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

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

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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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Have you forgotten about the goodness of God? Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Summer in the Psalms, Vol. 3
TEXT: Psalm 136
TITLE: Praising Our Good God
PREACHER: Tom Wilkins
BIG IDEA: We praise God because His steadfast love endures forever.

POINTS:
I. We praise Him for who He is
II. We praise Him for what He has done

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

“I lead with this question, ‘Have you forgotten about the goodness of God?’ because today we reach the last sermon in our Sermons In The Psalms Volume 3 series. Week after week for more than 3 months, we have seen that:
The Psalms have promoted Godliness. 
The Psalms have taught us how to engage with God in our daily lives.
The Psalms have connected our lives to Jesus Christ.”

“Today, Psalm 136 will show us that intentional praise and worship of God will remind us again and again that He is who He says He is. He is good… He is good and He is good in all that he does - forever merciful, loving, and good to His people - in fact, all of the earth!”

“What an amazing Psalm we have come to! The repeated lines make it clear that this song is about Praising… Praising God… and Praising God because His steadfast love endures forever.”

“I rejoice this morning because in God's providence, our text in Vs 1 binds three names of God, and calls us to give thanks to Him.”

“Jehovah - YHWH - I AM WHO I AM. - With all that is found in the original meaning of Jehovah (I AM) is his very essence. Praise Him for who He IS. From this point forward through the rest of the Psalm is the intertwining of the amazing truth, the Goodness of God, with promised mercy and love toward His people. He is the very substance and essence of GOODNESS. Praise Him for who He is - ‘for he is good.’”

“Elohim - Vs 2 - ‘Give thanks to the God of gods’ - the Judge over all things - over false gods. Not only is Yahweh GOOD, He is the Judge over all… and this includes any made-up god. There is no other god - He is the only God.”

“For the Israelite to hear these opening words of this Psalm would be an attention grabber! There is none like him; in fact, there is no other! Pagan “gods” are made-up in man’s image - lustful, unsatisfied, moody, uncaring, AND CERTAINLY NOT GOOD by their very nature. They are good only when appeased, making them ultimately, totally unlike our God! What makes God the God of gods is that His goodness is steadfast. His love endures forever!”

“Adonai - Vs 3 - ‘Give thanks to the Lord of lords’ - the Ruler over all rulers - King over all kings. No earthly ruler rules without His providential rule. They can rule UNDER His rule. Their kingship is subject to HIS!”

“What makes God the Lord of lords is, again, that their love and mercy are not steadfast nor everlasting. OUR LORD’S LOVE, MERCY, AND GOODWILL ARE STEADFAST AND FOREVER ENDURING!!”

“The repetition of the refrain “because His steadfast love endures forever” is because we miss this as true in all situations. As clear as this truth is, we forget it. We don’t get what we want. We charge Him (Him!) with not being good. We think the daily grind of our lives goes unnoticed by His mercy and goodness toward us.”

“26 times… Oh, how we need to hear again and again of God’s unearned “sacred affection of mercy, grace and bountiful goodwill” toward us to humble us, to teach us, and therefore lead us into worship!”

“Second, we praise him for His great wonders bear His steadfast love. OT Context - Israel would have understood “His great wonders” is a summary statement of ALL THAT HE HAS DONE. They would have recalled from Creation through their Redemption from Egypt and been rescued from their enemies to the very daily provision of food. All of this - His great wonders, His works are enumerable, uncountable, we cannot quantify them in a final sum! Together, His works are incalculable.”

“His works are ‘great’ - unequalled, unmatched, incomparable, and infinitely marvelous! And this is so, because these great wonders are done by HIM ALONE. None other than God could have performed them, and these great and awesome wonders He has performed display His eternally enduring steadfast goodness, mercy, and love! EACH and every single wonder performed by God carries within it His steadfast, faithful goodness.”

“It is as if the psalmist breathes IN thankfulness for each great thing done by God in His marvelous creation and breathes out ‘for his steadfast love endures forever!’ He will not move on from that which permeates every atom of the universe—stopping at each proclamation to assert that in the very substance of each step of God’s creation, His sacred affection of mercy and grace is found!”

“The Psalmist is not done. What has He done? Vs. 10-22 - We praise him for His Redemption bears his steadfast love.”

“All this to declare that there was never a moment that His people were on his mind! He heard their cry while in bondage! Stopping at key and memorable moments of God’s deliverance of his people from their bondage and saying “Right there… right then… God’s faithful goodness was at work. THERE WAS NEVER A MOMENT in their redemption that God’s grace was not at work. Merciful and MIRACULOUS were each done for them.”

“Drilling down further into God’s merciful redemption, the steadfast love of God shifts from macro to micro, from the large and grand to the small and personal, to include His personal remembrance and daily provision. Vs. 23-25 - We praise him for His Remembrance bears his steadfast love.”

“Oh, how we need to hear that again! His steadfast love continues like a river still running! At times, we wonder if the goodness of God has run dry! This proclaims that it has not run dry!”

“When WE look back on His great wonders and salvation, THE CROSS of Jesus Christ shines the faithful, relentless, never-ending merciful goodwill of God into every area of our lives. The river of God’s mercy is still running! “...the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:7) floods that river of His goodness.”

“Like never-ending flood waters pouring in, each of these wonders that He has done foreshadows the grace of God in the Good News of Jesus Christ and Him crucified that will never come to an end. ‘Oh, the crimson wave, hallelujah! / Now is flowing full and free; / Brother, come, while yet there's pardon, / And the Savior pleads with thee’”

“Jesus, His life, His cross, His death, His resurrection, His glorification to the Right Hand of God  - and Psalm 136 - ALL OF IT… All of these redemptions… providing us with an inexhaustible spring that we return to again and again and again - leading us to join in the worship with all of the saints, our final verse - Vs 26.”

“We praise the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever! It’s not too late to call out for His mercy in salvation. It’s not too late to call out for His mercy if you have blown it. You are NOT too “low” for him to reach down and rescue.”

“You are NOT too “low” for the God of Heaven to reach down and rescue. What is looming over your life? Truly, look up to Jehova, to your God of gods and your Lord of lords and see, and know, enjoy that which ‘will break in blessings on your head’ - Being blessed by the God of heaven for his steadfast love that endures forever, Bless Him - PRAISE HIM!”

QUOTES:
Henry Ainsworth - The steadfast love of God (His”hesed”) “signifies a sacred affection of mercy, piety, grace,... and bountiful goodwill toward any without respect of merit.”

David Dickson - This mercy and love “continueth as a river still running.”

God Moves… by William Cowper:
”God moves in a mysterious way, his wonders to perform; 
He plants his footsteps in the sea and rides upon the storm.
Deep in unfathomable mines, of never-failing skill; 
He fashions up his bright designs and works his sovereign will.
Ye fearful saints fresh courage take, the clouds that you much dread, 
are big with mercy and will break in blessings on your head.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Isaiah 43:10
Proverbs 21:1

APPLICATION:
Q. Have you forgotten about the goodness of God?
- You may assume that he is good, yet you are not mindful of it.
- Maybe you have found something better. He is good, but he is not “this” good.
- You question whether or not he is good, going as far as to accuse him of not being good after all.

Q. Is this an attention grabber for you? 
Is God’s steadfast love for you enough for you… to praise Him? Is He, His very nature, His very essence… enough for you to thank Him and worship Him? Can you be satisfied in Him alone, or do you need something else? What are you longing for?

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
All Creatures Of Our God And King
Praise His Name (Psalm 148)
Name Above All Names
My Redeemers Love
We Give Thanks (Psalm 107)

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
I Am the Bread of Life - John 6:35

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

The Books that Shaped Us (Sovereign Grace Journal, October 2024)

By Churches, Sovereign Grace

Buy on Amazon

To download a FREE PDF version of this journal (and other past issues), please visit: https://www.sovereigngrace.com/journal

Psalm 96 falls in the middle of 7 kingship Psalms about God’s kingly rule over the world.  These Palms invite us, call us, to wake up from our slumber and lethargy and sing to the  Lord around one grand theme. THE LORD REIGNS. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Summer in the Psalms, Vol. 3
TEXT: Psalm 96
TITLE: A Grand Missionary Hymn
PREACHER: Tim Lambros
BIG IDEA: We celebrate God’s reign till God’s reign is celebrated by all peoples.

POINTS:
I. The Call to Worship
II.  The Invitation to the Whole World

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

“Psalm 96 falls in the middle of 7 kingship Psalms about God’s kingly rule over the world.  These Palms invite us, call us, to wake up from our slumber and lethargy and sing to the  Lord around one grand theme. THE LORD REIGNS. But there is one major difference in this Psalm. I titled this A GRAND MISSIONARY  PSALM, not because I’m smart and creative, but because Spurgeon is. This phrase, now our title of the message, captures what’s unique about this Psalm.”

“One of the great benefits of reading your Bible through in a year is you get to see, over a course of a year, some patterns you typically wouldn’t see if you read your Bible in smaller chunks.”

“One pattern you’ll see rooted in God’s Word is how people celebrate after a mighty work of God. God’s people experience an undeniable display of His character, power, and glory.” [See below for further study.]

“The pattern you see is that when God provides a significant victory, what follows is typically a significant song from God’s people. An appropriate song for the mighty  work of God displayed.”

“Before we break down the structure of this Psalm, let me show you why this Psalm is unique and why Spurgeon would say this is a GRAND MISSIONARY HYMN.  Nine times in this Psalm, the author speaks beyond Israel, way beyond your human situation or emotion, and addresses the vision of God’s missionary work.”

“Here’s how this Psalm is structured – there’s a triple imperative – a call for us to do something in V. 1-3 SING, SING, SING. Then, reasons are given for why we should do these things. The Psalmist repeats in V. 7-8 the triple imperative ASCRIBE, ASCRIBE, ASCRIBE TO THE LORD. Then in V. 10, it gives the reason why. Then once more in V.  11-12 LET THE HEAVEN’S; LET THE SEA ROAR, LET THE FIELD EXULT and V. 13 the reasons why.”

“V. 1 & 2 you have a triple imperative calling us to SING. Let’s all just admit that even  today in our walk with the Lord, during weekly times of gathering, we can get lethargic.  Worshipping can take on the posture of hands in our pocket, arms folded, sipping on some coffee, checking the box of my Christian call to gather with the saints.  Complacent and casual while singing radical, life-transforming truths God has revealed  to us.”

“So why the exuberant language here? There has been a significant event. There’s a reason to break out of their casual and complacent routines and celebrate the great salvation Israel has. What happened? The context is David bringing the ark back to Jerusalem. The ark represented God’s presence to God’s chosen people, Israel. The original promise God made to Abraham in Genesis 12 was threefold and easily remembered with three P’s. He promised Abraham a place, the Promised Land. He promised through Abraham that He would build a people for Himself. And He promised His presence. Place, People, and  Presence.”

“David literally prepares a tent, prepares Levites and singers for the grand arrival of the ark. Once it arrives, David calls all Israel to sing this Psalm in the presence of the Lord. The ark has been returned to God’s people after 20 years of life without God’s presence among them!”

“God’s people are celebrating that ‘OUR GOD REIGNS’ yet there’s clearly a sense of getting back to God’s mission – ‘ALL THE EARTH.’”

“The LORD is to be feared above all gods …. the gods of the people are worthless  idols. V. 5 says all the gods are worthless idols … in the original they are “no thing.”  They are nothing.  

God, through His Word, Holy Scripture, reveals the all-sufficiency of His name and at times will contrast it with other gods, idols Israel would make, and idols we create in our hearts. The OT idols - Baals, Beelzebub, Chemosh, Ashtoreth, Dagon, Molech & the golden calf created at Mt. Sinai. Have you noticed that the Bible many times will mock the worthless idols that man makes?”

“First, it says we are to ascribe to the Lord – then notice what it says immediately after that “O families of the peoples” – the invitation goes out beyond Israel, beyond individuals. The word there means more than one family but smaller than a tribe or nation. God’s invitation to ascribe glory and strength to Him is meant to be spilling outward, expanding.”

“The Psalmist doesn’t realize this, but God as the Author does…there will be a day  when all the families of the people groups/all the nations will say, ‘the Lord  reigns!’ That day is coming. But this Psalm also points to a day when the NT fulfills God’s promise to Abraham from Genesis 12.”

“The invitation to the families of the peoples/nations is mentioned here, but fully realized in Christ. THE LORD REIGNS in Christ and through His work on the Cross.  When we say THE LORD REIGNS, we say Christ reigns because he has conquered sin and death. Our sacrifice, our offering, is now captured in Romans 12:1: ‘present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.’  1 Peter 2:5, ‘you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.’”

“I am afraid there are many people of faith who attend church each week, give regularly to God's work, know their Bible pretty well, and don't live overtly evil lives,  but who aren't living with the glory of God as the primary motivation of their life.”

“THE LORD REIGNS – So why do I have all this trouble? Sure, the reality is that Satan goes around roaring like a lion, and sin is present, and we live in a fallen world. God in his wisdom chose to send His Son to “inaugurate” the kingdom of God. In His work of redemption, He will send His Son to complete that work. That’s coming in VV. 11-13.”  

“The repetition of the words LET THE, LET THE anticipate God’s promise being fulfilled not just in His people but in all the creation! The HEAVENS/EARTH/SEA/FIELD help us to look forward. There’s a day coming when the heavens will BE GLAD, the earth will  REJOICE, the sea will ROAR, the fields will EXULT! Why? Because what Christ did at the cross guarantees the redemption of His people AND all the earth.”

QUOTES:
Christopher Ash- “Ascribe means to acknowledge that these things are true and therefore to bow in worship before the covenant Lord.”

Sidney Greidanus - “For He is coming. Jesus is coming. Jesus is coming to set things right, to make straight what is crooked, to restore justice.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
A study of God’s people celebrating after a mighty work of God: Exodus 14-15, 1 Chronicles 16, Luke 1-2
God mocks our idols: 1 Samual 15, 1 Kings 18, Isaiah 40:18-19, Isaiah 44:9-17
Galatians 3:13–14
2 Corinthians 1:20

APPLICATION:
Q.What are your idols? Sex, fame, money, reputation, independence? In the NT, idols tend to be idols of the heart. Something that gets a hold of your heart … you crave it, lust for it, and it then controls you. Sometimes idols can start as good things – being a good parent, homeschooling, doing ministry with excellence, taking care of your body. But good things, good desires that get too big, become idols. They own us. These are the idols of NT believers. They make promises to us but never deliver. Why? Cuz they are a ‘no thing.’ They are nothing. They are worthless.

Let’s grow in a holy dissatisfaction – to live for the glory of our little world of family, work, or the next vacation, truncates the reality that God calls us to live for a kingdom far greater than going all out for our football team, our family, our career, or our next vacation.  Living for the glory of God doesn’t mean we do something crazy, unrealistic. No, it means we approach daily life, family, work, and the next vacation in a whole new way.  In all these scenarios, we live with a holy dissatisfaction till all the nations are invited to come into His courts, come into a relationship with Jesus Christ. THIS is why we get stirred and affected when we hear about people getting saved and added to the Church in Santa Ana or Bolivia. THIS is why we plant Churches around the world. THIS is why we put time and energy into the East Side initiative to plant a Church!

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
Hope of the Ages
God Is Faithful (Psalm 114)
Nothing That My Hands Can Do
Death Arrested
Sing

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Psalm 136

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

The Books that Shaped Us (Sovereign Grace Journal, October 2024)

By Churches, Sovereign Grace

Buy on Amazon

To download a FREE PDF version of this journal (and other past issues), please visit: https://www.sovereigngrace.com/journal

As inexplicably wonderful as God’s deliverance of our souls and His salvation are, God’s gracious saving of our lives grants us rest in the present and moves us toward thankful worship. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Summer in the Psalms, Vol. 3
TEXT: Psalm 116
TITLE: Thanksgiving in August
PREACHER: Tom Wilkins
BIG IDEA: Because God mercifully hears His saints' pleas, we offer Him our thankful worship.

POINTS:
I. Because God mercifully hears His saints, we call on Him for mercy (Vs. 1-9)
II. Because God mercifully hears His saints, we offer Him our thankful worship (Vs. 10-19)

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

ILLUSTRATION: Russell Moore in his book Adopted for Life wrote: ‘The creepiest sound I have ever heard was nothing at all. My wife, Maria, and I stood in the hallway of an orphanage somewhere in the former Soviet Union… Orphanage staff led us down a hallway to greet the two 1-year-olds we hoped would become our sons. The horror wasn’t the squalor and the stench... The horror was the quiet of it all. …I stopped and pulled on Maria’s elbow. “Why is it so quiet? The place is filled with babies.” Both of us compared the stillness with the buzz and punctuated squeals that came from our church nursery back home. Here, if we listened carefully enough, we could hear babies rocking themselves back and forth, the crib slats gently bumping against the walls. These children did not cry, because infants eventually learn to stop crying if no one ever responds to their calls for food, for comfort, for love. No one ever responded to these children. So they stopped.’

“So they stopped… BUT NOT SO FOR GOD’S PEOPLE! God hears us when we call and He graciously responds!”

“In the context of Ps 116, We find that David had been in great distress had faced certain death, he called out to the Lord, and the Lord heard Him and delivered him, and this changes David forever, and he responds by committing his love for God, his faith in God, and his thankful worship of God. This will remind us again that God hears us and saves when we call out to him. This moves us to thankful worship of Him.”

“Beginning this first section of the Psalm with the words ‘I love,’ we find the summary theme of the whole Psalm - ‘I love, because He has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. My affections for God deepened because He has heard my voice and inclined his ear to me.’”

“David declares that God hears our voice, and He inclines His ear to His saints. He is leaning in and listening to us when we call.”

“How kind of the LORD? Is this not amazing and gracious! He hears us when we call! In our helpless estate, He “brings his ear close.” He draws His ear near, close to hear what we need. Child after Child going silent because no one hears their cries, BUT GOD draws close to hear!”

“Vs 3 gives us a glimpse into the trouble that David had been in.

David was afflicted in “the snare of death” that “encompassed,” and trapped without escape. He is “suffering” deep “distress and anguish,” tormented by the “pangs of Sheol”  that have “laid hold on” him. Sheol, the place where the dead go, had gripped him with hands from the grave. Surely he would be pulled down!”

“Vs 4 He calls “on the name of the LORD.” He calls on His covenant making and covenant keeping LORD. He “prays” - original meaning “pleading out of utter dispair” O LORD, DELIVER MY SOUL!”

“Vs 5 Because of what David has experienced from God when he called out to him - that God heard his pleas for mercy - he will declare the capstone verse of His song - “GRACIOUS is the LORD, and JUST; our God is  MERCIFUL! Grace is receiving what we do not deserve. Justice is receiving exactly what we deserve. Mercy is not receiving what we deserve.”

“Vs 6 “The LORD preserves the simple” - being in such a low place, the sufferer does not know which end is up. The LORD SAVES the one who cannot figure his way out! GRACIOUSLY - He gives us his ear! HIS JUSTICE  - is unleashed on our enemy. MERCIFULLY - we are not left in the very clutches of death, we are not consumed with our enemy.”

“David now tells his soul to rest. “Return, O my soul, to your rest.” He had been in the snare of death that encompassed him, in the distress and anguish of death’s clutches. Yet, the LORD “saved” him! And He now preaches to his soul.”

“As inexplicably wonderful as God’s deliverance of our souls and His salvation are, God’s gracious saving of our lives grants us rest in the present and moves us toward thankful worship.”

“Our first section began in Vs 1 with the words “I love” the LORD. David transitions to “I believed” the LORD. David believed. He believed that God hears him, and he was confident that God would respond. He had a faith that met him in the darkest place, and He knew… He “believed”… that God was powerful to save! He is saying that in his lament, he had an anchor for his soul in believing that God heard him and would respond.”

“I cannot recount the list in Psalm 116 without the “benefits” that we/I have received in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. With or without knowledge of the jeopardy in which we were found - in the very snare of sin and death, our souls perched on the clifftop in threat of the eternal distress and anguish of death, Jesus saved us by snatching us from the clutches of sin and death. Eternity was held in the balance. Our sin against a Holy God condemned us forever to hell. Ignorant of God and unaware of our precarious state, we certainly could not have done anything on our own. We needed mercy, and God saved us! The good news is that He not only saves our lives, but He gives us eternal life. Oh, we now and forevermore “walk before the LORD in the land of the living AND eternal life!”

“Vs 12 Asks this QUESTION and what follows ANSWERS. Q. What shall I render to the LORD for all His benefit to me? Vs 13: “I will lift up the cup of salvationand call on the name of the LORD.”

“The original sense of this is celebration of the LORD, a tribute to HIM, by a joyful lifting up a holy “toast” as it were in THANKING HIM who has delivered us - the ONE WHO SAVED US!”

“Apparently, David found himself in such a desperate place (brought low) of torment and anguish that he made a vow to God. Without putting any binding on God to somehow manipulate Him into helping, David promises that he will worship the Lord for saving him. “Lord, if you do save my life, I will glory in and worship you!” …stopping short of if you don’t, then I won’t. David is now making good on his vow to the Lord!”

“David adds something amazing! Adding to his vowed worship of the LORD, David will do so “in the presence of ALL of (God’s) people.” His affections are so stirred by the salvation of God that he commits and does worship the LORD publicly. In the presence of all his people, … He will loudly proclaim God’s salvation in the presence of God's people!”

“Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.” In the middle of His loving, faith-filled worship, the Psalmist says something amazing about God. Lord, your people are so precious to you! You, LORD, see even their death as a precious thing to you.”

“He lifted up the cup of loving worship to his Savior, and now he offers up a “sacrifice of thanksgiving.” This offering is a very public proclamation of our thankfulness to God, performed in the gathering, in the sanctuary, together with His people.”

“This is why we gather! We gather together to offer our cup of salvation (in honor of Him) and our sacrifice of thanksgiving (giving thanks to Him)! GOD deserves our THANKSGIVING!”

“…we are tempted at times toward silence after receiving His great benefits. Time and again, we are rescued, and then we can completely disregard it. Romans 1:21 is grievous if not outright terrifying! “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” No cup of HONOR. No offer of THANKSGIVING.”

“Christian, this is not you and me. We have all the benefits of the Cross of Christ: We called on the name of Jesus Christ. He saved us. So we lift Him and honor Him, and we thank Him, in the presence of all of His people!”

QUOTES:
Basil the Great - “as if, when some sick person is not able to speak clearly because of his great weakness, a kind physician brings his ear close, (that he) should learn through the nearness what was necessary for the sick person.”

APPLICATION:
1. Recall God’s specific past deliverance in your life as a means of fresh affection for God - reasons for your love for and faith in, Worship of our Savior, Jesus!

2. For those who are in distress, cry out in faith again for God’s deliverance. He will not leave you as an unattended orphan. If you are his child, He will hear you and respond!

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Psalm 16:5
Psalm 23:5

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
Your Great Name We Praise
Only A Holy God
Name Above All Names
Because He Lives
Bless The Lord O My Soul (Psalm 103)

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Guest Pastor - Erik Rangel

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

Owen on the Christian Life: Living for the Glory of God in Christ

By Barrett, Matthew, Haykin, Michael A. G.

Buy on Amazon

“God has graciously revealed every reason under the sun to humbly glorify Him.” Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Summer in the Psalms, Vol. 3
TEXT: Psalm 19
TITLE: God’s Glory Preached
PREACHER: Tom Wilkins
BIG IDEA: God has graciously revealed every reason under the sun to humbly glorify Him. 

POINTS:
I.  God preaches His Glory in His works
II.  God preaches His Glory in His Word
III. God preaches His Glory, and this moves us to humble prayer and worship

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

“I love how Spurgeon refers to the two major halves of this Psalm,
’the world-book, and the Word-book’
The world-book - the heavens (Vs. 1) - the creation - 1-6
The Word-book - the Law of the Lord (Vs. 7) - 7-11”

“‘To The Choirmaster…’ David, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit writes this song and hands it to the Choirmaster who leads the sanctuary worship. What we have in our hands today is none other than the song of God that begins with the words,  ‘The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.’ The world-book - the heavens (Vs. 1) - the creation - 1-6
The heavens and the ‘sky above,’ language used here in Verse 1 would be drawn from Genesis (1:6-8) - the expanse, the firmament - declares the glory of God, yet not simply the atmosphere but space, the galaxy, the universe seen in the day and at night.   
The heavens - they declare! 
The sky above - they proclaim! 
Q. And what do they declare? Answer the Glory of God.
They proclaim - they preach, and they preach His handiwork.
God preaches His Glory in His works!”

“His handiwork… His works… His creation speaks. It proclaims. The heavens PREACH! His handiwork reveals and declares His Glory. His work bears a message, a sermon as it were, and that message preaches the Glory of God. God reveals Himself in the proclamation of His heavens.”

”Verse 2 - ‘Day to day pours out speech, and night after night reveals knowledge.’ He is unveiled and clearly revealed and is made known, and this revelation of Himself is proved ‘day to day’ and night after night. The amazing truth of this verse is that there is a constant divine sermon in His handiwork that is preached every single day and night, proclaiming His glory! But that is only part of the meaning of verse 2! YES, His glory is preached every day and night without ceasing AND the fact is a predictable and certain fact that we have day and then the night and then the day and then the night… You can set your clock to it! You can bank on the operation of the universe as each and every day, ushering forth reveals the Glory of God.”

ILLUSTRATION: Winding up a cuckoo clock - “We do not have to wind up the universe. We do not have to keep creation’s tank full. There is no need to charge the cosmos like your phone or your car, or the hydroelectric, nuclear power plants. The repetitive, constant, daily, and nightly sustaining power of God keeps the lights of the universe on!”

“THE Conductor of the universe has written this song and day to day and night after night, ever-occurring movements “pour out speech” and “reveal knowledge” of the Conductor’s glory!”

“Verse 3 and 4, using language of ‘speech, words, voice’ refer to ‘declaring’ of verse 1 as unspoken speech that (Vs 4) ‘goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.’

‘All the earth’ and ‘end of the world’ combined with the heavens in verse 1 essentially refer to the very fabric of all of creation - the fabric of the cosmos.”

“Emerging like a ‘bridegroom’ and a ‘strong man,’ the sun runs its course with joy. It ‘rises’ from the ends of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat. Meaning, that there is nowhere in the fabric of the universe that God is not right now preaching His glory!”

“Every nook or cranny, asteroid, space dust particle, quark, planet, Galaxy, star, dark star, black hole, worm hole, mountain top, ocean trench, and all that is contained in them will proclaim God’s glory. Most importantly, every human being will ‘hear’ the continual proclamation of God’s glory! God over all reveals Himself in it all to all! God preaches His Glory in His works!”

“Although a fool might say ‘there is no God,’ no man can ever truly say they did not know about God. Romans 1:20 (ESV) - ‘For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.’ We are looking for any excuse under the sun to justify our sinfulness.”

“We cannot say that we need more from God to explain Himself. His Glory has been declared sufficiently to us through His works and His Word. They, each, are more than enough. Together, they are altogether more than enough! Any claim otherwise places us as a judge over Him! We have all the reasons in the world, sufficient reasons, to glorify Him, yet sadly, they are not enough. We want more proof. We want more promises.”

“After beholding all of God’s creation preaching His Glory in His works, His Word now preaches His glory, we now arrive at an amazing section of Scripture. Written by David, in parallel form, we have in Verses 7-9 six astounding statements about the Work of God.”

Six Statements Regarding the Word of God:

1. (v 7) “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul”

   “The law of the Lord - The law is God’s word, the Torah, His Scriptures that are His instructional manual teaching man how to live in His created world in relationship to God, others, and His world. Where are we to go for help in every matter under the sun? He has given us His law, His Word, His Scriptures.

   His word is perfect - meaning it is comprehensive. It is completed. It is “all-sided.” Nothing in His Word is missing. It’s all there, and it is sufficient… sufficient to what?

   His word is perfect, reviving the soul - the soul is the true and real life of a person. Their soul is their eternal inner person. And the perfect Word of God revives the soul, meaning totally transformed, changed unto salvation completely. Only the word of God, the Gospel, can save, and save it does!!! The word of God is what renders a man Born Again - THE WORD does this. Only the word can transform a man. The preacher does change a man or woman. The program does not transform a person. The class does not save them - the WORD of THE LORD DOES! - History says that the Reformation changed the world. The man at the heart of it, Martin Luther, would said, ‘I did nothing; the Word did everything.’”

2. (v 7b) “the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;”

   “The testimony of the LORD - is the divine witness, God testifying to His own glory. His Word in this sense is His own witness to who His is and what He has and will do.

   His testimony is sure - His word is trust-worthy, follow-worthy because His word is unwavering!

   This sure Word of the LORD has the power to make the simple wise. In Hebrew, the meaning of this word includes “open door.” To be simple was to have an open, vulnerable mind, an undiscerning mind that is open to let just about anything in (NT giving way to any wind of doctrine or silly myth). 

   BUT the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The Word of God grants wisdom and discernment to let in what is of the LORD’s word and keep out evil and foolishness.

   God preaches His Glory in His Word, and the Word of God has granted us wisdom to hold onto His WORD.”

3.  (v 8) “the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;”

   “The precepts of the LORD - These are God’s doctrines, His statutes. The are NOT “more or guidelines” but rather, they are His razor sharped-edged principles. In a real sense, they are not open to our interpretation, but they are His fixed statues - unmovable.

   And they are right - meaning, not just the opposite of wrong, but they are right in the sense of being the RIGHT PATH, the RIGHT WAY. His Word is HIS WAY for us! 

   And His right way leads to rejoicing the heart. JOY fills the heart of the one who walks in the right way of God.”

4. (v 8b) “the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;”

   “The commandment of the LORD - Commandments of God are His sovereign decrees. God’s binding demands on us ALL and carry His supreme authority.

   These sovereign decrees are pure. They are abundantly clear. His decrees are not murky. In fact, their clarity opens our eyes - enlightening the eyes to clarity. We can disobey his commands, but he cannot say that he didn’t know with clarity what God’s word said.”

5. (v 9) “the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;”

   “The fear of the LORD - is the worship of God in awe and wondering. God preaches His Glory in His Word, and here we find that the Word of God itself is worship of God. Our worship of God is our preaching back to Him what He has preached to us!

   The fear of the LORD is clean - meaning that His word is uncorrupted and free from error, sinless and undefiled. His Word is clean. It comes from His clean heart.

   Contrast this with: Matthew 15:18 (ESV) ‘But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person.’

   And now rejoice at what we heard earlier in verse 7. God’s word has the power to transform this heart!

   The word of God is the worship of God, and it is clean, enduring forever, because it is uncorrupted, clean, God’s word is eternal. The word of the LORD will last forever, AMEN.”

6. (v 9b) “the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether.”

   “The rules of the LORD are God’s judgments. They are His verdicts and divine rulings. The Word of God is His judgments. If He has ruled a thing as an abomination, that is His eternal verdict. We cannot tweak His rulings to make them any easier or make them any worse. His Word, His verdicts stand and never fall. And they are TRUE! They are THE truth. They are TRUTH itself. All that His word says is truth!

   And His truths are righteous altogether. They are His comprehensive righteousness - and this is why His Word testifies to itself as being the power unto salvation. His Word brings to us SALVATION!”

“Now David arrives at verses 10 and 11 and after he has just expounded on the Glory of God revealed in His Word, he cannot move any further without seeing and proclaiming the value of God’s Word, and He can immediately declare how satisfying they are! He will not leave out the sober fact of their warning us, and he reminds us of God’s reward that comes through His word!”

“After beholding the Glory of God in the very fabric of creation and in His eternal Word - both of which are still proclaiming, David turns to repentance, a call to be justified, a life of prayerful desire that his very heart/soul would be kept holy and meditate on the LORD, his rock and redeemer.”

“Verses 12-14 are a prayerful, worshipful confession that we now see it and hear it, and we need Him! We need His grace. We need His help. We need his forgiveness. We need Him to change us.”

“The last verse of Psalm 19 confesses our need for our Rock and our Redeemer - We need Jesus!”

QUOTES:
Gregory of Nyssa - “the primal, archetypal, true music… this music that the conductor of the universe skillfully strikes up in the unspoken speech of wisdom through these ever-occurring movements.”

Christopher Ash - “...no human being is excluded from this continual proclamation of praise.”

APPLICATION:
GET OUT - into His marvelous world and behold God’s handiwork that preaches and preaches and preaches, with divine clarity, His glory!

GET IN - into His perfect, sure, right, pure, clean, true, most desirable word that promises His amazing and gracious reward, forgiveness, and righteousness that comes only in Jesus Christ. THE Word that is Christ! The words of God that preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified!

LISTEN - to what God is preaching about - His glory revealed in His Son, Jesus. Matthew 17:5 “... behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.’”

PRAY - humbly asking God for forgiveness, help, and power to…

PREACH - the same sermon, God’s Gospel, in your town, to your neighbors, friends, and family.

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Genesis 1:6-8
Romans 1:20
Matthew 15:18
Colossians 1:16-20
John 1:1-4
Matthew 17:5

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
The Glory Of The Cross
We Receive
Jesus Thank You
The Father’s Love
Your Words Are Wonderful (Psalm 119)

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Psalm 116

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

Owen on the Christian Life: Living for the Glory of God in Christ

By Barrett, Matthew, Haykin, Michael A. G.

Buy on Amazon

Today, we get a glimpse into David’s response to a ‘wilderness moment’. Today, we get to look into God’s Word and see what it looks like to be a worshiper in the midst of fiery trials. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Summer in the Psalms, Vol. 3
TEXT: Psalm 63
TITLE: True Worship
PREACHER: Tim Lambros
BIG IDEA: True Worship comes FROM God, is nurtured BY God, and results in glory TO God.

POINTS:
I. True Worship is Rooted in Relationship with God
II. True Worship will be Tested
III. The Certainty for True Worshipers

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

ILLUSTRATION: Horatio Spafford responding with hope and worship in the face of severe trial

“How do believers respond like this in the most difficult times in their lives?  Today, we get a glimpse into David’s response to a ‘wilderness moment’.  Today, we get to look into God’s Word and see what it looks like to be a worshiper in the midst of fiery trials.”

“David’s life isn’t hopeless and actually reveals and displays the heart of a true worshiper.”

“God is David’s personal God – a relationship built upon the covenant-keeping nature of God.  Too many believers today have this overly existentialist sense of their relationship with God. By stating YOU ARE MY GOD, there’s clearly a sense of a personal relationship, but the use of the term “my God” for an OT believer would bring God’s covenant-keeping nature to mind.”

“O God, you are my God.  One constant theme all through the OT from Abraham all the way to David is “I will be your God and you will be my people.” That’s part of David’s relationship with God. While in a desert wilderness, experiencing all sorts of fleeting emotions, David stands on the bedrock understanding that he is in a covenant relationship with YHWH.”

“So David SEEKS God.  He THIRSTS for his God.  Speaking of his heart he says MY FLESH FAINTS FOR YOU AS IN A DRY AND WEARY LAND WHERE THERE IS NO WATER.  Thirst, dry and weary land, no water.  The picture is easy to understand, but God is painting this picture so we can place ourselves in this scene. God always holds up an example of a person’s actions in Scripture not to say to us “be like him” but to show us how their actions are ultimately fulfilled in Christ. Remember our encouragement when we began the Psalms series – don’t be satisfied with David’s example.”

“David is a type, an OT picture of Christ.  Jesus came into the wilderness of His created world, put on flesh and lived under the limitations of His creation.  To an all-powerful, holy and transcendent being that would be a desert compared to the glories of Heaven.  He also literally spent 40 days in a wilderness before being tempted by Satan himself. He was sinless and the perfect fulfilment of what we are reading about today.”

“David would have no idea that there would be a future day when the phrase ‘Oh God, you are my God” would be the person of Jesus Christ and He would experience and endure the most intense wilderness experience to fulfill God’s covenant-keeping promise to all who would be saved.”

“As we look closer, ask yourself how you have passed recent tests God has brought you through? V. 1 towers over all this Psalm, but now we go back to the context for this Psalm.  David is being tested.  How will he respond?  How do you respond when God tests you?”

“David loved being in the presence of the Lord.  Like every Jew, the people of God built their life around God’s promise to be with them.  The sanctuary.  The temple. That was the place of God’s presence.”

“In the past tense, David recalls the times he could be in the presence of the Lord.  He wasn’t thirsty or dry; he could behold God’s glory, and his soul was satisfied. Now David has no access to the tabernacle, the only place on the face of the earth he could behold his God.”

“When an Israelite spoke about beholding God in the sanctuary we must remember that the tabernacle was where they met with God. God’s presence was in one place.  OT worshipers had a life that revolved daily around the tabernacle because God’s presence was in a location, not in their hearts.”

“Now David is being tested.  He’s thirsty; he is in the wilderness.  David’s life has been shattered; he’s lost everything, and his own son is looking to kill him.  Of all situations, most of us would understand if a person in this dire situation wanted to “vent” a little bit.  But David was a man with a heart after God.  Why doesn’t he complain?  How does he keep this perspective in what was probably the most difficult test in his life?”

ILLUSTRATION: Monday morning grumpiness David vs. Tim

“Pay attention to the smaller tests God brings your way.  They will reveal what’s in your heart.”

“What does it mean that he says experiencing the steadfast love of God is better than life? What he means is that his relationship with God is better than all the good things in this life.  Yes, even family, kingship or status in life, riches and comforts, etc. Experiencing the steadfast love of his God is better than life. The reverse of this true also – there is no comfort, no created object, no fame, NOTHING that is more valuable to me NOT EVEN MY LIFE now that I’ve experienced God, my God! So what comes out of his lips – PRAISE TO HIS GOD.  Not in the sanctuary, not in the presence of the Lord but in the wilderness, when he’s thirsty. Does this describe your relationship to God?” 

“It’s good for God to test what’s in the worshipers heart!  It’s good when you are facing wilderness experiences and you respond like David. But because we are NT believers, we can repent and turn to Jesus in those moments we fail. Those times we DON’T respond like we see David responding.”

“Blessing you, God, lifting up my hands AS LONG AS I LIVE regardless of my circumstances. V. 2 was past tense of a time David enjoyed and thrived in the presence of the Lord but V. 4 becomes a future expectation. He’s not NAMING IT AND CLAIMING IT, he’s simply looking forward, trusting God for a time when he can raise his voice and his hands in the sanctuary. In the presence of the Lord as he knew it.”

“Notice a slight shift in V. 4-5 “So” speaks to David’s response to his circumstances. Initially David delights in the covenant nature of his God – his relationship to YHWH. As a result of that, he moves from thirst to being satisfied.  V. 3 his lips will praise Him, then he lifts his hands in praise, and in V. 4 he is satisfied with the richness of his covenant relationship with God.”

“There are many reasons why God saves us and keeps us on earth.  One of them is definitely to refine our faith and rid us of worldly desires and false saviors that capture our heart.”

“David transitions from the clinging/upholding place of relationship with God to the certainty of how things will turn out.  Those enemies of David, the enemies of God’s people, His Church, will go down to the depths of the earth. The OT sheol. David might be picturing Korah’s rebellion (Numbers 16:31-34).”

“David wouldn’t have known that the future King of kings would be a sinless Savior who would go down to the depths to pay for the sins of those who would be redeemed.  Those enemies of God who refuse God’s offer of perfect reconciliation on behalf of the work of Jesus will finally and eternally be condemned to the depths of hell.”

QUOTES:
Horatio Spafford - “When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll—
Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to know
It is well, it is well with my soul.”

C.S. Lewis - “These poets knew far less reason than we for loving God. They did not know that He offered them eternal joy’ still less that He would die to win it for them.  … They long to live all their days in the temple so that they may constantly see “the fair beauty of the Lord (Psalm 27:1) … lacking that encounter with Him, their souls are parched like a waterless countryside.”

APPLICATION:
Examine your relationship to Jesus. 2 Cor 13:5 What kind of relationship do you have with our Savior?  Is it based upon Him giving you good stuff?  A hassle-free life?

Take a walk this week. Take a walk when you’re unhurried and don’t take your phone so you’re undistracted – ponder David in the wilderness. Ponder what David knew of God, like last week, I’m sure David saw God through the covenant-keeping keeping marvelous works God did for Israel and David as an individual. 

While pondering David’s confidence in God, think about David as an imperfect “type” of Savior. Meditate on Jesus as the perfect fulfillment of a worshiper.

Evaluate how much you value gathering with the Church?

Is there a thirst in you to gather and worship with your Church?  When you’re away for a few Sundays, do you hunger and thirst to experience God’s presence with the gathered Church?  

Illustration – Growing up Catholic.  Adult friends with Catholics.  Behaviorally doing their religion, checking the box of religious activities BUT ABSOLUTLEY DEAD ON THE INSIDE. Is that you?  If so, guess what will happen when God tests the longings of your heart? Self-pity, false humility, boasting of all the things you’ve done for God.

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Genesis 17:7
Deuteronomy 8:1–3
James 1:2–4
Hebrews 12

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
How Great (Psalm 145)
Come Behold The Wondrous Mystery
The Wonderful Cross
It Was Finished Upon That Cross
It Is Well With My Soul

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Guest Pastor - Jeff Schlieder

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

Owen on the Christian Life: Living for the Glory of God in Christ

By Barrett, Matthew, Haykin, Michael A. G.

Buy on Amazon