through the second half of the book of Romans, and that the preached word would encourage, convict, and grow us.

• Pray for our Sovereign Grace family of churches as we equip our existing churches, plant new churches, and for the transition of the Executive Director role from Mark Prater to Jon Payne.

Nothing can and should bring us more joy, wonder, and a sense of purpose than gathering as God’s people. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: SUMMER IN THE PSALMS
TEXT: Psalm 122
TITLE: Let’s Go To Church
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: Gathering with God’s people should be one of the most joyful things we do as Christians.

POINTS:
I. A Joyful Eagerness
II. An Informed Wonder
III. A Resolve to Pray

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes and text emphasis are taken directly from the pastor’s notes.

ILLUSTRATION: Trey Richardson looking around the room—Look what God has done!

“Few people I have known found joy and wonder in the church like Trey Richardson. That’s what Psalm 122 is about—joy and wonder in God and His people.”

“Gathering with God’s people should be one of the most joyful things we do as Christians.”

“When you ‘come to church,’ you enter into something the world cannot duplicate. With all our wonderful innovation, powerful technology, and mind-boggling AI, nothing can and should bring us more joy, wonder, and a sense of purpose than gathering as God’s people.”

““Here’s the problem: We are too easily distracted. We are too easily satisfied. We too often settle for things less glorious than God’s glory. The result is that gathering with God’s people becomes optional, bothersome, and tedious. Gathering with God’s people should be one of the most joyful things we do as Christians.”

“I want to draw our three points from Psalm 122 that, if we take them to heart, should fuel our affections for God and His people.”

“Verse 1 serves as the banner over this entire psalm—I was GLAD when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD!” Those words express the psalmist’s deep affections for the people of God, God’s presence, and God’s worship. A number of commentators argue that Psalms 120-122 form a unit.”

“In 120, we meet the psalmist crying out to God from the pit of misery as he longs for peace. In 121, we join the psalmist as he journeys to Jerusalem to worship God. In Psalm 122, the psalmist stands at the house of the Lord, and as he looks around, he finds himself moving from misery to joy.”

“But 1 says that someone sometime between Psalm 120 and 121 gave him some really good advice—Let’s go to the house of the Lord together. And he went. Despite how he was feeling, he joined his friends and went to worship at the house of the Lord. And now that he is there, he could not be happier. Why? Because it’s the house of the Lord. It’s the beautiful place where God meets with His covenant people, and where His covenant people worship Him.”

“Of course, the church is for us what Jerusalem was for ancient Israel, only far better. We live under a new covenant, with Jesus himself as the ultimate temple of the Lord, having fulfilled what the temple typified through his life, death, and resurrection. The gospel makes us new and brings us into His church, where the manifold wisdom and unmatched glory of God are most clearly revealed. This is why Sundays are the dearest day of the week and the church the dearest place on earth.”

RUNNING APPLICATION: Let us be to one another the person who says— Let us go to the house of the Lord. That’s not just for the pastor to do. That’s an every member ministry. The world blows us up during the week, and we don’t want to go to church on Sunday, right? I’m too tired, I’m too angry, I’m too busy for church today. We’ve all been there. In that moment, I need that someone saying to me—Come to church with me! Don’t underestimate that simple invitation. It may be the best counsel you can offer in the moment. Some of us need that invitation more than others.

ILLUSTRATION: My last words—See you on Sunday.

“Who in your CG or relational network could use a call on Saturday—Hey brother or sister, tomorrow is Sunday, let’s go to church! It’s an application of Hebrews 10:24-25 that says—In light of the gospel: ‘…let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.’”

“I want to be clear: We don’t worship the Sunday gathering. But if we understand that God created it, Jesus died for it, and the Spirit empowers it (what a leadership team) our joy in participating in it should be overwhelming.”

RUNNING APPLICATION: Hebrews 12:18-24 (Church in heaven; what we are participating in now).

“Hopefully, Hebrews 12 strengthens your faith because faith is key. Martin Luther said—Faith produces rejoicing.”

“So we should all ask ourselves: Do I believe that when God gathers His people on a Sunday morning, He is uniquely present through His Word, the sacraments, the song, the prayers, the preaching, the serving, and the fellowship, and that He wants to do something amazing in our midst? God is never merely present in church; He is always powerfully present. Maybe you didn’t feel like coming to church when the alarm went off this morning, but you did, by God’s grace. Aren’t you glad you did?”

“Faith in God’s promises for His gathered people will make you like the psalmist—’I was glad when they said to me, Let’s go to the house of the Lord!’ The psalmist's enthusiasm isn’t blind; it’s theologically informed.”

“I love visiting the city of Denver. Do you know why? It’s home to the four-time, soon-to-be five-time Super Bowl Champion Denver Broncos. In Psalm 122, the psalmist celebrates and wonders at Jerusalem, not ultimately for its physical beauty but for its spiritual significance. Jerusalem is the city where the house of the Lord, or, as we see in 5, the house of David, is found. Jerusalem was the holy city because it was home to the temple, the place of God’s holy presence.”

“While we can identify a few reasons for the psalmist’s wonder at Jerusalem in these verses, one rises above them all—UNITY. Not uniformity, UNITY.”

“Think about the twelve tribes of Israel. They had rivalries. They hailed from different geographical areas. They had different historical roles—some priests, some kings, some warriors, some farmers, some maritime traders. But they all had this in common: They were God’s people called to worship Him. They all came, just as commanded, to God’s city, Jerusalem, the city of their God, the place of His holy presence in the temple, to give thanks to the name of the Lord, as it says in 4. In this, they were together. This was the common bond they shared.”

“It’s the same for us. This UNITY foreshadows what only Jesus Christ can bring. The gospel takes sinners like you and me, people who differ in so many ways, and gives us one thing we share—THIS! We belong to God because we have been saved by the mercy and grace of Jesus Christ. That is the only hope for everyone in this room. No one here became part of this in any other way.” 

“When you come on Sundays, you are participating in a miracle.”

“The application is clear—Pray for peace. He uses the word peace three times (6,7,8). Jerusalem was an important city for ancient Israel. David brought the ark of the covenant and the tabernacle to Jerusalem. As you may recall, in 2 Samuel 7, David said, Something is wrong here. I’m in a palace, and God is in a tent. I need to build a house for God. Of course, God told David, No, your son Solomon will build a Temple. This made Jerusalem the city of the priesthood, the king, and the center of worship.  Because the Temple was in Jerusalem, peace there ensured that God’s people would always have a place to go to worship God.”

“Now, our dispensational brothers and sisters, whom we love dearly in Christ, would use these verses to tell us that we have a unique responsibility to pray for the well-being of the modern nation-state of Israel, and even that our well-being is tied to Israel's well-being and to our seeking it. Well, certainly, let us pray for peace everywhere. But as we said earlier, what Jerusalem was to the Israelites, the Church is to us as Christians. Through the cross, Christ has become our high priest and reigning king in heaven. We are his worshipping people, the Church. More on that soon in Romans. On this side of the cross, our unique responsibility is to pray for peace within the Church and love and work toward her good. And God loves it when we do.”

“Listen, the church is not perfect, but God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit love and cherish it. One day, Jesus will return with his righteous judgment and make all things new. The New Heavens and the New Jerusalem will be where the church will revel and shine in the glory of God and Christ. I want to end by having you turn to the end of your Bible in Revelation 21—read 22-27.”

CLOSING APPLICATION: What an eternity that will be! It will blow our minds! But as we prepare for that eternity, let us be found overwhelmingly glad to be part of the church, loving one another, wondering at what the Lord is doing, and passionately praying and participating for her good and God’s glory!

QUOTES:
Matthew Henry - “It is the will of God that we should worship him in concert, that many should join together to wait upon him in public ordinances. We ought to worship God in our own houses, but that is not enough; we must go into the house of the Lord, to pay our homage to him there, and not forsake the assembling of ourselves together. We should not only agree with one another, but excite and stir up one another, to go to worship God in public. Let us go; not, “Do you go and pray for us, and we will stay at home;” but, “We will go also.” Not, “Do you go before, and we will follow at our leisure;” or, “We will go first, and you shall come after us;” but, “Let us go together, for the honor of God and for our mutual edification and encouragement.” We ourselves are slow and backward, and others are so too, and therefore we should thus quicken and sharpen one another to that which is good, as iron sharpens iron. Those that rejoice in God will rejoice in calls and opportunities to wait upon him. We should desire our Christian friends, when they have any good work in hand, to call for us and take us along with them.”

Ligon Duncan - “You can't pray for the Church with zeal unless you love Her passionately. You can't pray for the Church with zeal unless you love Her passionately. And no one who loves the Church passionately and loves for Her well-being will go unrewarded by God. That's what the psalmist says. If you love God's Church, you’re passionate about God's Church, you pray for God's Church, you long for, you study, you strive for the unity, the harmony, the peace, the purity of that Church, God will not leave you unrewarded because He loves His Church and He will bless those who love Her.”

SCRIPTURE MEMORIZATION:
Romans 8 (entire chapter)

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
Praise to the Lord
Sing
Jesus Thank You
There is One Gospel

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Psalm 117

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The heavens proclaim His righteousness. Jesus life and His death proclaim His righteousness but there’s a day coming when He will return AND ALL WILL SEE HIS GLORY. And God’s active presence necessitates an appropriate response. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: SUMMER IN THE PSALMS
TEXT: Psalm 97
TITLE: When God Shows Up
PREACHER: Tim Lambros
BIG IDEA: God’s active presence necessitates an appropriate response!

POINTS:
I. The Glorious Presence of the Lord
II. The Ultimate Presence of the Lord
III. Our Response to the Presence of the Lord

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes and text emphasis are taken directly from the pastor’s notes.

ILLUSTRATION: When the “blue coats” are coming

“God’s active presence necessitates an appropriate response.”

“God is a Sovereign being who manifests Himself in many ways in the past and when He shows up – there is an appropriate response needed.”

“The Psalm opens up with the reality of our God.  He reigns.  The Lord reigns!  To “REIGN” brings to mind a royal, kingly word and perspective. What’s the appropriate response? Therefore, let the earth rejoice.”

“What does it mean for the Lord to reign?  It means He’s sovereign over everything.  Everything?  Yes, every cell in your body and every molecule in the universe functions and operates and proceeds under the reign of the LORD.  All capitals, YWHE.”

“V. 1b literally means “let them rejoice the coastlands many” to the OT Jewish person singing this song there would be a limited view of the Mediterranean coastlands. V. 2-5  echoes God’s awesome appearance to Israel at Sinai.  God showed up in  a powerful way.  In a way Israel would never forget.  This is what we call a theophany.”

“A theophany is usually defined as a temporary, visible manifestation of God or a divine being.  Picture Moses at the burning bush, God showing up at the dedication of the temple in a way that none could even stand.
V. 2 clouds and thick darkness – these represent a prior manifestation of God’s presence to Israel after they were delivered from Egypt. 
V. 3 Fire goes before Him 
V. 4 Lightnings light up 
V. 5 The mountains melt like wax 
V. 1 the Lord reigns let the earth rejoice v. 5 the Lord of all the earth”

“Would you rather be humbled by the lack of knowledge on how a holy God reigns with earthly disaster or would you rather serve a God who doesn’t fully reign over all things? What would the world be like if He didn’t reign? Too many times we live our functional lives as if we don’t have a God who reigns over every action and reaction in the world and in our lives.”

“Every action God does is part of His master plan. God is not like Disneyland.  Let that sink in.  God’s purposes are not simply to create the earth, create man in His image and then send us out to enjoy it like we do when we go to Disneyland. No! God has revealed His redemptive plan and it is built around building a people for Himself.  His ways are not our ways but He’s not like Disneyland and hopes we come and enjoy it while He sits back and smiles.”

“How mankind responds to the truth about God creates deep divisions. That’s just the reality of humans when they encounter God or encounter truth about Him.”

“V. 6 & V. 9 are little bookends for this section. V. 6  The heavens proclaim His righteousness.  The created heavens scream that God is Creator.  Now jump down to V. 9. He is Lord over all!  He is exalted above all other gods.  God doesn’t mince words so let’s look a bit closer.  He is exalted FAR ABOVE all gods.”

ILLUSTRATION - A million people arose this morning in the Tucson area and most ignored that the heavens proclaim truths about God.  We see it and ignore His presence.  The LORD reigns. We see His obvious glory – in the sunset, in the formation of monsoons that come together in a matter of hours at times. 

“In God’s redemptive plan He didn’t leave it up to His people to figure it out.  Look closely again at v. 6.  ALL THE PEOPLES SEE HIS GLORY. v. 7 All worshipers of images are put to shame.  The challenge is we don’t just make worthless idols in our lives, we boast about them.  ALL WORSHIPERS. God created us to worship.  Why do you think we are in awe with a starry night while camping or impressed with an amazing dunk in basketball or a home run hit in baseball. God created us that way! In light of the LORD who reigns, who is most high over all the earth/exalted FAR above all gods, all the idols we could create – that LORD puts worshipers to shame.”

“Church, God knows mankind, He created us.  He builds His redemptive plan knowing we would give ourselves to man made idols and will be put to shame. God’s ultimate plan was to display His glory and ALL THE PEOPLES WOULD SEE HIS GLORY. God sent His Son so that there would be a day that all the peoples would see His glory AND ACKNOWLEDGE IT.  The Psalmist sings because Zion rejoices at what God has revealed of Himself to Israel.  But there would be more.  God would send His Son to proclaim His righteousness.”

“Jesus would take on flesh, He would live a perfect life.  He would be tempted in every way and never sin.  He would be rejected by His own people Israel and be rejected by the idol loving Gentiles.  They would put Him through a bloody death but God would raise Him up.  Then God would preserve this revelation of His Son SO ALL COULD SEE HIS GLORY.”

“But there is still even more.  The heavens proclaim His righteousness.  Jesus life and His death proclaim His righteousness but there’s a day coming when He will return AND ALL WILL SEE HIS GLORY.”

“…we still give ourselves to worthless idols.  Today it’s not idols we make with wooden things, it’s the idols of the heart we worship.  I doubt you have a wooden idol in our living room or back yard but you have idols you’re bowing down to in your heart. You bow down to that friend’s request because you idolize their acceptance of you.  You have an idol of your reputation, some financial status, your house is a museum instead of an outpost for the gospel because it’s an idol.  Teens you want something at school so bad this idol controls how you look, speak and act.  The list is endless.”

“Church, in our homes and in our community groups let’s be honest about those worthless idols we create in our heart.  Let’s grow in identifying these idols of the heart, confessing them to God and to our friends and put them to death.  Why? Cuz our God is highly exalted above all gods.  Jesus is highly exalted and more satisfying than any worthless idol we could create in our hearts and begin to bow down to.”

“Remember when we introduced the Psalms and gave reasons to continually come back to the Psalms?  One of those reasons was that the Psalms teach us godly living.  V. 10-12 is Psalm 97’s application and a call to godly living in light of God’s glorious presence.  The creation and the revelation of God in Christ necessitate a response. v. 10 hate evil. V. 12 rejoice and give thanks - If you love the Lord, hate evil!  Trust that God will preserve you in your struggle to put to death idols.”

“Who is this application directed towards?  Believers. The Church.  The Psalmist says it a few different ways.  

• Those WHO LOVE THE LORD – 

• OF HIS SAINTS – 

• light for the RIGHTEOUS – 

• joy for the UPRIGHT IN HEART – 

• rejoice O YOU RIGHTEOUS.  

This is a call to a godly response to Israel and a call to godly living in believers.  Because of Christ we don’t encounter the God who reigns like Israel did.  We encounter Jesus who calls us to come to Him, the One who lived a perfect life, hating evil.  He’s the One who preserves you and delivers you from the hand of the wicked.  He’s the One that causes you to be upright in heart.”

“We hate evil while we simultaneously rejoice in the Lord and give thanks to His holy name! How do we do this?  You know it as sanctification.  Use Thomas Chalmers famous sermon title from 250 years ago as your reminder.  The expulsive power of a new affection.”

“It’s never about simply using your own power to hate evil.  We need a power outside of ourselves – the Promised Holy Spirit – to create new affections deep in our heart.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Proverbs 16:33
Deuteronomy 4:11–12
Romans 1:18-23

QUOTES:
John Calvin, on the theophany - “a representation of the formidable majesty attaching to God, that he may dash and humble vain confidence and carnal pride.”

Paul Tripp - “Acknowledging God as Creator means acknowledging that he owns you and has a purpose for you and everything in your life. Believing him as Sovereign means resting in his active control of every detail of your life. Trusting him as Savior means repenting of your sin and trusting in his resurrection grace.”

SCRIPTURE MEMORIZATION:
Romans 8 (entire chapter)

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
How Great (Psalm 145)
Behold Our God
We Are Yours Forever
Tis' So Sweet To Trust In Jesus
The Lord Almighty Reigns (Psalm 93)

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Psalm 122

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 In God’s kindness, He gives us Psalm 103. Psalm 103 is for His people who forget. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: SUMMER IN THE PSALMS
TEXT: Psalm 103
TITLE: Never Forget
PREACHER: Tom Wilkins
BIG IDEA: When we remember the gospel, all that is within us rejoices!

POINTS:
I. Never forget God is gracious (1-5)
II. Never forget God is merciful (6-11)
III. Never forget God is loving (12-19)
Application - Bless the LORD (1)

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes and text emphasis are taken directly from the pastor’s notes.

ILLUSTRATION: “the man who woke up” every few minutes, Clive Wearing

“Memory loss is scary. The mental and emotional anguish is severe!

The resulting amnesia can be devastating to the one afflicted and to the friends and loved ones who know them. But there is something even more devastating than amnesia. When our soul experiences spiritual amnesia. We forget. We forget the milk. We forget to get gas in the car. We forget about appointments. We forget names. We forget these things. Most concerning, most alarming, most serious, is that our soul forgets. In particular, we forget God. We forget who He is. We forget what He has done.”

“Yet, God knows this about us. In His kindness, He gives us Psalm 103. Psalm 103 is for His people who forget. Look with me at Vs 5-8. These verses are key to this Psalm. Speaking to the original hearers of this Psalm, God reminds them of the salvation history in these 3 verses. And vs 8 is almost word-for-word how the LORD describes Himself to Moses in Exodus 34:6.”

“This Psalm was for His people then, and it is for us now! It is for those who have forgotten their yesterday! It is for those who are prone to spiritual amnesia! Psalm 103 is for your soul. Psalm 103 speaks to your soul. It says, ‘Soul, remember the LORD and bless the LORD’ Psalm 103 helps us “hold onto our yesterday” and so much more!”

“When we truly hear and believe what is contained in the gospel, we will not be able to stay quiet about it. The gospel, from the mouth of God, when rightly heard with the ears of our soul, calls forth everything within us to praise God! Joy is created! But we have a problem. We forget. We forget the gospel. And Psalm 103 comes along and says REMEMBER! Remember the good news! AND…When we remember the gospel, all that is within us rejoices!”

“This Psalm of praise begins and ends with the exhortation: ‘Bless the Lord!’ Repeated essentially 3 times in the first two verses. Bless the LORD, bless his holy name, Bless the LORD! And in the final 3 verses in 20-22 it is repeated 4 times! I think it’s clear. The point of this Psalm? BLESS THE LORD.”

“H.B. Charles calls this Psalm a masterclass in gospel “Self Speak!” It is clear that this Psalm is a perfect example of preaching the gospel to yourself.”

“The opening 5 verses are very personal. It is a call to you to do something. In effect, you are addressing your own soul. “Soul, bless the Lord.” We are calling our soul to action. Bless the Lord. I often hear people answering the question, How’s it going? Blessed. I’ve seen various forms of “Bless” on license plates, coffee mugs, t-shirts. How true it is! This Psalm’s exhortation to Bless the Lord is very different from God’s blessing of us. When He blesses us, He helps and strengthens us. It brings benefit to us. It increases our faith. It grants us hope. BUT to bless the LORD, is to worship Him. When we bless Him, we speak well of Him. We honor Him. We praise Him for who He is and for what He has done. ‘Lord, you have done great things! You are greatly to be praised!’”

“Soul, Bless the LORD! Vs 2 - But, before your soul can do this, you must REMEMBER. Speaking well of God requires that you remember who He is. ‘Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits!’ Never forget ‘all his benefits’ The following verses 3-5 will now list for us the string of his benefits. Spurgeon describes God’s benefits listed here as the Psalmist selecting ‘...a few of the choicest pearls’ and threading ‘them on the string of memory, and hangs them about…’ your neck.”

“God forgives you. God heals you. God redeems you. God crowns you. God satisfies you.”

“Never forget these “choicest pearls” of grace!

Each of these pearls is strung and hung on our necks as a means of memory. This morning we paused our time of singing to REMEMBER the gospel of Jesus and His cross. Remembering that Jesus’ body was broken for us and that His blood was shed for us! David’s Psalm reminds us to remember the Gospel of God’s grace!”

“God’s grace is the undeserved favor of God! God freely gives blessing and favor to you. And you did not/cannot earn it.”

“God’s mercy is our not getting what we do deserve. He withholds His deserved wrath and punishment.”

“God forgives you - God graciously releases us from the penalty of sin - wrath. On the cross, Jesus receives the wrath we deserve, and we receive the forgiveness that we do not deserve! Never forget that you are forgiven by God! God is gracious!”

“God heals you - All our sins are forgiven, but some of them will result in painful consequences. ALL of the lingering consequences of our sin will finally be healed by God! God will graciously heal the effects of our sin!

"My sin, not in part but the whole, is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more!" and this is the unearned grace of God.”

“God redeems you - (v 4) Christ graciously pays the price on the cross for purchase back from the bondage of our sin. Enslaved to sin, we were lying in the pit of death and destruction. We were powerless and pennyless. 
‘The greatest of all transactions
The costliest purchase price
Father, Your Son's atoning death
Was given in payment for mine’  -  Poor Soul, Rejoice and Bless the LORD for His gracious payment that set you free!”

“God crowns you. His crowning of us is God graciously bestowing honor on us! We do not deserve this crown. Illustration: I have a childhood memory. It is the drawing of a skinny boy sitting on a massive throne 4 X his size. A large crown barely hanging his tiny head. The crown could fall off any second. The honor with which he has been greater than his stature! The crown of honor in verse 4 far exceeds our stature. We are completely unworthy of this crown. Yet, the King of Heaven and Earth crowns US! He honors us with His steadfast love! He honors us with His mercy!”

“God satisfies you - (vs 5) God graciously pours out His goodness to you - all that we have just seen and so much more. This undeserved satisfying good stirs up our soul. It is so satisfying; it lifts the aged up to youthfulness.”

“God will not always chide - God mercifully decides not to bring a prosecution against us in His righteous court! God will not keep His anger - God mercifully will not hold on to His just anger! God will not deal with us according to our sins - God mercifully chooses to not treat us as our sins deserve! God will not repay us according to our sins - God mercifully will not repay us with His holy wrath.”

“What would happen? What should happen, if it were not for God’s mercy? It’s terrifying! There is no place that we could hide from the wrath of God. God has every HOLY right to not only prosecute us but also judge us and execute us on the spot! We should not even get a trial! God’s anger should burn hot against us in His all-consuming fire! (Vs 10) God knows every single one of our sins. We deserve to receive the full payment for each one. God has every right to remember every one of our sins.ALL OF THIS WOULD BE DESERVED.”

“Without God’s mercy, your eternal suffering is simply indescribable. Join the thief next to Christ. Acknowledge that you will get what you deserve. BUT Christ is merciful. Cry out to Jesus, and He will remember you! You will have eternal life! What we deserved, Jesus received in our place! What began in the garden was completed in His cross.”

“Jesus bears our sins, and He gets the justice that we deserved. Jesus bears our sins, and He gets the unmitigated wrath that we deserved. Jesus bears our sins, and He receives the holy treatment that we deserved. Jesus bears our sins and pays the price for every single one of them! Jesus got what we deserved. Jesus satisfies the wrath of God. Worship Jesus, O my soul! Never forget that He is merciful!When we remember the gospel of God’s mercy, all that is within us rejoices!”

“Never forget God’s love. We are reminded that God is loving in 11-19 in that. God’s love for us has no bounds. God’s love for us is compassionate. God’s love for us is endless. In vs 11-12, God’s love for us has no bounds. We cannot measure the height of God’s love for us. From our position, we are blown away by the vastness of His love.”

“David peels back the curtain of the universe. He sets to measure the distance from the earth to the end of the cosmos! THAT is the measure of God’s steadfast love! God’s steadfast love is limitless and He proved His love by sending His Beloved Son into this sinful world.”

“At times we have theoretical belief in the love of God. We hear about it. It sounds wonderful! But, DO YOU TRULY KNOW IT? Building your faith in Him. DO YOU FEEL HIS LOVE? Leading to your passion for Him. God’s love for you is illustrated as a father’s profound affection. He will not shrink back from you. He will not sulk over your failure. He understands that until he calls us home, we struggle and strive. At the deepest level, he knows you. He knows you inside-out. He knows your frame. He REMEMBERS that we are dust. It’s a lie to believe that no one knows you nor understands you. HE DOES. Never forget that HE REMEMBERS you! He knows you through and through. AND THIS is part of what makes His love immeasurably steadfast! He knows that we here today and gone tomorrow. Never forget God’s love! It is boundless. It is compassionate. God’s love for you is forever!”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Isaiah 53:5
Isaiah 43:4
Luke 23:39–43
Jeremiah 31
Hebrews 8
Romans 8:39

QUOTES:
C.H. Spurgeon - “Our sin deprived us of all our honors; [punishment without a trial] was issued against us as traitors; but he who removed the sentence of death by redeeming us from destruction restores to us more than all our former honors by crowning us anew. Shall God crown us and shall not we crown him? Up, my soul, and cast your crown at his feet, and in lowliest reverence worship him, who has so greatly exalted you, as to lift you from the dunghill and set you among princes.”

Dane Ortland - “Let this psalm wash over you. Growth in the Christian life is the process of bringing your sense of self, your swirling internal world of fretful panic arising out of gospel deficit, into alignment with the more fundamental truth that ‘The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.’ In Christ, God proved it.”

SCRIPTURE MEMORIZATION:
Romans 8 (entire chapter)

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
Bless The Lord O My Soul (Psalm 103)
Jesus Your Mercy
We Receive
His Mercy Is More
Thy Mercy

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Psalm 97

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

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Today, in Psalm 147, we discover that there is something about God that draws our affections. What God does and Who God is draws our affection. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: SUMMER IN THE PSALMS
TEXT: Psalm 147
TITLE: Worthy of Our Praise and Confidence
PREACHER: Tom Wilkins
BIG IDEA: Because of what God is doing and who He is, He is worthy of our praise and our confidence!

POINTS:
I. God is Building His Church
II. God is Able

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes and text emphasis are taken directly from the pastor’s notes.

ILLUSTRATION: Being afraid at bedtime, “There was something about my Dad; when I was afraid, being near him somehow calmed my fears. I knew that I was safe.”

“Today, in Psalm 147, we discover that there is something about God that draws our affections. What God does and Who God is draws our affection.”

“‘Praise the LORD!’ - This imperative are the first words of the Psalm. They are repeated again in 12. And these are the last words of this Psalm. Psalm 147 is clear. We are called to praise the LORD.”

“Vs 1 describes God as altogether beautiful and that ignites our joy and delight in Him! The original hearers of this Psalm would have heard it and rejoiced! In verse 1 - ‘We, the redeemed, see our Redeemer as altogether beautiful. This ignites our joy. Our delight in our Savior is altogether enjoyable!’”

“Praising the LORD is altogether enjoyably right. There is something about Him! There is something beautiful about Him! WE HAVE GOOD REASON TO PRAISE HIM! HE IS WORTHY TO BE PRAISED! THIS is what I hope will help us see in God’s word this morning: Because of what God is doing and who He is, He is worthy of our praise and our confidence!”

“What God is doing is altogether reason enough to praise Him! Who God is is altogether reason enough to put our confidence in Him!”

“Understanding the context of PS 147 will serve us. God had called his people to Himself. He had placed them in the land he had promised. They sinned against him again and again. So, he disciplined them. He drove them out of their promised land. The Israelites had been exiled for their sin. But God… is merciful. What has He done? He forgave them and redeemed them from exile! He gathered the outcasts of Israel back. He would be their God and they would be his people.”

“What was true for the Israelites held a greater hope and promise for the Church. The Promised One, Jesus Christ, has come and has called His church back in. He continues calling His church together! The very definition of CHURCH is the ‘ones called out and gathered together.’ God is building up His church. But how is he building up His church?”

“God is building His Church by gathering us (v2). Echoing the words in Psalm 107:3 (in our Call to Worship), God gathers his people “from the east and the west, from the north and the south.” SING, Jerusalem! Your God is building you up! PRAISE THE LORD CHURCH, because ‘The LORD is gathering you!’”

“He has gone to the ends of the earth and gathered you back to himself! God is gathering you in from all of the desolate places you find yourself in! Our sin has broken this world. Our sin has us scattered into all of this brokenness. God could have, in His righteousness, left us there! But He didn’t! He is gracious sends His beloved Son into this world. (Luke 19:10)”

“God is building His Church by healing us (v3) ‘He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.’ He heals the brokenhearted is not the last 10 minutes of your favorite Hallmark show. The couple finds each other… again, but under the town square Christmas lights, they slowdance, and their broken hearts are healed. This is NOT what verse 3 is talking about. This matter here is eternally more serious and infinitely more hopeful. It describes us as broken and bowed down under the weight of our sin and the sins in the world. Our souls are wrenched as they become aware of the righteous judgment of God. (Ex. Jeremiah knows that God’s judgment is about to exile Israel. He declares in Jeremiah 23:9, ‘My heart is broken within me!’ ) In the broken-heartedness of our sin, we suffer deep pain - an anguish and pain of the soul. This severe painful sorrow and suffering lie like an open wound that will not heal. But PS 147:3 preaches JOY of JOYs to the brokenhearted! God heals you!”

“He is building His Church by lifting you up (v 6) 

V 6, bookending V 3, The LORD is building you up by lifting you out of humiliation, out of affliction that was the result of your sin against Him. We should have been cast to the ground and left with the wicked. But God graciously lifts them out of their affliction.”

“God walks the hospitals of our lives looking for the mourners, the sick, and the dying! This is what He does! He, who is high and lifted up, comes down to the wretched and wounded, and lifts them up. All of what we are hearing in Psalm 147 is FULLY revealed in the Gospel of our Savior. Jesus came to us in our affliction and lifted us out! He humbled himself to save the humble. He willingly humbled himself, being afflicted, in order build up his people!”

“How God is building up His people? He is gathering us, healing us, and lifting us up.”

“He is building His church by strengthening us. The Lord is building His church by ‘strengthening the bars of your gates.’ (V 13) This original language clarifies its meaning. This means the Lord is securing His Church through His promise and blessing. His promises are sure. His blessings are sure. What He said He would do, He is doing it! He said He will build His church, and He is doing it! He said that He will heal the brokenhearted, and He is doing it! He said that He will lift up the humble, and He is doing it!”

“He is building His church by making peace in her borders! (no more war in her). He is building His church by filling you, Church, with the finest! Meaning, YOUR DEEPEST SATISFACTION. The people of Israel had turned to other gods for their satisfaction. Church, we turn to the world and other gods for our satisfaction. BUT, PRAISE THE LORD. He gathered us back in! And our affections and longings are being changed from the inside out. THE LORD is now at “filling you”... with Himself! HE IS THE ANSWER AND THE SATISFACTION of our deepest desires. He is making His Church the safest place, filled with the deepest satisfaction!”

“Can God truly do all that the Psalmist says that He is doing? Vs 5 declares that God is all-powerful and all-knowing. We are not all-powerful. We quickly find ourselves powerless. We are not all-knowing. We quickly find that we are shockingly limited in knowledge. This is one of the major reasons that AI sounds attractive. It is so promising. It promises to answer all of our questions and solve all of our problems. - IT NEVER WILL! AI can help me with a printer problem. AI cannot lift up my grieving heart. Only God can lift up the afflicted. On matters of the heart and soul, you struggle deeply. You cannot fix this, but Great is our LORD! God understands the heart. He understands everything, “beyond measure.” In matters of salvation, we have no power. But God’s power to save is abundant. The stars are nothing for him (Vs 4). But he knows them ALL! He names them.”

“O, how we need to be reminded that HE IS ABLE! That this would result in us turning to God and praising Him!”

“Q. Is God able? Psalm 147 says, “He is!”

Q. Can God truly heal the brokenhearted? Vs 5 tells us He can!

God is able!

Q. Can God gather all of His children? Vs 4 tells us He can!

Q. Can God provide for you? Vs 8 and 9 tell us God is able!

Q. Is God able to provide for even the lowest? Vs 9 tells us He is!

Q. Where is your confidence? You believe in God, yet you lack confidence in God. Vs 10 clues us in on where we often put our confidence - the ability of man (legs) and his resources (his horse). The mightiest of men in battle and the mightiest of his weapons - where is your trust? In what or in whom are you confident to save you?

Q. [The situation seems impossible.] Can God do anything? Vs 15-18 say that God needs to simply say the word. He is able!”

“There is a cadence of God’s works and ability in this Psalm.

Praise the LORD

God builds His church!

God gathers the outcasts!

God heals the brokenhearted!

God lifts up the humble!

God strengthens His church!

God blesses His church!

God makes peace in His church!

God is able in His greatness!

God is able in His power!

God is able in His understanding!

God is able in His provision!

God is able in His word!

Praise the LORD. Over and over we are told in the Psalm what God is doing and who God is. THEN SINGS MY SOUL, HOW GREAT THOU ART!”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Isaiah 53:5

QUOTES:
C.H. Spurgeon - “Behold, the Most High has to do with the sick and the sorry, with the wretched and the wounded! He walks the hospitals as the good Physician! His deep sympathy with mourners is a special mark of his goodness. Few will associate with the despondent, but Jehovah chooses their company, and abides with them till he has healed them by his comforts. He deigns [stoops below himself] to handle and heal broken hearts: he himself lays on the ointment of grace, and the soft bandages of love, and thus binds up the bleeding wounds of those convinced of sin. … The Lord is always healing and binding… Come, broken hearts, come to the Physician who never fails to heal: uncover your wounds to him who so tenderly binds them up!”

APPLICATION:
Q. Has the Church become unsatisfying to you? Are you beginning to be bored with the church? The Lord builds her up and delights in her, filling her with deep satisfaction - meeting all of her righteous longings. Where are you going to find the safest place? Where are you going to find your deepest satisfaction? It’s in the church! (Vs 14) God is building His church! How can you delight in her again? Discover again who God is and what he is doing?

Q. Are you brokenhearted and afflicted? How far have you fallen into the depths of your sin? He lifts up the humble! Has sin in this world led to deep pain and grief? How far have you sunk into the depths of sorrow? Psalm 139:9–10 (ESV) If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. Behold the power of your God to hold you and lift you up.

Q. Is there anything that seems impossible for you right now? What area do you need to know that God is at work and that He is able?

SCRIPTURE MEMORIZATION:
Romans 8 (entire chapter)

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
We Give Thanks (Psalm 107)
The Greatest Of All
Jesus Paid It All
Praise His Name (Psalm 148)
We Are Thankful

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Psalm 103

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

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The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. It is a stunningly bold statement that we are all too familiar with. As we close the books on 24 and start again in 25, I can't think of a better truth to root us in individually and collectively as a church. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: The Christmas Story
TEXT: Psalm 23:1
TITLE:  An Audacious New Year’s Reality
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

POINTS:
1. The Majesty of My Shepherd
2. The Intimacy of My Shepherd
3. The Sufficiency of My Shepherd

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”Someone said about Psalm 23:1—Our familiarity with these words may rob us of their audacity. It is one thing to speak of God as Rock, King, Creator, Holy One, and Shelter, but Shepherd!? No image is so touching as the image of shepherd. As shepherd, the Lord must identify with His flock; as shepherd, the Lord must always be near His flock; as shepherd, the Lord must fight for His flock; as shepherd, the Lord must be willing to die for his flock. This image David uses of God is among the loveliest in the Bible to describe the tender and compassionate care that God gives to His people.”

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. It is a stunningly bold statement that we are all too familiar with. As we close the books on 24 and start again in 25, I can't think of a better truth to root us in individually and collectively as a church. My prayer on this last Sunday of the year is simple:  We will leave here looking back on 24, freshly aware and grateful for all the goodness of our Shepherd, and look forward to 25 with a fullness of hope, knowing our Shepherd will be with us every step of the way.”

“From the outset, David distinguishes his shepherd as no ordinary shepherd—The LORD is my shepherd. Notice the word LORD in all caps. David is using the covenant name of God—Yahweh. It's the name God revealed to Moses in Exodus 3 at the burning bush. It was a fire in the bush that did not consume the bush, showing that the fire needed no source. The bush was a vivid illustration of God's being. He is profoundly mysterious. He needs nothing. He is independent of everything. He is self-existent. He is the great I AM. All of that is captured and communicated in the all-caps LORD. This is David's shepherd, and this is your shepherd.”

“Your shepherd is the one Isaiah 40 describes as measuring the waters that cover the Earth in the hollow of His hands and the one who consults no one because He knows all things.”

“Your shepherd is the one Job 38 describes as commanding the elements of weather and creating the boundaries of the sea.”

“Your shepherd is the one Psalm 8 declares has set the stars into place. PERSPECTIVE: [There is a] report that says there are 1,000 stars for every grain of sand on the Earth. Every one of them, the LORD, sets and holds into place effortlessly.”

“Here's the point: Your shepherd is no ordinary shepherd! He is the LORD who shepherds you from the fullness of His infinite and undiminishing wisdom, love, and power.”

“Allow this to stop you in your tracks because it should. The opening words of Psalm 23 should arrest our attention immediately. But too often, it doesn't. We rush by WHO our shepherd is to get to WHAT he does for us.”

“Don't allow your view of LORD to be, in the words of Phillip Keller—too small, too cramped, too provincial, too human. As the sun sets on one year and dawns on another, take heart—The LORD has been your shepherd, and He will continue to be your shepherd!”

“In light of WHO the Psalm 23 shepherd is, what David says next is quite remarkable: he says—The LORD is my shepherd. David does not say the LORD is A shepherd, or Israel's shepherd, or even Our shepherd. He says The Lord is MY shepherd. The Infinite LORD is an Intimate Shepherd!”

“I read a great book, While Shepherds Watch Their Flock, by Timothy Laniak, a missionary turned seminary professor who took a year-long sabbatical to the Middle East to study real shepherds. His book chronicles and makes biblical connections with the things he learned about the sheep, the shepherds, and the culture to the shepherd imagery in the Bible, particularly Psalm 23. Here are a few things he observed that have not changed much over time:
- A good shepherd takes great pride in ensuring the sheep are well-fed, protected, and flourishing under His care.
- A good shepherd is up early, carefully inspecting his sheep, looking for any injuries, illness, or parasites. Anything that needs special attention before the day starts.
- A good shepherd is strategic and goes to great lengths to ensure there are always green, rich pastures. He makes sure there is plenty of clean water, and he plans for enough feed to get them through winter.
- A good shepherd sleeps with one eye open, constantly alert for danger from predators. His eyes continually move over the flock so he knows when a sheep wanders off or gets too close to a cliff.”

“In other words, a shepherd knows his sheep intimately. The LORD, who is transcendent above His creation in every way, the one who holds the universe in his hands, relates to YOU as a shepherd relates to his sheep.”

“These five simple words—The LORD is my shepherd—represent a glorious condescension. As you turn the corner to 2025, the Lord wants to remind you of your profound relationship with Him. We have been reminded this Christmas that our Infinite Shepherd condescended to us by sending his son Jesus, the one John 10 calls the Good Shepherd to us for one reason—to lay down his life for the sheep so God could lovingly and eternally accept us.”

“That's what the gospel is about—The Lord, the Great Shepherd, doing all the work needed through Jesus, the good shepherd, to make you His beloved sheep.”

“Yet, as David considers his life, he concludes he is not lacking or deficient, whether temporal or spiritual; he believes he has all he needs. Why? Because he has all he wants? NO. Because the LORD is his shepherd, and the LORD is enough. David is a man marked by a profound contentment rooted in knowing who controls his physical and spiritual well-being—an infinitely good Shepherd who has an undying love for Him.”

“Contentment is elusive. One of the most true-to-life book titles ever is The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment (Jeremiah Burrows). The words I shall not want challenge us because we are prone to wander and be dazzled by other things.”

“We all have some Miss Gadabout [the fence-crawling sheep] in us, don't we? Our hearts want for something more than what God has for us. We think the fields are greener on the other side of the metaphorical fence. Sometimes, it's the sin of greed that drives us. Other times it's the idol of personal dreams. At times, the weariness of suffering fuels discontentment with our shepherd.”

“Church, a new year lies ahead. It will hold personal triumph and tragedy. It will bring health and sickness. There will be excitement and disappointment. As a church, we will launch an exciting Church Plant Exploratory CG on the east side, experience evangelism growing pains, and keep gathering on Sundays and in CG right here in the NW. There will be green pastures and lean pastures. But our Good Shepherd will be with us every step of the way. Jesus is with us. And as our Shepherd, he is working on your behalf, working all things for his glory and your good, keeping you in his graces and providing rest, peace, and joy as your shelter in the storm and comforter of your soul so that we can say with David—read verse 6.”

APPLICATION:
- Here's one way to begin the new year: read Enjoying God by R.C. Sproul

- As you look back on 2024, ask yourself: What areas of fence crawling do I need to give to the Lord in 2025? Identify and repent of those areas with the assurance that your Great Shepherd won't put you down. Like the Father of the Prodigal Son, God never casts His sheep away. He shepherds us. He lovingly corrects us. He gently restores us. He faithfully tends to us by showing us how good and trustworthy He is and how lovely and satisfying His ways are if we would have the eyes to see.

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
This Is Amazing Grace
We Have Been Healed
Grace and Peace
Jesus Thank You
King Of Love
O Lord My Rock And My Redeemer

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Colossians 2:8-15

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

Everyday Gospel: A Daily Devotional Connecting Scripture to All of Life

By Tripp, Paul David

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Verse 3 from "God Is Faithful (Psalm 114)"

We have known Your mercy and Your love as in the past
If days be few or many You will guide us to the last
You have said it, we believe it, every promise holding fast
For we know that You are good

Truths like these remind us of the faithfulness of God toward His people. From Old Testament saints to the New Testament church, including us today: GOD IS FAITHFUL TO HIS PROMISES!

Join us in a noisy celebration this Sunday as we sing together of the faithfulness of God!

Title: God Is Faithful (Psalm 114)
Album: Unchanging God - Songs from the Book of Psalms, Vol. 2
Link to listen HERE.

Today you may lack joy. You may not feel very joyful. We all find ourselves there at times. Psalm 16 is your psalm because it gives us a pathway to true and lasting joy. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Our 7 Shaping Virtues
TEXT: Psalm 16
TITLE: Joy
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: Pursuing the God of all joy produces a joyful Church in all circumstances

POINTS:
1. Know Your Lord
2. Delight In Your Church
3. Guard Your Heart
4. Focus On Jesus

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”Do you believe it’s possible? And I’m not referring to heaven, I mean today. Do you believe its possible to possess joy that transcends even our most difficult circumstances? Psalm 16 compels us to answer with a resounding YES!”

“The truth is, Christians are joy seekers. Joy is a constant theme in the Bible.”
”God wants His church to be characterized by joy. Like a father or mother wants their child to be happy, God desires you to experience joy to the fullest.”

“By joy, we’re not talking about a strong personality trait or a superficial contingent happiness—’I’ll be happy if _______.’ Joy is an abiding and deep delight in God for the sheer beauty of who He is and the infinite worth of what he has done in Christ.”

“When troubles arise, our mind tends to immediately find human solutions. That always leads to anxiety and discouragement. But David fills his mind with the knowledge of his God. This is the beginning of true joy.”

“God is good! In feast or famine. In wealth or poverty. In peace or conflict. In health or sickness, in life or death. God holds my lot. He is in control. He is good. He is my portion, my cup, my inheritance. So whatever he providentially allows into my life, life is good because God is good.”

“Listen, this doesn’t mean we call what is bad, good. Bad is still bad. Cancer is bad. A miscarriage is bad. Losing a loved one is bad. Suffering is suffering, pain is pain, tears are tears. But, in the words of James 1:2, and this is one of the greatest fights in the Christian life—I can count it all as joy because I know who my God is!”

“You want more joy in your life, get to know your God better.”

“David turns his attention to God’s goodness expressed in His people. God, your people love you so I love them. Your people delight in you so I delight in them. This is not idolatry. The church can be an idol. Joy can be an idol, if it’s an end. We take joy in God’s people because God’s presence is with His people. So we love to be in the presence of your people because we long to be in presence of the Lord, where there is joy forevermore.”

“As often as we gather, gathering with your church should be an occasion of great delight and joy. Not because we’re so great but because our God is so great, and when we gather as a church, our great God is uniquely present and glorified. Is it a joy for you to gather with your church? If not, it’s a sign your heart has drifted. Go to God now!”

“The world can throw its best at you, it cannot touch the joy you have in Jesus.” 

“…we must, in the words of verse 8—set him before us. This is the ultimate key to our joy. We don’t set Jesus to the right, the left, or behind us. We set him before us. Right in front of us.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Psalm 30:5
Galatians 5:22
James 1:2
Philippians 4:4
1 Thessalonians 3:9
Jeremiah 2:12-13
1 Chronicles 17:11

QUOTES:
John MacArthur - “The more you know Him, the better you know Him, the more confident you become, the more secure your joy is… Joy is related to your knowledge of God: little knowledge, little joy; much knowledge, much joy. The more you know of God’s glorious truth, of God’s great covenants and promises, of God’s plans, of God’s faithfulness, of God’s power, the more joy you experience in life… Our joy is connected to the goodness of the Lord. And the more you understand His grace and mercy and goodness, the more stable your joy becomes, no matter what circumstances may come.”

Bob Kauflin - “God is particularly interested in our joy. He tells us, “Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!” (Psalm 32:11). When the church gathers, the sense of confident joy in God should be pronounced. When we fail to demonstrate delight and satisfaction in God, we’re not only dishonoring God, we’re disobeying Him. More than anyone else on earth, Christians have a reason to celebrate.”

Sam Storms - “Your choice isn’t whether to passionately seek pleasure. Trust me, you do. Your only option is where you’ll look or whom you’ll love or whose offer of pleasure you’ll accept.”

John Piper - “Is there anything fuller than full? No. Is anything longer than forever? No. This is no rocket science. This is just glory! Nobody anywhere in the world can offer you anything better than Psalm 16:11.  Because nothing is even conceivably better than verse 11. Nothing is fuller than full or longer than forever. “Fullness” means completely satisfying. And “forevermore” means those pleasures never stop.”

Sam Storms - “God created us so that the joy He has in Himself might be ours. God doesn’t simply think about Himself or talk to Himself. He enjoys Himself! He celebrates with infinite and eternal intensity the beauty of who He is as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And we’ve been created to join the party!”

APPLICATION:
By grace through faith in Christ, you have joined the greatest party ever thrown. You belong to the God in whose presence is fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore. Shouldn’t that make us the happiest people on the planet? It should. And we pray it will more and more. 

As we set Jesus before us every day, may the God of all joy pour out His joy on us as a church, for our good, for our testimony, and for God’s glory today, tomorrow, and forevermore!