Psalms
Brokenness, Psalm 51, 11 August 2024
Psalm 51: Brokenness
Restoring Your Soul: Psalms
College First Church of God
August 11, 2024
Series Big Idea: The Psalms are filled with passionate expressions of the soul.
Big Idea: Our faithful God is merciful to those who are broken and repentant.
Have you ever done something bad? Really bad? Can you think of a time when you were ashamed? Maybe you tried to cover it up, hoping nobody would notice. One of the greatest, most godly persons in history did more than a bad thing. His series of sins included lust, adultery, premeditated murder, possible rape, and lies…and he was still called a man after God’s own heart. That says a lot about King David, but even more about our merciful God.
Today we’re continuing our series on the Psalms, the songbook of the Bible. There are five sections in the psalms, and if you’ve been with us during the series, you may have noticed each psalm is quite different from the others. Those within the five groupings are similar, but thus far we’ve examined psalms about being rooted in God, a declaration about God as our fortress, and last Sunday a prophetic psalm with multiple, blatant references to Jesus the Messiah who would arrive hundreds of years later. Today’s text is quite somber, one of confession after David committed adultery with Bathsheba, got her pregnant, and had her husband murdered. Not a good sequence!
If you don’t know the story, you can read it in 2 Samuel chapters 11-12. Suffice it to say, David was in soapy bubbles, as my late mother-in-law used to say! He sinned badly, covered it up, was confronted by Nathan the prophet, and finally came clean.
Clean. That’s an appropriate word. I’m not sure if the cool kids say it today, but there used to be dirty words. One popular rock group sang of “dirty deeds done dirt cheap.” We’ve all experienced mud puddles, paint spills, playground activities, and other things that made us physically dirty. There’s nothing like a hot shower or a nice bath and that feeling of being clean. The same can be said spiritually. If you get nothing out of what I say today, please remember this:
Our faithful God is merciful to those who are broken and repentant.
Nothing you can do can make God love you more than He does right now.
Nothing you can do can make God love you less than He does right now.
Our relationship with God and our eternal destiny is not based upon how “good” we are, but rather how “great” He is! It’s not about what we do, but about what Jesus has done on the cross. You’re not good enough to earn God’s favor. He doesn’t grade on a curve!
But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. (1 John 1:9, NLT)
If God can forgive a liar, murderer, adulterer, and likely a rapist, He can forgive us, too. Hallalujah! Here’s the intro:
For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba. (Psalm 51:0)
We don’t actually know the background and context of many of the psalms, but this one’s explicit. Now the song begins:
Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions. (Psalm 51:1)
There’s some confusion around mercy, grace, and justice. Mercy is not getting what you deserve. Grace is unmerited favor. Justice is getting what you deserve. Let’s pretend you drive distracted and you smash my car. Justice would be you pay to fix my car. That’s what is deserved. Mercy would say don’t worry about it, I’ll take care of it, you deserve to pay but I forgive you. Grace would be me saying you deserve to fix it, but forget about it and, instead, let me buy you Dietsch’s ice cream! Isn’t grace amazing?!
David is pleading for mercy, knowing God’s love is unfailing, He is compassionate, He has the ability to forgive. This is great news!
Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin. (Psalm 51:2)
Here’s the first reference to clean, cleansing, washing. Psalm 103:12 says,
He has removed our sins as far from us
as the east is from the west. (Psalm 103:12)
How far is that? Infinity! This doesn’t mean God ignores all of the sins of all people. The context is those who love Him, who follow Him, who repent and turn away from their sin. The verse prior says,
For his unfailing love toward those who fear him
is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. (Psalm 103:11)
This is speaking of those who fear God, who make Jesus not only Savior, but LORD. There are a lot of vampire Christians who just want Jesus for his blood! The invitation is not to pray a magic prayer to obtain a Get Out of Hell Free card. It’s to follow Jesus. None of us do it perfectly, but that’s the desire of our heart. When we fall, we get back up. When we mess up, we own it, confess, and get back on the path.
Perhaps some of you need to start the journey. You’ve been living for yourself, doing everything your way. How’s that working out for you? It’s tragic to see so many people pursuing “their” truth, only to be drowning in anxiety, loneliness, and fear. The invitation of Jesus is one of freedom, joy, peace, meaning, and satisfaction. He’s not out to ruin your life or restrict your fun. It’s exactly the opposite! Are you following Jesus today?
For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me. (Psalm 51:3)
Years ago, there was some research done on guilt. Do you know the number one reason why people feel guilty? It’s because they’re guilty!
There is such thing as false guilt, but usually when we feel guilty, it’s legitimate…and often it won’t go away. I’ve heard stories of people who have lived with guilt for years, even decades. That will not only mess with your mind, it will affect your body, too.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict
and justified when you judge. (Psalm 51:4)
This does not mean the characters in the story were not victims, but David is acknowledging only God is holy and perfect and justified to judge. Sin is not simply a bad thing we do because of an arbitrary rule. It’s anything that separates us from God…and others.
Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me. (Psalm 51:5)
We’re all born with a selfish, sinful nature. You don’t have to teach a child to say, “No!”
Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
you taught me wisdom in that secret place. (Psalm 51:6)
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. (Psalm 51:7)
That’s a good feeling!
Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice. (Psalm 51:8)
David’s poetic imagery is beautiful. He knows the LORD and His ability to extend mercy and forgive the repentant.
Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity. (Psalm 51:9)
Remember, David has come clean about his sin. The hiding is over. He owns it and seeks forgiveness.
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10)
This verse was put into a popular song many years ago. It’s a beautiful prayer.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me. (Psalm 51:11)
David knows God and wants God. He knows the agony of separation from a right relationship with God caused by sin and he wants to return to intimacy with the LORD.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. (Psalm 51:12)
There’s more to his plea.
Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
so that sinners will turn back to you. (Psalm 51:13)
He’s a wounded healer. He wants to help others. In AA, the best sponsors are often former addicts. They’ve been through it. They know the path. David’s song is not just for him, but he has others in view. For the sake of time, let me read through the conclusion:
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
you who are God my Savior,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. (Psalm 51:14)
Open my lips, Lord,
and my mouth will declare your praise. (Psalm 51:15)
You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. (Psalm 51:16)
My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart
you, God, will not despise. (Psalm 51:17)
May it please you to prosper Zion,
to build up the walls of Jerusalem. (Psalm 51:18)
Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,
in burnt offerings offered whole;
then bulls will be offered on your altar. (Psalm 51:19)
What that really means is we can’t impress God. We can’t be religious enough to earn His approval. All of our good works, the Bible says, are filthy rags (and the literal meaning is used feminine products). What God wants is our heart. He wants us, humble, broken in order to receive healing. He wants us to love Him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. That should be the natural response to our faithful God who is merciful to those who are broken and repentant.
So What?
Getting right with God—and others—feels great, but it begins with action on our part. Let me say it again:
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)
It begins with confession. Some of you need to get on your knees and say
Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions. (Psalm 51:1)
And then receive His cleansing, His forgiveness, His love. Hallelujah!
Restoring Your Soul: Psalms
College First Church of God
August 11, 2024
Series Big Idea: The Psalms are filled with passionate expressions of the soul.
Big Idea: Our faithful God is merciful to those who are broken and repentant.
Have you ever done something bad? Really bad? Can you think of a time when you were ashamed? Maybe you tried to cover it up, hoping nobody would notice. One of the greatest, most godly persons in history did more than a bad thing. His series of sins included lust, adultery, premeditated murder, possible rape, and lies…and he was still called a man after God’s own heart. That says a lot about King David, but even more about our merciful God.
Today we’re continuing our series on the Psalms, the songbook of the Bible. There are five sections in the psalms, and if you’ve been with us during the series, you may have noticed each psalm is quite different from the others. Those within the five groupings are similar, but thus far we’ve examined psalms about being rooted in God, a declaration about God as our fortress, and last Sunday a prophetic psalm with multiple, blatant references to Jesus the Messiah who would arrive hundreds of years later. Today’s text is quite somber, one of confession after David committed adultery with Bathsheba, got her pregnant, and had her husband murdered. Not a good sequence!
If you don’t know the story, you can read it in 2 Samuel chapters 11-12. Suffice it to say, David was in soapy bubbles, as my late mother-in-law used to say! He sinned badly, covered it up, was confronted by Nathan the prophet, and finally came clean.
Clean. That’s an appropriate word. I’m not sure if the cool kids say it today, but there used to be dirty words. One popular rock group sang of “dirty deeds done dirt cheap.” We’ve all experienced mud puddles, paint spills, playground activities, and other things that made us physically dirty. There’s nothing like a hot shower or a nice bath and that feeling of being clean. The same can be said spiritually. If you get nothing out of what I say today, please remember this:
Our faithful God is merciful to those who are broken and repentant.
Nothing you can do can make God love you more than He does right now.
Nothing you can do can make God love you less than He does right now.
Our relationship with God and our eternal destiny is not based upon how “good” we are, but rather how “great” He is! It’s not about what we do, but about what Jesus has done on the cross. You’re not good enough to earn God’s favor. He doesn’t grade on a curve!
But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. (1 John 1:9, NLT)
If God can forgive a liar, murderer, adulterer, and likely a rapist, He can forgive us, too. Hallalujah! Here’s the intro:
For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba. (Psalm 51:0)
We don’t actually know the background and context of many of the psalms, but this one’s explicit. Now the song begins:
Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions. (Psalm 51:1)
There’s some confusion around mercy, grace, and justice. Mercy is not getting what you deserve. Grace is unmerited favor. Justice is getting what you deserve. Let’s pretend you drive distracted and you smash my car. Justice would be you pay to fix my car. That’s what is deserved. Mercy would say don’t worry about it, I’ll take care of it, you deserve to pay but I forgive you. Grace would be me saying you deserve to fix it, but forget about it and, instead, let me buy you Dietsch’s ice cream! Isn’t grace amazing?!
David is pleading for mercy, knowing God’s love is unfailing, He is compassionate, He has the ability to forgive. This is great news!
Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin. (Psalm 51:2)
Here’s the first reference to clean, cleansing, washing. Psalm 103:12 says,
He has removed our sins as far from us
as the east is from the west. (Psalm 103:12)
How far is that? Infinity! This doesn’t mean God ignores all of the sins of all people. The context is those who love Him, who follow Him, who repent and turn away from their sin. The verse prior says,
For his unfailing love toward those who fear him
is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. (Psalm 103:11)
This is speaking of those who fear God, who make Jesus not only Savior, but LORD. There are a lot of vampire Christians who just want Jesus for his blood! The invitation is not to pray a magic prayer to obtain a Get Out of Hell Free card. It’s to follow Jesus. None of us do it perfectly, but that’s the desire of our heart. When we fall, we get back up. When we mess up, we own it, confess, and get back on the path.
Perhaps some of you need to start the journey. You’ve been living for yourself, doing everything your way. How’s that working out for you? It’s tragic to see so many people pursuing “their” truth, only to be drowning in anxiety, loneliness, and fear. The invitation of Jesus is one of freedom, joy, peace, meaning, and satisfaction. He’s not out to ruin your life or restrict your fun. It’s exactly the opposite! Are you following Jesus today?
For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me. (Psalm 51:3)
Years ago, there was some research done on guilt. Do you know the number one reason why people feel guilty? It’s because they’re guilty!
There is such thing as false guilt, but usually when we feel guilty, it’s legitimate…and often it won’t go away. I’ve heard stories of people who have lived with guilt for years, even decades. That will not only mess with your mind, it will affect your body, too.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict
and justified when you judge. (Psalm 51:4)
This does not mean the characters in the story were not victims, but David is acknowledging only God is holy and perfect and justified to judge. Sin is not simply a bad thing we do because of an arbitrary rule. It’s anything that separates us from God…and others.
Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me. (Psalm 51:5)
We’re all born with a selfish, sinful nature. You don’t have to teach a child to say, “No!”
Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
you taught me wisdom in that secret place. (Psalm 51:6)
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. (Psalm 51:7)
That’s a good feeling!
Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice. (Psalm 51:8)
David’s poetic imagery is beautiful. He knows the LORD and His ability to extend mercy and forgive the repentant.
Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity. (Psalm 51:9)
Remember, David has come clean about his sin. The hiding is over. He owns it and seeks forgiveness.
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10)
This verse was put into a popular song many years ago. It’s a beautiful prayer.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me. (Psalm 51:11)
David knows God and wants God. He knows the agony of separation from a right relationship with God caused by sin and he wants to return to intimacy with the LORD.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. (Psalm 51:12)
There’s more to his plea.
Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
so that sinners will turn back to you. (Psalm 51:13)
He’s a wounded healer. He wants to help others. In AA, the best sponsors are often former addicts. They’ve been through it. They know the path. David’s song is not just for him, but he has others in view. For the sake of time, let me read through the conclusion:
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
you who are God my Savior,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. (Psalm 51:14)
Open my lips, Lord,
and my mouth will declare your praise. (Psalm 51:15)
You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. (Psalm 51:16)
My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart
you, God, will not despise. (Psalm 51:17)
May it please you to prosper Zion,
to build up the walls of Jerusalem. (Psalm 51:18)
Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,
in burnt offerings offered whole;
then bulls will be offered on your altar. (Psalm 51:19)
What that really means is we can’t impress God. We can’t be religious enough to earn His approval. All of our good works, the Bible says, are filthy rags (and the literal meaning is used feminine products). What God wants is our heart. He wants us, humble, broken in order to receive healing. He wants us to love Him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. That should be the natural response to our faithful God who is merciful to those who are broken and repentant.
So What?
Getting right with God—and others—feels great, but it begins with action on our part. Let me say it again:
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)
It begins with confession. Some of you need to get on your knees and say
Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions. (Psalm 51:1)
And then receive His cleansing, His forgiveness, His love. Hallelujah!
Psalm 46: Fortress, 14 August 2022
16 08 22 Filed in: Sermons | Restoring Your Soul: Psalms
Psalm 46: Fortress
Series—Restoring Your Soul: Psalms
Series Big Idea: The Psalms are filled with passionate expressions of the soul.
Big Idea: God is our refuge, strength, help, and fortress in a broken world.
The movement of Jesus began with…Jesus! The Jewish Messiah gained Gentile followers of the years, becoming the first multi-ethnic faith in the world. In 1054, the global Christian Church split in two—Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox—following the East-West Schism. About 500 years later, the Protestant Reformation protested many practices of the Roman Catholic Church, further dividing Christians into Catholic and Protestant in addition to Orthodox. One of the leading figures of the Reformation was a priest named Martin Luther, the figure behind the Lutheran Church today.
Luther wrote the song we sang earlier, A Mighty Fortress is Our God. It was often called “Battle Hymn of the Reformation” and is based on our text today, Psalm 46 which begins
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1)
We’re in the middle of a summer series on the Psalms, songs written thousands of years ago, yet writings which are amazingly relevant today. Some things never change!
It’s like that Psalm 46 was written as a response to the deliverance of Jerusalem from the Assyrians during King Hezekiah’s reign (2 Kings 18-19; 2 Chron. 32; Isaiah 36-37). Some believe the king himself wrote this psalm, and the next two.
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1)
This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible for many reasons, not the least of which is the last word: trouble. If I know anything about you, I know you’ve experienced trouble, you’re experiencing trouble now, or you will experience it in the future…or all three!
The original Hebrew word is tsarah and it means distress, affliction, anguish, trouble.
There’s an old song that say, “Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen/Nobody knows but Jesus.”
Jesus himself said,
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33b)
Maybe some of you have been told if you love God, everything will be happy, happy, happy. If so, you were told a lie! Isaiah prophesied about Jesus the Messiah hundreds of years before his birth:
He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. (Isaiah 53:3)
Does that sound happy, happy, happy to you?!
I don’t claim to be an expert on world religions, but I know of no other faith that follows a suffering servant. If you are going through trouble today, Jesus understands. He knows loneliness, betrayal, disappointment, rejection, …and he really knows pain. He promised trouble in this world, but then added
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33b)
Jesus conquered sin and death, pain and trouble. His followers will, too…in time. We all know trouble of one kind or another, which leads us back to our text for today in Psalm 46.
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1)
When we’re in trouble, we want help.
When we’re in trouble, we want strength.
When we’re in trouble, we want a refuge, a safe haven, safety, protection, a fortress, a shelter, a tower.
That’s God! He’s not just help, He’s an ever-present help. That’s good news! That’s gospel!
I want to pause for a moment and lead you in a time of prayer.
- Prayer for those in trouble.
- Prayer for those who know someone in trouble.
Thank You, LORD! He is our refuge, our strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. (Psalm 46:2-3)
Fear is an interesting thing. I may be afraid of something that bring you no fear.
How many of you are afraid of snakes?
How many of you like snakes?
How many of you like snakes behind glass rather than crawling up your leg?
I’m not a big fan of snakes, but people have no fear of them at all. If you know something is harmless or if you are protected from it, there’s less fear…maybe none. I am not afraid of snakes at the zoo. The glass is a refuge, a fortress from any harm that could come my way from the source of the fear, the snake.
Because God is our refuge, our strength, our help, even if the world around us is out of control—and it is—we will not fear. We will exercise faith.
Whatever you fear has mastery over your life, which is why we are told to fear God and only God. When God is your master, every other fear will lose its control over you. Pastor Erwin McManus says,
“When all your fear is directed at God, his perfect love casts out all the fear and now you can live a life that’s truly free.” – Erwin McManus
Who doesn’t want that?
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. (Psalm 46:4) God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. (Psalm 46:5)
This is not a literal body of water, but a poetic image of God’s presence. Jerusalem was the Holy City which God set apart, yet unlike most cities, Jerusalem has no river. God’s blessings provided more value and help than any river. If they trust in the LORD, it will become almost like the Garden of Eden. In these days, God’s presence was usually contained in the Jerusalem temple. How blessed we are that the curtain the kept that presence in the Holy of holies was torn from top to bottom when Jesus died…and since the Holy Spirit was unleashed upon believers in Acts 2, we can experience God’s presence and power wherever we go. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. (Psalm 46:6) Here's another brilliant image. Imagine the earth melting at the sounds of God’s voice. It’s really not a stretch since the earth was created at the sound of God’s voice!
The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. (Psalm 46:7) There are two distinct messages here. The first is incarnation…Emmanuel…God with us. He’s with us, family! You can’t see Him or touch Him, but just like the invisible wind, you can see His activity. When do you feel closest to God? For me, it’s nature and the arts, especially music. Some feel close to God while studying the Bible, others in serving the poor, and still others engaging in justice and righteousness activities. The message of Christmas is God is here. The message of Acts chapter 2 is God is here, the Holy Spirit, living within us. What a beautiful mystery!
God is also our fortress. We don’t often see a fortress in modern architecture. The closest thing some have is a safe room in their house…or a basement for tornados. A fortress or refuge is a place of safety. God is that for us.
Our God is a mighty fortress! He is a shelter in the time of storm. He is our refuge and strength. He is our protector. Last Sunday we were reminded that He is our shepherd (Yahweh-Rohi). He is the strong one who sees (El-Roi). He is God Almighty (El-Shaddai-Rohi). He is the everlasting God (El-Olam). He is the most high God (El-Elyon). He is our provider (Yahweh-Jireh). He is the Lord over all (Adonai). He is the Lord who is present (Yahweh-Shammah). That’s just a few of the names of God!
What is your favorite name for God? Come and see what the LORD has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth. (Psalm 46:8)
That sounds rather dark, but the scene is the fields surrounding Jerusalem, filled with the destruction of the Assyrian army the LORD defeated.
He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. (Psalm 46:9)
God is God. He is the definition of justice…and yet He is also merciful, hallelujah! We don’t want what we deserve from God! As the psalmists describe God’s power, the tone changes in verse ten. He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10) Be still and know that I am God.
Be still, and know that I am
Be still, and know that
Be still, and know
Be still, and
Be still,
Be
If you’re like me, it’s hard to be still. Noise surrounds us. Activity never ends. Even when my head hits the pillow, my mind often runs endlessly.
Maybe you’ve asked God to speak and heard nothing. Could it be you’re too busy to hear? He speaks primarily through His Word. Are you reading it daily? He’ll never contradict it.
If your brain feasts on cable news, you’ll forget He is God.
If your mind is filled with social media, God will diminish.
If your calendar is packed with activity, your love for God will grow cold.
If your life is lived at a non-stop pace, you will fail to worship the LORD.
I’m guilty! I don’t like slow. I struggle with still. I spent three years engaging in the Life on Life Retreat Experience specifically because I needed help…and I still do…even as I lead Life on Life Retreats! One of the practices, one of the rhythms is so be still, to be quiet, to rest, to Sabbath…not to gaze at our navels, but to fix our eyes on Jesus, to know that He is God. Be still! The phrase literally means, “Take your hands off! Relax!” Jacob got in trouble taking matters into his own hands rather than trusting the LORD. Have you ever done that? Be still. Keep calm. Trust God. It doesn’t mean be inactive, but don’t worry…pray…and obey!
Check out this recent interview with John Eldredge (start at 4:40) and his 3-minute tool that could literally restore your soul.
The verse also says, “I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
For God so loved the…United States of America?
For God so loved the…English-speaking people?
For God so loved…the world! The nations!
One of the most beautiful visions in the Bible is from the book of Revelation. John wrote,
After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. (Revelation 7:9a)
God will be exalted among the nations, exalted in the earth.
The final verse declares,
The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. (Psalm 46:11)
This is a perfect summary of the chapter.
The LORD. There is none like Him.
The LORD Almighty. He’s greater than any trouble, enemy, fear, army, addiction, or disease.
The LORD Almighty is with us. He is present. He is here. He’s not just out there. The Holy Spirit lives inside every follower of Jesus.
The God of Jacob is our fortress. He’s known as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. From generation to generation, He remains faithful. What He did then, He can do now.
God is our refuge, strength, help, and fortress in a broken world. Hallelujah!
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.
You can watch this video and others at the First Alliance Church Video Library here.
Series—Restoring Your Soul: Psalms
Series Big Idea: The Psalms are filled with passionate expressions of the soul.
Big Idea: God is our refuge, strength, help, and fortress in a broken world.
The movement of Jesus began with…Jesus! The Jewish Messiah gained Gentile followers of the years, becoming the first multi-ethnic faith in the world. In 1054, the global Christian Church split in two—Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox—following the East-West Schism. About 500 years later, the Protestant Reformation protested many practices of the Roman Catholic Church, further dividing Christians into Catholic and Protestant in addition to Orthodox. One of the leading figures of the Reformation was a priest named Martin Luther, the figure behind the Lutheran Church today.
Luther wrote the song we sang earlier, A Mighty Fortress is Our God. It was often called “Battle Hymn of the Reformation” and is based on our text today, Psalm 46 which begins
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1)
We’re in the middle of a summer series on the Psalms, songs written thousands of years ago, yet writings which are amazingly relevant today. Some things never change!
It’s like that Psalm 46 was written as a response to the deliverance of Jerusalem from the Assyrians during King Hezekiah’s reign (2 Kings 18-19; 2 Chron. 32; Isaiah 36-37). Some believe the king himself wrote this psalm, and the next two.
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1)
This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible for many reasons, not the least of which is the last word: trouble. If I know anything about you, I know you’ve experienced trouble, you’re experiencing trouble now, or you will experience it in the future…or all three!
The original Hebrew word is tsarah and it means distress, affliction, anguish, trouble.
There’s an old song that say, “Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen/Nobody knows but Jesus.”
Jesus himself said,
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33b)
Maybe some of you have been told if you love God, everything will be happy, happy, happy. If so, you were told a lie! Isaiah prophesied about Jesus the Messiah hundreds of years before his birth:
He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. (Isaiah 53:3)
Does that sound happy, happy, happy to you?!
I don’t claim to be an expert on world religions, but I know of no other faith that follows a suffering servant. If you are going through trouble today, Jesus understands. He knows loneliness, betrayal, disappointment, rejection, …and he really knows pain. He promised trouble in this world, but then added
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33b)
Jesus conquered sin and death, pain and trouble. His followers will, too…in time. We all know trouble of one kind or another, which leads us back to our text for today in Psalm 46.
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1)
When we’re in trouble, we want help.
When we’re in trouble, we want strength.
When we’re in trouble, we want a refuge, a safe haven, safety, protection, a fortress, a shelter, a tower.
That’s God! He’s not just help, He’s an ever-present help. That’s good news! That’s gospel!
I want to pause for a moment and lead you in a time of prayer.
- Prayer for those in trouble.
- Prayer for those who know someone in trouble.
Thank You, LORD! He is our refuge, our strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. (Psalm 46:2-3)
Fear is an interesting thing. I may be afraid of something that bring you no fear.
How many of you are afraid of snakes?
How many of you like snakes?
How many of you like snakes behind glass rather than crawling up your leg?
I’m not a big fan of snakes, but people have no fear of them at all. If you know something is harmless or if you are protected from it, there’s less fear…maybe none. I am not afraid of snakes at the zoo. The glass is a refuge, a fortress from any harm that could come my way from the source of the fear, the snake.
Because God is our refuge, our strength, our help, even if the world around us is out of control—and it is—we will not fear. We will exercise faith.
Whatever you fear has mastery over your life, which is why we are told to fear God and only God. When God is your master, every other fear will lose its control over you. Pastor Erwin McManus says,
“When all your fear is directed at God, his perfect love casts out all the fear and now you can live a life that’s truly free.” – Erwin McManus
Who doesn’t want that?
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. (Psalm 46:4) God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. (Psalm 46:5)
This is not a literal body of water, but a poetic image of God’s presence. Jerusalem was the Holy City which God set apart, yet unlike most cities, Jerusalem has no river. God’s blessings provided more value and help than any river. If they trust in the LORD, it will become almost like the Garden of Eden. In these days, God’s presence was usually contained in the Jerusalem temple. How blessed we are that the curtain the kept that presence in the Holy of holies was torn from top to bottom when Jesus died…and since the Holy Spirit was unleashed upon believers in Acts 2, we can experience God’s presence and power wherever we go. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. (Psalm 46:6) Here's another brilliant image. Imagine the earth melting at the sounds of God’s voice. It’s really not a stretch since the earth was created at the sound of God’s voice!
The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. (Psalm 46:7) There are two distinct messages here. The first is incarnation…Emmanuel…God with us. He’s with us, family! You can’t see Him or touch Him, but just like the invisible wind, you can see His activity. When do you feel closest to God? For me, it’s nature and the arts, especially music. Some feel close to God while studying the Bible, others in serving the poor, and still others engaging in justice and righteousness activities. The message of Christmas is God is here. The message of Acts chapter 2 is God is here, the Holy Spirit, living within us. What a beautiful mystery!
God is also our fortress. We don’t often see a fortress in modern architecture. The closest thing some have is a safe room in their house…or a basement for tornados. A fortress or refuge is a place of safety. God is that for us.
Our God is a mighty fortress! He is a shelter in the time of storm. He is our refuge and strength. He is our protector. Last Sunday we were reminded that He is our shepherd (Yahweh-Rohi). He is the strong one who sees (El-Roi). He is God Almighty (El-Shaddai-Rohi). He is the everlasting God (El-Olam). He is the most high God (El-Elyon). He is our provider (Yahweh-Jireh). He is the Lord over all (Adonai). He is the Lord who is present (Yahweh-Shammah). That’s just a few of the names of God!
What is your favorite name for God? Come and see what the LORD has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth. (Psalm 46:8)
That sounds rather dark, but the scene is the fields surrounding Jerusalem, filled with the destruction of the Assyrian army the LORD defeated.
He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. (Psalm 46:9)
God is God. He is the definition of justice…and yet He is also merciful, hallelujah! We don’t want what we deserve from God! As the psalmists describe God’s power, the tone changes in verse ten. He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10) Be still and know that I am God.
Be still, and know that I am
Be still, and know that
Be still, and know
Be still, and
Be still,
Be
If you’re like me, it’s hard to be still. Noise surrounds us. Activity never ends. Even when my head hits the pillow, my mind often runs endlessly.
Maybe you’ve asked God to speak and heard nothing. Could it be you’re too busy to hear? He speaks primarily through His Word. Are you reading it daily? He’ll never contradict it.
If your brain feasts on cable news, you’ll forget He is God.
If your mind is filled with social media, God will diminish.
If your calendar is packed with activity, your love for God will grow cold.
If your life is lived at a non-stop pace, you will fail to worship the LORD.
I’m guilty! I don’t like slow. I struggle with still. I spent three years engaging in the Life on Life Retreat Experience specifically because I needed help…and I still do…even as I lead Life on Life Retreats! One of the practices, one of the rhythms is so be still, to be quiet, to rest, to Sabbath…not to gaze at our navels, but to fix our eyes on Jesus, to know that He is God. Be still! The phrase literally means, “Take your hands off! Relax!” Jacob got in trouble taking matters into his own hands rather than trusting the LORD. Have you ever done that? Be still. Keep calm. Trust God. It doesn’t mean be inactive, but don’t worry…pray…and obey!
Check out this recent interview with John Eldredge (start at 4:40) and his 3-minute tool that could literally restore your soul.
The verse also says, “I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
For God so loved the…United States of America?
For God so loved the…English-speaking people?
For God so loved…the world! The nations!
One of the most beautiful visions in the Bible is from the book of Revelation. John wrote,
After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. (Revelation 7:9a)
God will be exalted among the nations, exalted in the earth.
The final verse declares,
The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. (Psalm 46:11)
This is a perfect summary of the chapter.
The LORD. There is none like Him.
The LORD Almighty. He’s greater than any trouble, enemy, fear, army, addiction, or disease.
The LORD Almighty is with us. He is present. He is here. He’s not just out there. The Holy Spirit lives inside every follower of Jesus.
The God of Jacob is our fortress. He’s known as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. From generation to generation, He remains faithful. What He did then, He can do now.
God is our refuge, strength, help, and fortress in a broken world. Hallelujah!
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.
You can watch this video and others at the First Alliance Church Video Library here.
Psalm 1: Blessed, 3 July 2022
04 07 22 Filed in: Sermons | Restoring Your Soul: Psalms
Psalm 1: Blessed
Series—Restoring Your Soul: Psalms
Series Big Idea: The Psalms are filled with passionate expressions of the soul.
Big Idea: True blessings are found in seeking and following the LORD.
Shortcuts. We all love short cuts. The modern expression is hacks. How can do have it our way…now? Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die. Everybody wants to be rich, but nobody wants to work. Everybody wants a fit spouse, but nobody wants to be the one going to the gym. Everybody wants a degree, but nobody wants to study. Everybody wants to play the piano, but nobody wants to practice.
I realize everybody and nobody are exaggerations, but it’s true, right? We all want hacks to make life easier. Here’s one for you:
Everybody wants to be blessed, but nobody wants to obey the LORD.
Today we’re beginning a summer series on the Psalms called “restoring your soul.” Psalms may be my favorite book of the Bible. It is the songbook of scripture, though we don’t have the original music, unfortunately. I recently learned of an Australian musical group called The Sons of Korah who are trying to put all 150 psalms to music! They have dozens completed thus far.
The Psalms are filled with passionate expressions of the soul from a number of different writers. It is my prayer that they will speak not only to your mind, but also your heart and soul
A blessing is literally “God’s favor and protection.” Who doesn’t want that?
Today we’re beginning our series with Psalm…one! Its first letter is the first letter in the Hebrew alphabet. I learned in studying for this sermon the Psalms have five sections or books just like the Pentateuch, the first five books of Moses that begin the Old Testament, the Jewish Bible. Psalm one is something of an introduction to the entire songbook, but it’s a simple yet profound piece of wisdom. The big idea is true blessings are found in seeking and following the LORD. Don’t look for shortcuts. You can pray for blessings—for yourself or others—but we can participate with our lives.
The New International Version of Psalm 1 begins
Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, (Psalm 1:1, NIV)
That’s a mouthful. We’re going to use the New Living Translation this morning, but I want you to catch the “blessed.” Some versions say “happy.” The original Hebrew word is “Asheri.” That doesn’t mean much to most of you, but the NLT translates it
Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. (Psalm 1:1, NLT)
I used to tell my kids, “You are your friends. Choose wisely.” Perhaps you’ve heard, “Birds of a feather, flock together.” Paul said, “Bad company corrupts good character” (1 Cor. 15:33). We are all influenced by others, whether it’s family, friends, or even social media. Who do you hang with? Are they wicked? Do they sin without regret or repentance? Do they mock others? Are they filled with pride? What comes out of their mouth? Would it be appropriate around children?
The very first sentence of the very first Psalm says one is blessed not when they ask God to bless them, but rather when they don’t let the wicked influence them. There is effort involved. There is self-control involved. It may mean thinking twice about how you spend your time…with whom you spend your time!
This does not mean we should never develop relationships with non-Christians. It does mean in doing so we need to shine light into the darkness, not let our light get snuffed out by the darkness. Notice the progression: walk/follow, stand, sit/join. The righteous don’t have time to stand around and mock and gossip because they’re delighting in the LORD.
The LORD said to Joshua,
Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. (Joshua 1:8)
You’ll be blessed!
The psalmist continues the thought in verse two:
But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night. (Psalm 1:2, NLT)
This is what a blessed person does. If you want to experience joy, this is what you do. You fill your mind with truth. You meditate not on your navel, but on the scriptures! According to numerous studies, biblical illiteracy has been on the increase for decades. Even many so-called Christians don’t know what the Bible says…or act like they don’t! I’ve been amazed—especially in the past few years—at the ungodly attitudes of so-called Christians. I expect the world to act like the world, but the lack of love, peace, compassion, empathy, courage, sacrifice, patience, and goodness of many who claim to follow Christ is evidence many simply don’t meditate on the Word of God. They’ve been more influenced by political parties or trendy ideas than on the law of the LORD.
Family, we need to meditate on the Bible day and night. Just reading it isn’t sufficient. Thirty minutes on Sunday morning is not enough. Most people I know eat more than one meal a week…more than one meal a day! We need to not only feed our bodies, we need to feed our minds. We need to feast on God’s Word, especially when we’re exposed to countless lies every day on billboards, television, and the Internet.
The Hebrew word for meditate, hagah, means to moan, growl, ponder. The same word is found in Isaiah 3:14 for a lion’s low growling and later for the cooing of a dove. Perhaps you’ve tried to memorize something, repeating it quietly out loud. Day and night the blessed, the happy, the joyful marinate their minds on God’s Word. It is their delight. By the way, the Hebrew word for “law,” Torah, is more than just rules. It’s all of the stories, prophecies, and instructions in the Bible, provided for us to know and understand God and reality.
It's no wonder our world is filled with so many opinions and perspectives. People are reading different books…literally! What is your basis for faith? For truth? For understanding life?
We’ve given you several tools to help you meditate on God’s Word. Let me remind you of some of them:
1. Mission 119. This free app will guide you through the entire Bible over about 20 months. Alliance Pastor John Soper will give you scriptures and offer a daily audio commentary on the passage, which is especially helpful in those difficult texts. I’m doing it for the third time now and it’s one of the best habits I’ve ever done.
2. Lectio 365. This is another free app which has both a morning and an evening meditation on God’s Word. It provides space for prayer and reflection as well as biblical content. Heather and I do it most every day together and it’s one of the best investments we’ve made in ourselves and our marriage.
3. RightNow Media. First Alliance pays for you to have a free subscription to this huge library of videos, all available on your mobile device or streaming box. There are resources for children, small groups, and personal Bible study from some of the best teachers on the planet.
4. YouVersion. This is so much more than a Bible app. It’s packed with Bible reading plans, videos, a verse of the day, and the “live” section has First Alliance Church each week!
5. Life Groups. The heart of First Alliance is not actually Sunday morning in rows, but in circles with small groups. It’s difficult to interact with my preaching live (unless you’re online; chat away!), but doing life together with others is a terrific environment to not only feed on the Bible but also digest it into your soul.
Of course, there are many other ways to get God’s Word in your heart, letting it fill your mind. The best Bible translation is…the one you read! I like the New Living Translation and the New International Version, but if you prefer a different one, go for it! I like my NIV Study Bible and my Life Application Bible.
One core value of our Alliance family states, “Knowing and obeying God’s Word is fundamental to all true success.”
One of this church’s core values says, “We are committed to prayer, the Word of God, and following Jesus.” Don’t miss that last part. It’s not enough to know it in your head. It needs to leak into your heart and hands, too!
Arguably the best chapter in the Bible about the Bible is Psalm 119. It’s the longest chapter in the Bible (176 verses!). If you want a great place to start meditating on God’s Word, read it slowly. Those who delight in God’s Word, those who meditate on it…
They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. (Psalm 1:3, NLT)
Have you ever slowed down long enough to observe trees? God designed them to get nourishment through their roots and the results can be seen in the leaves. It seems like trees near water have an advantage! Even when the weather is dry, a tree near water is able to drink. They are able to bear fruit. I love fruit, especially fresh fruit!
But have you ever had bad fruit? Moldy fruit? Those who feed on God’s Word, those who meditate on the LORD, will produce good fruit, the fruit of the Spirit.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23a, NIV)
This is the fruit of doing life with God, filling our minds with truth and righteousness. Note trees don’t eat their own fruit, but produce it to benefit others. That’s true for the righteous.
But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. (Psalm 1:4, NLT)
I’m no gardener, but I know the wheat and chaff are separated. One has value, the other is worthless trash. The kernel falls to the threshing floor and saved while the chaff blows away. Imagine a watermelon. You eat the fruit and throw away the rind, right? This is how God describes the wicked, those who ignore God and His wisdom. It gets worse.
They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly. (Psalm 1:5, NLT)
Judgment Day is coming…for all humans. Are you ready? I know our culture is filled with gray, but scripture repeatedly talks about the sheep and the goats, the wide and narrow road, heaven and hell. There are two paths. Which have you taken? It’s never too late to repent, turn, and follow Jesus.
For the LORD watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction. (Psalm 1:6, NLT)
Which path are you choosing?
Jesus once said,
He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” (Luke 11:28, NIV)
It’s not enough to hear it. It’s not enough to read it. We must live it!
Conclusion
Do you want to be blessed? There’s something you can do about it! To experience God’s favor, you need to seek and follow Him. It’s not enough to say, “Bless me, LORD!” There are no shortcuts. You need to spend time with Him, meditate on His Word, surround yourselves with others who will speak the truth in love and model a Jesus lifestyle. Garbage in, garbage out. Good stuff in, good stuff out!
The message today is quite simple, yet we’re so easily enticed by the lies of this world and miss the pathway to blessings. It’s ultimately about seeking and following the LORD. It’s about building your life around Jesus. It’s about Christ being our cornerstone…our life!
Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance. (Psalm 33:12, NIV)
May God bless the United States of America this week as we celebrate our freedom…and may He bless every nation on earth!
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.
You can watch this video and others at the First Alliance Church Video Library here.
Series—Restoring Your Soul: Psalms
Series Big Idea: The Psalms are filled with passionate expressions of the soul.
Big Idea: True blessings are found in seeking and following the LORD.
Shortcuts. We all love short cuts. The modern expression is hacks. How can do have it our way…now? Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die. Everybody wants to be rich, but nobody wants to work. Everybody wants a fit spouse, but nobody wants to be the one going to the gym. Everybody wants a degree, but nobody wants to study. Everybody wants to play the piano, but nobody wants to practice.
I realize everybody and nobody are exaggerations, but it’s true, right? We all want hacks to make life easier. Here’s one for you:
Everybody wants to be blessed, but nobody wants to obey the LORD.
Today we’re beginning a summer series on the Psalms called “restoring your soul.” Psalms may be my favorite book of the Bible. It is the songbook of scripture, though we don’t have the original music, unfortunately. I recently learned of an Australian musical group called The Sons of Korah who are trying to put all 150 psalms to music! They have dozens completed thus far.
The Psalms are filled with passionate expressions of the soul from a number of different writers. It is my prayer that they will speak not only to your mind, but also your heart and soul
A blessing is literally “God’s favor and protection.” Who doesn’t want that?
Today we’re beginning our series with Psalm…one! Its first letter is the first letter in the Hebrew alphabet. I learned in studying for this sermon the Psalms have five sections or books just like the Pentateuch, the first five books of Moses that begin the Old Testament, the Jewish Bible. Psalm one is something of an introduction to the entire songbook, but it’s a simple yet profound piece of wisdom. The big idea is true blessings are found in seeking and following the LORD. Don’t look for shortcuts. You can pray for blessings—for yourself or others—but we can participate with our lives.
The New International Version of Psalm 1 begins
Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, (Psalm 1:1, NIV)
That’s a mouthful. We’re going to use the New Living Translation this morning, but I want you to catch the “blessed.” Some versions say “happy.” The original Hebrew word is “Asheri.” That doesn’t mean much to most of you, but the NLT translates it
Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. (Psalm 1:1, NLT)
I used to tell my kids, “You are your friends. Choose wisely.” Perhaps you’ve heard, “Birds of a feather, flock together.” Paul said, “Bad company corrupts good character” (1 Cor. 15:33). We are all influenced by others, whether it’s family, friends, or even social media. Who do you hang with? Are they wicked? Do they sin without regret or repentance? Do they mock others? Are they filled with pride? What comes out of their mouth? Would it be appropriate around children?
The very first sentence of the very first Psalm says one is blessed not when they ask God to bless them, but rather when they don’t let the wicked influence them. There is effort involved. There is self-control involved. It may mean thinking twice about how you spend your time…with whom you spend your time!
This does not mean we should never develop relationships with non-Christians. It does mean in doing so we need to shine light into the darkness, not let our light get snuffed out by the darkness. Notice the progression: walk/follow, stand, sit/join. The righteous don’t have time to stand around and mock and gossip because they’re delighting in the LORD.
The LORD said to Joshua,
Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. (Joshua 1:8)
You’ll be blessed!
The psalmist continues the thought in verse two:
But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night. (Psalm 1:2, NLT)
This is what a blessed person does. If you want to experience joy, this is what you do. You fill your mind with truth. You meditate not on your navel, but on the scriptures! According to numerous studies, biblical illiteracy has been on the increase for decades. Even many so-called Christians don’t know what the Bible says…or act like they don’t! I’ve been amazed—especially in the past few years—at the ungodly attitudes of so-called Christians. I expect the world to act like the world, but the lack of love, peace, compassion, empathy, courage, sacrifice, patience, and goodness of many who claim to follow Christ is evidence many simply don’t meditate on the Word of God. They’ve been more influenced by political parties or trendy ideas than on the law of the LORD.
Family, we need to meditate on the Bible day and night. Just reading it isn’t sufficient. Thirty minutes on Sunday morning is not enough. Most people I know eat more than one meal a week…more than one meal a day! We need to not only feed our bodies, we need to feed our minds. We need to feast on God’s Word, especially when we’re exposed to countless lies every day on billboards, television, and the Internet.
The Hebrew word for meditate, hagah, means to moan, growl, ponder. The same word is found in Isaiah 3:14 for a lion’s low growling and later for the cooing of a dove. Perhaps you’ve tried to memorize something, repeating it quietly out loud. Day and night the blessed, the happy, the joyful marinate their minds on God’s Word. It is their delight. By the way, the Hebrew word for “law,” Torah, is more than just rules. It’s all of the stories, prophecies, and instructions in the Bible, provided for us to know and understand God and reality.
It's no wonder our world is filled with so many opinions and perspectives. People are reading different books…literally! What is your basis for faith? For truth? For understanding life?
We’ve given you several tools to help you meditate on God’s Word. Let me remind you of some of them:
1. Mission 119. This free app will guide you through the entire Bible over about 20 months. Alliance Pastor John Soper will give you scriptures and offer a daily audio commentary on the passage, which is especially helpful in those difficult texts. I’m doing it for the third time now and it’s one of the best habits I’ve ever done.
2. Lectio 365. This is another free app which has both a morning and an evening meditation on God’s Word. It provides space for prayer and reflection as well as biblical content. Heather and I do it most every day together and it’s one of the best investments we’ve made in ourselves and our marriage.
3. RightNow Media. First Alliance pays for you to have a free subscription to this huge library of videos, all available on your mobile device or streaming box. There are resources for children, small groups, and personal Bible study from some of the best teachers on the planet.
4. YouVersion. This is so much more than a Bible app. It’s packed with Bible reading plans, videos, a verse of the day, and the “live” section has First Alliance Church each week!
5. Life Groups. The heart of First Alliance is not actually Sunday morning in rows, but in circles with small groups. It’s difficult to interact with my preaching live (unless you’re online; chat away!), but doing life together with others is a terrific environment to not only feed on the Bible but also digest it into your soul.
Of course, there are many other ways to get God’s Word in your heart, letting it fill your mind. The best Bible translation is…the one you read! I like the New Living Translation and the New International Version, but if you prefer a different one, go for it! I like my NIV Study Bible and my Life Application Bible.
One core value of our Alliance family states, “Knowing and obeying God’s Word is fundamental to all true success.”
One of this church’s core values says, “We are committed to prayer, the Word of God, and following Jesus.” Don’t miss that last part. It’s not enough to know it in your head. It needs to leak into your heart and hands, too!
Arguably the best chapter in the Bible about the Bible is Psalm 119. It’s the longest chapter in the Bible (176 verses!). If you want a great place to start meditating on God’s Word, read it slowly. Those who delight in God’s Word, those who meditate on it…
They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. (Psalm 1:3, NLT)
Have you ever slowed down long enough to observe trees? God designed them to get nourishment through their roots and the results can be seen in the leaves. It seems like trees near water have an advantage! Even when the weather is dry, a tree near water is able to drink. They are able to bear fruit. I love fruit, especially fresh fruit!
But have you ever had bad fruit? Moldy fruit? Those who feed on God’s Word, those who meditate on the LORD, will produce good fruit, the fruit of the Spirit.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23a, NIV)
This is the fruit of doing life with God, filling our minds with truth and righteousness. Note trees don’t eat their own fruit, but produce it to benefit others. That’s true for the righteous.
But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. (Psalm 1:4, NLT)
I’m no gardener, but I know the wheat and chaff are separated. One has value, the other is worthless trash. The kernel falls to the threshing floor and saved while the chaff blows away. Imagine a watermelon. You eat the fruit and throw away the rind, right? This is how God describes the wicked, those who ignore God and His wisdom. It gets worse.
They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly. (Psalm 1:5, NLT)
Judgment Day is coming…for all humans. Are you ready? I know our culture is filled with gray, but scripture repeatedly talks about the sheep and the goats, the wide and narrow road, heaven and hell. There are two paths. Which have you taken? It’s never too late to repent, turn, and follow Jesus.
For the LORD watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction. (Psalm 1:6, NLT)
Which path are you choosing?
Jesus once said,
He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” (Luke 11:28, NIV)
It’s not enough to hear it. It’s not enough to read it. We must live it!
Conclusion
Do you want to be blessed? There’s something you can do about it! To experience God’s favor, you need to seek and follow Him. It’s not enough to say, “Bless me, LORD!” There are no shortcuts. You need to spend time with Him, meditate on His Word, surround yourselves with others who will speak the truth in love and model a Jesus lifestyle. Garbage in, garbage out. Good stuff in, good stuff out!
The message today is quite simple, yet we’re so easily enticed by the lies of this world and miss the pathway to blessings. It’s ultimately about seeking and following the LORD. It’s about building your life around Jesus. It’s about Christ being our cornerstone…our life!
Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance. (Psalm 33:12, NIV)
May God bless the United States of America this week as we celebrate our freedom…and may He bless every nation on earth!
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.
You can watch this video and others at the First Alliance Church Video Library here.
He Shall Reign Forever! 8 April 2018
He Shall Reign Forever!
D6 Series— Songs from the Heart (Psalms)
Psalm 72
Series Overview: The Psalms reveal hearts poured out in inspired song.
Big Idea: We are to honor, serve, and submit to King Jesus…who is coming soon.
What’s the first thing you think of when you hear the word…king?
Chess?
Burgers?
The British Royal family?
The Lion King?
A fiction writer?
A tennis player?
A Cleveland basketball player?
Elvis?
This past week we remembered the horrific assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. 50 years ago.
We really have nothing in our culture quite like a king. No mayor, movie star, president, or billionaire CEO possesses the authority of a king.
Human Kings
The Bible is filled with kings, queens, and kingdoms. In the Old Testament alone, the word melek or “king” in English appears almost 2700 times! Human kings first appear in Genesis 14. Saul, David, Solomon, Hezekiah, and Josiah are just a few of the biblical kings. Wealth and power surrounded them, though they often faced opposition from other kings and kingdoms.
The kings of Israel had to meet several strict criteria, according to Deuteronomy 17:14–20:
chosen by God
not a foreigner
must not accumulate horses (i.e., build up and trust in military might)
must not accumulate many wives
must not accumulate wealth for himself
must write a copy of the law for himself
must read it and obey it
Unlike foreign kings who were often considered to be gods themselves, the kings of Israel were not to be above the law, but rather subject to God’s law. The king was to be an example of a humble servant of God leading the people in keeping God’s law. Oh that all of our leaders would have such a posture!
In his book Kingdom Conspiracy, Scot McKnight argues that in the Bible, “kingdom” implies five things
- A king
- A rule
- A people
- A law
- A land (Israel)
In short, the biblical understanding of “the kingdom’ is a people governed by a king. Today, the Kingdom of God, then, is the church.
Psalms
Today we continue our month-long look into the book of Psalms. Last Sunday we began with Psalm 22 and those unforgettable words, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
The book of Psalms was Israel’s hymnbook. I’d love to hear the melodies of these songs! It probably won’t surprise many of you to know Psalms is my favorite book of the Bible, at least in the Old Testament. The passion, authenticity, and artistry of these lyrics are so real, relevant, and inspiring…thousands of years after their writing.
Just as there are different types of hymns, there are different types of Psalms. Psalm 72 is a Messianic Psalm, viewing the Messiah—which literally means “the anointed one”— as King. It was written by or for Solomon (by his father David) as a prayer, also prophetically speaking of Jesus the Messiah. They helped prepare the saints of the Old Testament for the coming of Christ. What’s fascinating about this Psalm is it’s written by a king…about King Jesus.
Of Solomon.
Endow the king with your justice, O God,
the royal son with your righteousness.
May he judge your people in righteousness,
your afflicted ones with justice. (Psalms 72:1-2)
I love the heart of the writer. The king has power, but wants it used wisely, benevolently. He seeks to be righteous and just. Of course, everything he seeks will ultimately be fulfilled in King Jesus.
May the mountains bring prosperity to the people,
the hills the fruit of righteousness.
May he defend the afflicted among the people
and save the children of the needy;
may he crush the oppressor. (Psalms 72:3-4)
Does anyone have a problem with this? Of course not. We all want to see prosperity. We want the suffering defended, the children saved, and the oppressors crushed. That’s justice. And I might add the subjects of the king carry out the wishes of the king.
May he endure as long as the sun,
as long as the moon, through all generations.
May he be like rain falling on a mown field,
like showers watering the earth.
In his days may the righteous flourish
and prosperity abound till the moon is no more. (Psalms 72:5-7)
A common theme in kingdom language is longevity and legacy. A member of the British royal family has been on the throne for centuries. Spoiler alert: King Jesus will rule forever!!!
May he rule from sea to sea
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
May the desert tribes bow before him
and his enemies lick the dust. (Psalms 72:8-9)
Verse 8 is similar to Zechariah 9:10. I love the imagery, especially in verse nine. May his enemies lick the desert dust!
May the kings of Tarshish and of distant shores
bring tribute to him.
May the kings of Sheba and Seba
present him gifts. (Psalms 72:10)
One day we will present King Jesus with gifts, laying our crowns before him (Revelation 4:10-11).
May all kings bow down to him
and all nations serve him.
For he will deliver the needy who cry out,
the afflicted who have no one to help.
He will take pity on the weak and the needy
and save the needy from death. (Psalms 72:11-13)
King Jesus will rule over all nations! Once again we see references to the needy, weak and afflicted. The Bible is loaded with concern for the vulnerable.
He will rescue them from oppression and violence,
for precious is their blood in his sight.
Long may he live!
May gold from Sheba be given him.
May people ever pray for him
and bless him all day long. (Psalms 72:14-15)
There’s a lot in these two verses which pretty much speak for themselves. Note the prayers. The psalmist recognized the need for prayer, for divine intervention. While we pray to Jesus more than pray for Jesus, we can certainly pray for our human leaders. The Presidential Prayer Team has a website where you can learn how to pray for our president and his colleagues. Our mayor, city council, governor, judges, and congress all need our prayers.
May grain abound throughout the land;
on the tops of the hills may it sway.
May the crops flourish like Lebanon
and thrive like the grass of the field. (Psalms 72:16)
We would probably never think to pray for grain and crops in a nation so agriculturally rich, yet we are not beyond drought, floods, and other natural disasters which could spoil our food supply.
May his name endure forever;
may it continue as long as the sun.
Then all nations will be blessed through him,
and they will call him blessed. (Psalms 72:17)
Again we see all nations impacted by the royal son of David, the Messiah, not just Israel. Thus concludes the prayer. The rest of the chapter is a doxology, the response of the people.
Praise be to the LORD God, the God of Israel,
who alone does marvelous deeds.
Praise be to his glorious name forever;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
Amen and Amen.
This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse. (Psalms 72:17-20)
The LORD God is the One we are to praise. He is the source of all blessings, provisions, gifts, and wisdom.
May the name of the LORD be forever praised!
May the whole earth be filled with the glory of the LORD!
So What?
Although we may not be ruled by an earthly king, we are subjects to a heavenly King. He longs to see the vulnerable cared for, the oppressed released, and justice served. Every follower of Jesus has a duty, a responsibility, an obligation, and a privilege to glorify the King by carrying out His will, His desires in our world today. In His absence, we are to re-present the King well to our broken world.
Our Messiah, King Jesus, will one day return to rule and reign forever. Listen to these words most commonly recited around Christmastime:
But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” (Luke 1:30-33)
Do you hear echoes of Lamentations?
You, LORD, reign forever; your throne endures from generation to generation. (Lamentations 5:19)
There’s more to Christianity than the cradle and the Cross. There’s also the crown. Chiseled into the cornerstone of the United Nations building is an unfulfilled quotation from Isaiah in the Bible. It reads,
They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. (Isaiah 2:4)
Won’t that be the day?! This is a prophecy of when the Messiah will reign over the earth. The prophet Ezekiel wrote,
A ruin! A ruin! I will make it a ruin! The crown will not be restored until he to whom it rightfully belongs shall come; to him I will give it.’ (Ezekiel 21:27)
The King is coming!
The NIV translation of the Bible includes 365 mentions of the word “kingdom.” Perhaps the most famous is in what we call the LORD’s prayer: Jesus said,
“This, then, is how you should pray:
“ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:9-10)
The late Dallas Willard said we ask that the kingdom would “take over at all points in the personal, social and political order where it is now excluded.”
This should be our constant prayer, for the rule of the King to be real and present in our lives. As subjects to the King, we are to seek the will of the King. We are to pray for heaven to kiss earth. We are all aware that we are in the now and the not yet, the in between time, the space where good and evil battle…but not forever!
Someday Jesus will return to the earth he created, the earth he visited, the earth where he lived, died, and rose from the dead. He ascended into heaven but promised to return. When he returns, he won’t come as a baby. His mission won’t be to surrender his life. He won’t ride a donkey. No, the return of the King will be much different. He will come back as the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Revelation tells us there will be a battle.
They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.” (Revelation 17:14)
In fact,
On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. (Revelation 19:16)
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.
D6 Series— Songs from the Heart (Psalms)
Psalm 72
Series Overview: The Psalms reveal hearts poured out in inspired song.
Big Idea: We are to honor, serve, and submit to King Jesus…who is coming soon.
What’s the first thing you think of when you hear the word…king?
Chess?
Burgers?
The British Royal family?
The Lion King?
A fiction writer?
A tennis player?
A Cleveland basketball player?
Elvis?
This past week we remembered the horrific assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. 50 years ago.
We really have nothing in our culture quite like a king. No mayor, movie star, president, or billionaire CEO possesses the authority of a king.
Human Kings
The Bible is filled with kings, queens, and kingdoms. In the Old Testament alone, the word melek or “king” in English appears almost 2700 times! Human kings first appear in Genesis 14. Saul, David, Solomon, Hezekiah, and Josiah are just a few of the biblical kings. Wealth and power surrounded them, though they often faced opposition from other kings and kingdoms.
The kings of Israel had to meet several strict criteria, according to Deuteronomy 17:14–20:
chosen by God
not a foreigner
must not accumulate horses (i.e., build up and trust in military might)
must not accumulate many wives
must not accumulate wealth for himself
must write a copy of the law for himself
must read it and obey it
Unlike foreign kings who were often considered to be gods themselves, the kings of Israel were not to be above the law, but rather subject to God’s law. The king was to be an example of a humble servant of God leading the people in keeping God’s law. Oh that all of our leaders would have such a posture!
In his book Kingdom Conspiracy, Scot McKnight argues that in the Bible, “kingdom” implies five things
- A king
- A rule
- A people
- A law
- A land (Israel)
In short, the biblical understanding of “the kingdom’ is a people governed by a king. Today, the Kingdom of God, then, is the church.
Psalms
Today we continue our month-long look into the book of Psalms. Last Sunday we began with Psalm 22 and those unforgettable words, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
The book of Psalms was Israel’s hymnbook. I’d love to hear the melodies of these songs! It probably won’t surprise many of you to know Psalms is my favorite book of the Bible, at least in the Old Testament. The passion, authenticity, and artistry of these lyrics are so real, relevant, and inspiring…thousands of years after their writing.
Just as there are different types of hymns, there are different types of Psalms. Psalm 72 is a Messianic Psalm, viewing the Messiah—which literally means “the anointed one”— as King. It was written by or for Solomon (by his father David) as a prayer, also prophetically speaking of Jesus the Messiah. They helped prepare the saints of the Old Testament for the coming of Christ. What’s fascinating about this Psalm is it’s written by a king…about King Jesus.
Of Solomon.
Endow the king with your justice, O God,
the royal son with your righteousness.
May he judge your people in righteousness,
your afflicted ones with justice. (Psalms 72:1-2)
I love the heart of the writer. The king has power, but wants it used wisely, benevolently. He seeks to be righteous and just. Of course, everything he seeks will ultimately be fulfilled in King Jesus.
May the mountains bring prosperity to the people,
the hills the fruit of righteousness.
May he defend the afflicted among the people
and save the children of the needy;
may he crush the oppressor. (Psalms 72:3-4)
Does anyone have a problem with this? Of course not. We all want to see prosperity. We want the suffering defended, the children saved, and the oppressors crushed. That’s justice. And I might add the subjects of the king carry out the wishes of the king.
May he endure as long as the sun,
as long as the moon, through all generations.
May he be like rain falling on a mown field,
like showers watering the earth.
In his days may the righteous flourish
and prosperity abound till the moon is no more. (Psalms 72:5-7)
A common theme in kingdom language is longevity and legacy. A member of the British royal family has been on the throne for centuries. Spoiler alert: King Jesus will rule forever!!!
May he rule from sea to sea
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
May the desert tribes bow before him
and his enemies lick the dust. (Psalms 72:8-9)
Verse 8 is similar to Zechariah 9:10. I love the imagery, especially in verse nine. May his enemies lick the desert dust!
May the kings of Tarshish and of distant shores
bring tribute to him.
May the kings of Sheba and Seba
present him gifts. (Psalms 72:10)
One day we will present King Jesus with gifts, laying our crowns before him (Revelation 4:10-11).
May all kings bow down to him
and all nations serve him.
For he will deliver the needy who cry out,
the afflicted who have no one to help.
He will take pity on the weak and the needy
and save the needy from death. (Psalms 72:11-13)
King Jesus will rule over all nations! Once again we see references to the needy, weak and afflicted. The Bible is loaded with concern for the vulnerable.
He will rescue them from oppression and violence,
for precious is their blood in his sight.
Long may he live!
May gold from Sheba be given him.
May people ever pray for him
and bless him all day long. (Psalms 72:14-15)
There’s a lot in these two verses which pretty much speak for themselves. Note the prayers. The psalmist recognized the need for prayer, for divine intervention. While we pray to Jesus more than pray for Jesus, we can certainly pray for our human leaders. The Presidential Prayer Team has a website where you can learn how to pray for our president and his colleagues. Our mayor, city council, governor, judges, and congress all need our prayers.
May grain abound throughout the land;
on the tops of the hills may it sway.
May the crops flourish like Lebanon
and thrive like the grass of the field. (Psalms 72:16)
We would probably never think to pray for grain and crops in a nation so agriculturally rich, yet we are not beyond drought, floods, and other natural disasters which could spoil our food supply.
May his name endure forever;
may it continue as long as the sun.
Then all nations will be blessed through him,
and they will call him blessed. (Psalms 72:17)
Again we see all nations impacted by the royal son of David, the Messiah, not just Israel. Thus concludes the prayer. The rest of the chapter is a doxology, the response of the people.
Praise be to the LORD God, the God of Israel,
who alone does marvelous deeds.
Praise be to his glorious name forever;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
Amen and Amen.
This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse. (Psalms 72:17-20)
The LORD God is the One we are to praise. He is the source of all blessings, provisions, gifts, and wisdom.
May the name of the LORD be forever praised!
May the whole earth be filled with the glory of the LORD!
So What?
Although we may not be ruled by an earthly king, we are subjects to a heavenly King. He longs to see the vulnerable cared for, the oppressed released, and justice served. Every follower of Jesus has a duty, a responsibility, an obligation, and a privilege to glorify the King by carrying out His will, His desires in our world today. In His absence, we are to re-present the King well to our broken world.
Our Messiah, King Jesus, will one day return to rule and reign forever. Listen to these words most commonly recited around Christmastime:
But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” (Luke 1:30-33)
Do you hear echoes of Lamentations?
You, LORD, reign forever; your throne endures from generation to generation. (Lamentations 5:19)
There’s more to Christianity than the cradle and the Cross. There’s also the crown. Chiseled into the cornerstone of the United Nations building is an unfulfilled quotation from Isaiah in the Bible. It reads,
They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. (Isaiah 2:4)
Won’t that be the day?! This is a prophecy of when the Messiah will reign over the earth. The prophet Ezekiel wrote,
A ruin! A ruin! I will make it a ruin! The crown will not be restored until he to whom it rightfully belongs shall come; to him I will give it.’ (Ezekiel 21:27)
The King is coming!
The NIV translation of the Bible includes 365 mentions of the word “kingdom.” Perhaps the most famous is in what we call the LORD’s prayer: Jesus said,
“This, then, is how you should pray:
“ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:9-10)
The late Dallas Willard said we ask that the kingdom would “take over at all points in the personal, social and political order where it is now excluded.”
This should be our constant prayer, for the rule of the King to be real and present in our lives. As subjects to the King, we are to seek the will of the King. We are to pray for heaven to kiss earth. We are all aware that we are in the now and the not yet, the in between time, the space where good and evil battle…but not forever!
Someday Jesus will return to the earth he created, the earth he visited, the earth where he lived, died, and rose from the dead. He ascended into heaven but promised to return. When he returns, he won’t come as a baby. His mission won’t be to surrender his life. He won’t ride a donkey. No, the return of the King will be much different. He will come back as the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Revelation tells us there will be a battle.
They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.” (Revelation 17:14)
In fact,
On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. (Revelation 19:16)
In possibly the greatest musical composition of all time, The Messiah, George Frideric Handel wrote
The kingdom of this world
Is become the kingdom of our Lord,
And of His Christ, and of His Christ;
And He shall reign for ever and ever.
King of kings, and Lord of lords,…
And He shall reign forever and ever,
King of kings, forever and ever,
And Lord of lords,
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Conclusion
Dallas Willard explains in The Divine Conspiracy, “God’s own ‘kingdom,’ or ‘rule,’ is the range of his effective will, where what he wants done is done. The person of God himself and the action of his will are the organizing principles of his kingdom, but everything that obeys those principles, whether by nature or by choice, is within his kingdom.” This kingdom is among us, and is accessible now. Jesus said,
So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:31-33)
May we seek first his kingdom, bringing honor and glory, praise and worship to the king of Kings and the lord of LORDs. He shall reign forever! Amen!
Credits: some notes from Dallas Willard, Scot McKnight, D6
Back to the Future, 29 December 2013
29 12 13 Filed in: Sermons
Big Idea: As we approach the new year, it’s a perfect time to give thanks for this year and prepare for the next.
Today we are in the in-between.
2013 is essentially over. Even though we have a few days left, I’ve seen the best sports plays of the year, read about the best movies of the year…it’s as if 2013 is in the rear view mirror.
2014 does not arrive until Wednesday. I’m excited about the Winter Olympics in February, my daughter’s graduation from college in April…but it’s not here yet.
The in-between even reminds me of Advent when we look back to the first coming of Jesus and look forward to His return, muddling in the space between.
Today we are going back to the future. We are going to look back at 2013 and ahead to 2014.
Psalm 8
Last Sunday we looked at King David. One of my favorite psalms written by David is Psalm 8.
When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet: all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. (Psalm 8:3-8)
It continues to boggle my mind how God not only creates us and loves us, but He also invites us to do life with Him. He woos us into a relationship…and then asks us to rule with Him.
He is so good. He created us. He loves us. He cares for us.
Psalm 136 says
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever. (Psalm 136:1-3)
I don’t know about you, but I’m almost always looking ahead…sometimes too far ahead. I need the discipline of reflection, of giving thanks. There are trials and challenges ahead, to be sure, but we are commanded throughout the scriptures to give thanks.
This past week I reviewed some of the highlights of 2013 and gave thanks to God for His goodness.
How has God been good to you in 2013?
2014: The Year Ahead
What is God saying to you about 2014?
I didn’t ask for new year’s resolutions, though they may be similar. I want you to take some time and prayerfully consider your next-steps.
It has been said that we overestimate what we can do in a day and underestimate what we can do in a year. For example, if I asked you to read the entire Bible today, you might feel a bit overwhelmed! How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time! If you divided the Bible into 365 bites, you could read through the entire Bible in mere minutes each day. For some of you, that’s exactly what God is saying to you—read My Word!
Two years ago many of us read through the Bible together. In 2013, we’ve been reading the New Testament. In 2014, our Scio Journal is going to focus on the Psalms and Proverbs. You can read and interact on our Facebook page. Please join us!
Maybe 2014 is the year you finally take a risk and invite a friend to our Easter gathering, get to know your neighbors, serve a homeless person, get out of debt, break an addiction, embark on a missions trip, write your first book, forgive an old offense, go back to school…
What is God saying to you about 2014?
In about 365 days we may be together in this same room reflecting upon 2014. How will you live it? How does God want you to live it?
One word that keeps filling my mouth is “intentional.” We can go with the flow, letting the current of life move us downstream toward our eventual death or we can be proactive and seize the mission God has for our lives. He has created you and me to do good works which He prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10).
Listen to the words of Moses in Psalm 90:
Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. (1-2)
You turn people back to dust, saying, “Return to dust, you mortals.” A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night. Yet you sweep people away in the sleep of death—they are like the new grass of the morning: In the morning it springs up new, but by evening it is dry and withered. (3-6)
We are consumed by your anger and terrified by your indignation. You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. All our days pass away under your wrath; we finish our years with a moan. Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. If only we knew the power of your anger! Your wrath is as great as the fear that is your due. Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:7-12)
What is God saying to you about 2014?
We’ve reflected upon the past and looked ahead to the future, which leaves us with today. Today is the first day of the rest of your life. I challenge you to be fully present in the moment, not dwelling on the good old days or becoming anxious about the future, but thanking God for His faithfulness, right here, right now. One of the great things about God is He is timeless. He never changes. He is as real today as He was yesterday and will be just as faithful tomorrow.
In the final book of the Old Testament, Malachi, God Himself says
I the LORD do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. (Malachi 3:6)
James, the half-brother of Jesus, declared that
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (James 1:17)
Great Is Thy Faithfulness!
You can listen to this message and others at the Scio podcast here. You can also subscribe to our podcast here.
Today we are in the in-between.
2013 is essentially over. Even though we have a few days left, I’ve seen the best sports plays of the year, read about the best movies of the year…it’s as if 2013 is in the rear view mirror.
2014 does not arrive until Wednesday. I’m excited about the Winter Olympics in February, my daughter’s graduation from college in April…but it’s not here yet.
The in-between even reminds me of Advent when we look back to the first coming of Jesus and look forward to His return, muddling in the space between.
Today we are going back to the future. We are going to look back at 2013 and ahead to 2014.
Psalm 8
Last Sunday we looked at King David. One of my favorite psalms written by David is Psalm 8.
When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet: all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. (Psalm 8:3-8)
It continues to boggle my mind how God not only creates us and loves us, but He also invites us to do life with Him. He woos us into a relationship…and then asks us to rule with Him.
He is so good. He created us. He loves us. He cares for us.
Psalm 136 says
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever. (Psalm 136:1-3)
I don’t know about you, but I’m almost always looking ahead…sometimes too far ahead. I need the discipline of reflection, of giving thanks. There are trials and challenges ahead, to be sure, but we are commanded throughout the scriptures to give thanks.
This past week I reviewed some of the highlights of 2013 and gave thanks to God for His goodness.
How has God been good to you in 2013?
2014: The Year Ahead
What is God saying to you about 2014?
I didn’t ask for new year’s resolutions, though they may be similar. I want you to take some time and prayerfully consider your next-steps.
It has been said that we overestimate what we can do in a day and underestimate what we can do in a year. For example, if I asked you to read the entire Bible today, you might feel a bit overwhelmed! How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time! If you divided the Bible into 365 bites, you could read through the entire Bible in mere minutes each day. For some of you, that’s exactly what God is saying to you—read My Word!
Two years ago many of us read through the Bible together. In 2013, we’ve been reading the New Testament. In 2014, our Scio Journal is going to focus on the Psalms and Proverbs. You can read and interact on our Facebook page. Please join us!
Maybe 2014 is the year you finally take a risk and invite a friend to our Easter gathering, get to know your neighbors, serve a homeless person, get out of debt, break an addiction, embark on a missions trip, write your first book, forgive an old offense, go back to school…
What is God saying to you about 2014?
In about 365 days we may be together in this same room reflecting upon 2014. How will you live it? How does God want you to live it?
One word that keeps filling my mouth is “intentional.” We can go with the flow, letting the current of life move us downstream toward our eventual death or we can be proactive and seize the mission God has for our lives. He has created you and me to do good works which He prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10).
Listen to the words of Moses in Psalm 90:
Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. (1-2)
You turn people back to dust, saying, “Return to dust, you mortals.” A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night. Yet you sweep people away in the sleep of death—they are like the new grass of the morning: In the morning it springs up new, but by evening it is dry and withered. (3-6)
We are consumed by your anger and terrified by your indignation. You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. All our days pass away under your wrath; we finish our years with a moan. Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. If only we knew the power of your anger! Your wrath is as great as the fear that is your due. Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:7-12)
What is God saying to you about 2014?
We’ve reflected upon the past and looked ahead to the future, which leaves us with today. Today is the first day of the rest of your life. I challenge you to be fully present in the moment, not dwelling on the good old days or becoming anxious about the future, but thanking God for His faithfulness, right here, right now. One of the great things about God is He is timeless. He never changes. He is as real today as He was yesterday and will be just as faithful tomorrow.
In the final book of the Old Testament, Malachi, God Himself says
I the LORD do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. (Malachi 3:6)
James, the half-brother of Jesus, declared that
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (James 1:17)
Great Is Thy Faithfulness!
You can listen to this message and others at the Scio podcast here. You can also subscribe to our podcast here.