Here’s what Paul wants the Corinthians Church – and our Church – to grasp: The gospel alone is the basis and the gospel alone is the power for the Church. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

TEXT: 1 Corinthians 2:1–5
TITLE: 25 Years – Celebrating God’s Grace 
PREACHER: Tim Lambros
BIG IDEA: The gospel alone is the basis and the gospel alone is the power for the Church.

POINTS:
I. God’s Aim – Grounded in the Gospel
II. God’s Method – Power through Weakness

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

“This is a letter the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian Church 3-4 years after it got planted. Paul is hearing some things, and he’s concerned enough to pen this letter. In just a few short years, the Church has become enamored with Corinthian culture. A culture that was infatuated with rhetoric and philosophy and fascinated with the oratory skills of those who spoke about these things.”

“He will eventually get into some serious corrections for the Church, but first, he wants to make sure some foundational things are understood.”

“Here’s an observation we can benefit from before we even get too deep into these verses. This Church is not 25 years old. This Church isn’t even 10 years old. Why is that important? Even a Church planted by the Apostle Paul can drift.  Churches like ours are made up of imperfect pastors and imperfect members. All are called to guard against drift or enchantment with anything this world offers. Just as  Paul is going to ground this Church in the gospel because they have drifted, we too must guard the rich deposit of the gospel.”

“Notice how he begins. Both in his manner and especially in what he proclaimed/what he preached, he was focused on Christ and Him crucified. In his manner, he was not going to prioritize what the world in that day prioritized – lofty  speech or worldly wisdom.”

“Note Paul’s shorthand on the gospel. Christ and Him  crucified. At the heart of what Paul proclaimed, at the center of the gospel message, is the Cross of  Jesus Christ. The gospel message is much more than the Cross, but in Christ crucified, Paul begins to bring clarity on what’s most important and what makes their Christianity distinct! The crucifixion of Jesus Christ is the prism which all the other amazing things  God does for us come through. Why? Because in the Cross, God takes away all our pride and boasting.”

ILLUSTRATION - Prism picture  

“The crucifixion is the lens to our relationship with God, our sins forgiven, and power of the Holy Spirit.”

“Church, it’s so easy to drift. It can become all about your leaders, what your Church has accomplished, and your identity can become about how gifted your Church is. This is what happened in Corinth.”

“Paul wanted them to know nothing apart from Jesus and Him Crucified. Why so narrow? Here’s why … The gospel message, Biblically understood, takes the knees out of human pride. …Your basis, grounding, identity must be about what God has done and nothing about what you have done.”

“Even after our eyes are opened up to Christ crucified – As individuals and as a Church  we can easily drift and move away from the solid foundation of Christ crucified to the shifting ground of human accomplishment.”

“It happens to individuals, and it happens to Churches. Paul is a wise Pastor. He’s going to bring serious corrections but wants to ground them by bringing clarity first. Clarity on what the basics are, clarity on what their identity is. He wants this Church grounded in the gospel and very clear that their life in Christ is built upon what God has done for them, NOT what they are doing.”

“Church, it’s so easy to drift. We only drift away from the gospel. We never drift toward the gospel – it takes a vigorous and constant commitment to keep the main thing the main thing and make sure cultural creep doesn’t move us away from the foundational truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

“God wills that the gospel ALONE shape, mold, impact, influence every part of your life – parenting, marriage,  work, conflict resolution, etc., etc. Corinthians, I came so you would be grounded in the powerful message of the gospel in every part of your life.”

“What Paul says in the next few verses explains more of the WHY behind his church planting and Pastoral goal of grounding this Church in the gospel. God, in His kindness, has preserved in Holy Scripture this example from the Corinthian Church for all of us to learn how quickly we can drift. We not only need to be grounded in the gospel, but we also need to know about the power in the gospel.” 

“Paul’s message of Christ crucified is the good news that Jesus was born of a virgin,  lived a perfect life as God in the flesh, was brutally beaten beyond recognition, and was unjustly crucified on a cross. When Christ hung on that cross between heaven and earth  He was the utmost picture of weakness. Even though He looked weak and helpless, the  Cross is the wisdom of God and the power of God.”

“What’s Paul getting at here? Paul wants the Corinthian Church to understand something very, very important. Not only is the gospel message the basis and grounding of our faith, but the gospel is also where the transforming power for change comes.”

“The gospel doesn’t just make power available; the gospel is the power of God! The gospel isn’t a message about the power of God, it is the power of God. Same thing Paul wrote to the Church in Rome.”

“God wants to drive this truth home to the Corinthian Church and to us because of two universal truths: 1. God hates pride – pride exalts man. 2. Man inherently believes he has the power to save himself.”

“God had to send His son  Jesus Christ, and provide the power to save IN THE message of the gospel to make it impossible for man to have any part of God’s saving grace.”

“Paul wants this Church, and God wants all His Churches, to know that the gospel ALONE  saves and is the power for salvation. Man will always want to elevate his ability, and the gospel will always be foolishness to those who are perishing.”

“God saving us through weakness is foolishness to the wisdom of the world because there’s no room for human pride to be inserted into the equation. The wisdom of the world wants to create and redefine what was accomplished on the cross so that, in some way, human effort, human achievement can be claimed.”

APPLICATION:
We build: We build on the gospel alone. It must influence and penetrate every part of our life. It must be our identity. We must guard from drifting.

We Boast: But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ … Galatians 6:14
Paul definitely boasts – but boasts in the cross of Christ. Let that be our boast.

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Romans 1:16
1 Corinthians 1:17-30
2 Corinthians 12:8-10
1 Corinthians 2:3-5

QUOTES:
Paul Tripp - “Every unredeemed sinner attaches his identity, hopes and dreams, and meaning and purpose to something other than God. It might not be money. It might be power, control,  fame, physical health, intellectual gifts, and so on. For a while, these things satisfy our hearts and make us feel as though we don’t need a Savior. But they always leave us empty.”

John Piper - “… if we are following the dictates of merely human wisdom, the claim that the King and Creator of the world was executed like a criminal because we are such horrible sinners will simply be regarded as an intolerable foolishness.”

Gordon Fee - “A final purpose clause in v. 5 gives the reason for all this, that their faith might be of God and in God alone and not in human wisdom.”

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
King Of Love
You Made Us Your Own
Man Of Sorrows
It Is Well With My Soul
The Solid Rock

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
I Am the Way and the Truth and the Life - John 14:6

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

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

By Churches, Sovereign Grace

Buy on Amazon

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

Today, we want to draw your attention to three unimaginable and unchanging truths about Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: The I Am Sayings of Jesus
TEXT: John 10:11-18
TITLE: Our Good Shepherd
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

POINTS:
I. The Good Shepherd Lays Down His Life
II. The Good Shepherd Knows His Sheep
III. The Good Shepherd is On a Mission

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

“Scripture is filled with pictures that help us understand our Savior and apply what we know about Him to ordinary life. We call them metaphors, and they are truly a gift from God.”

“One of the Bible's most common, powerful, and beautiful metaphors is the imagery of Jesus as a shepherd. It's one thing to speak of Jesus as King, Lord, and the Righteous One, but nothing captures the tender and compassionate heart of Christ for his people like the imagery of a shepherd. In the words of Timothy Laniak—The imagery is not just nice, it's necessary.”

“Five times in our passage, Jesus reminds us that he laid down his life. It's the great theme of his teaching and the grand expression of the Good Shepherd's goodness. According to 17, it's the reason the Father's eternal love for the Good Shepherd —in obedience to and in accord with the Father's will—He laid down his life for his sheep.”

“[This image is] a contrast to the hired hand who loves himself, not the sheep. Jesus says a couple things about the hired hand here. First, he is not a shepherd and second, he doesn't own the sheep. He's an employee. As an employee, his care for the sheep go as far as his ability to get a paycheck goes. He doesn't truly care about the sheep, he's not invested in the sheep, he's just trying to pay the bills.”

“So when danger comes, when wolves—and in context, the wolves are the Pharisees, but today beginning with pastors, it  includes anyone who would use and abuse, fleece and deceive the church instead of loving and caring for the church—when those wolves come around, the hired hand is gone. After all, it's just a few sheep. Risking his own limb or life isn't worth it. Danger is above his paygrade.”

“Now, in fairness to the hired hand, his logic is pretty solid. His life is worth way more than a few stinky, dumb sheep. The shepherd's life is worth way more than a few sheep. Lose a few sheep, buy a few more. But don't lose your life over them. The only explanation is this—The shepherd loves the sheep that much.”

ILLUSTRATION: “In The Line of Fire Movie”, Has any President ever taken a bullet for an agent?

“That's what the Good Shepherd has done for his sheep. The good shepherd didn't merely risk his life, he laid down his life on the cross where he died, as a substitute for his sheep, so that his sheep could be rescued from the wolves of sin, death, and judgment, and instead, according to the promise of John 5:24—have abundant and eternal life in the presence of God.”

“In just about anything I've read about ancient shepherding, two things are consistent. First, Sheep are dirty, defenseless, and dumb. They are desperate for a shepherd.”

“Second, the shepherd knew his sheep personally. In the first century, sheep were raised primarily for wool, not food. So it was not unusual for a shepherd to spend years with the same sheep. The shepherd knew his sheep. He named them. They were like pets. A good shepherd could even pick his sheep out in a crowd.”

ILLUSTRATION: Shepherd pastor who “knew his sheep so well he could spot four lambs out of a flock from a moving train.”

“As Jesus reveals himself as the good shepherd, he gets very personal. He uses the verb know four times in these two verses. In the NT there are several words translated know. For example, the know in 4/5 is cognitive. But Jesus uses a different word—genosko in 14/15. It can be used to refer to the intimacy between and husband and wife. It's used to describe God's unique relationship with Israel in Amos 3:2 where God says—You only have I known (or loved) of all the families of the earth. Far more than cognitive, this knowing is relational and intimate.” 

“What's amazing here is that Jesus grounds his relationship with his sheep in the eternal and mutual affections of the Trinity. Did you catch that? Jesus sets his Trinitarian attention and affections upon lowly sheep. How humbling is that? How scandalous is that? How astounding is that?”

“The Bible doesn't flatter us—it calls us sheep. Jesus knows how messy we are. He knows how defenseless, and yes, dumb, we are. Jesus knows the secrets of your heart. He knows my sinful tendencies. He knows our weaknesses and shortcomings. Yet, as the Good Shepherd, Jesus says As much as the Father loves me and I love my Father, I love you! If you are doubting the loving care and concern of your Savior, doubt no more.”

“Jesus loves and cares for you with divine affection and attention. He KNOWS you. He KNOWS your need. He KNOWS the condition of your heart. He KNOWS your struggle.”

ILLUSTRATION: A cast sheep

“The Bible calls a cast sheep a bruised reed, someone who is spiritually weak and struggling. Isaiah 42:3 says—A bruised reed he will not break. Did you come here a bruised reed today? Your Good Shepherd KNOWS. Look to your Good Shepherd. That's what sheep do.”

ILLUSTRATION: Sheep are known for looking to their shepherd in the midst of danger

“Look to your Good Shepherd. He will never abandon you (Hebrews 13:5). He will always strengthen you (2 Corinthians 12:9). He perfectly provides for you (Romans 8:32). He is good, and he loves to pour out his goodness into your soul. Humble yourself, turn from your sin, and look to your Good Shepherd.”

“Last week, I mentioned two kinds of sheepfolds—Country and City. The City sheepfolds were communal, meaning multiple flocks shared the pen. The way this worked was that the shepherds would hire a gatekeeper to watch over the sheepfold at night. In the morning, when the shepherd came to lead his flock into pasture, the gatekeeper, recognizing the shepherd, would allow him into the sheepfold so he could gather his flock for pasture.”

“The sheepfold in 1-5 represents Judaism. The sheep in the pen are Jewish. And the point is that Jesus is the true shepherd—over and against the Pharisees, who were religious leaders in Israel, they were the robbers and thieves, better yet, the wicked shepherds of Ezekiel 34 that left God's flock scattered and vulnerable—Jesus is the true shepherd who calls the Jewish people out of Judaism to follow him, remember last week in 7-10—the door, the only true way to God.”

“Look back down to 16 where Jesus says—I have other sheep who are not of this fold. If Jesus has other sheep who aren't Jewish, he must be talking about the Gentiles. And if he is talking about the Gentiles, then, when he says I am the Good Shepherd, he is revealing himself as the fulfillment of the OT prophecy in Ezekiel 34.”

“Moses was a good shepherd. David was a good shepherd. But they were a shadow of the true Good Shepherd to come. From Isaiah to Ezekiel to Micah, the prophets foretold of the ultimate Shepherd.”

“This is the Good Shepherd's mission: To call all his sheep, chosen before the foundations of the world, to experience the Spirit's work of regeneration, which allows them to hear and respond by genuine faith to the shepherd's voice when he calls them to himself through gospel proclamation. And he has called them to care for, strengthen, and protect them as his flock.”

“This is the foundation of the Great Commission in Matthew 28. This is why we are planting a church on the east side. This is why we have asked one pastor to dedicate himself to leading us in evangelism.”

“Because the Good Shepherd, who has been and is always so good to us, has graciously joined us to his mission of saving sinners and building his church. As his sheep, we hear his voice calling us to mission, and we follow him into the mission field. The Good Shepherd has other sheep in this neighborhood, in Oro Valley, South Tucson, Rita Ranch, Vail, Sierra Vista, Marana, Catalina, The Foothills, Green Valley, Sahuarita.”

“…this mission is guaranteed. Christ cannot fail. He laid down his life and he took it back up again. He is indestructible with all authority under heaven and earth to finish the mission of gathering his sheep into one blessed flock. The Good Shepherd himself guarantees it.”

“God saves all He chooses before the foundations of the world and Jesus keeps and protects every one of them, not losing one of them, but bringing all of them to that great day in Revelation 7 where his sheep will live under the Good Shepherd's eternal care.”

“Sheep Gathered. Mission Accomplished. Eternity Enjoyed.”

ILLUSTRATION: Richard Burton, “I know Psalm 23; he knows the shepherd.”

APPLICATION:
Q. Do you know the Good Shepherd? If you do, have you strayed from him? Today, by faith, run to the Good Shepherd. Cling to the Good Shepherd. He's your Shepherd and he's GOOD.

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Ezekiel 34:20-24
Revelation 7:17

QUOTES:
F.F. Bruce - “The good shepherd shows himself to be a good shepherd because the welfare of the sheep, not his own, is his primary care.”

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
Come Praise And Glorify
We Are Yours Forever
All I Have Is Christ
Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me
In Christ Alone

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Celebration Sunday - 1 Corinthians 2:1-5

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

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

By Churches, Sovereign Grace

Buy on Amazon

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

In our text today, Jesus chooses a door to communicate the wonder and richness of the gospel to us. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: The I Am Sayings of Jesus
TEXT: John 10:9
TITLE: I Am The Door
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: Jesus says I am the door. Anyone who enters through me will get it all—abundance today and eternity tomorrow.

POINTS:
I. A Promise of Eternal Life
II. An Offer of Abundance

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

ILLUSTRATION: the door of reconciliation in Ireland, “chance your arm”

“Doors don't typically get that kind of notoriety or carry that type of significance. At the end of the day, a door is, well, a door. Yet, in our text today, Jesus chooses a door to communicate the wonder and richness of the gospel to us.”

“Imagine if every time we walked through a door, we thought of God's love for us in the gospel.”

“Jesus has just healed a man who had been blind from birth in Ch. 9. As this man celebrated and worshiped God for his new life, the Pharisees didn't handle it well. They condemned Jesus and cast out the healed man. In Chapter 10, Jesus responds to the Pharisees. To make his point, Jesus talks about a shepherd and his sheep, very familiar imagery in the agrarian society of first-century Palestine.”

“In 1-5, Jesus contrasts himself with the Pharisees, who are likened to robbers and thieves. His point is that he is the great shepherd calling his flock to himself. He calls his sheep, and his sheep hear and respond to his voice. More on that next week. In 6, John tells us the Pharisees aren't getting Jesus' point. So, in 7, Jesus says, 'Let me put it another way.'“

“Now, key to the text is the sheepfold Jesus mentions in 1. A sheepfold was a pen meant to protect the sheep at night. There were two kinds of sheepfolds: CITY and COUNTRY. Next week, we will talk about the CITY sheepfold. It's the country sheepfold Jesus has in mind in our text today. A country sheepfold was a small, sometimes ad hoc pen with a small entrance where the sheep would spend the night for protection. Because a sheepfold didn't have an actual door, the shepherd would actually sleep in the opening, literally becoming the door. If a sheep wanted to get in or out of that pen, it had to go through the shepherd, who had become a human door.”  

“Jesus is pretty straightforward—I am the door. Note the singularity. He doesn't say—I am A door or one of many doors. He says—I am THE door.”

“Notice what the door is not. The door is not certain behavior. It's not the sacraments. It's not the creeds. The door is not homeschooling. It's not a specific doctrine. The door is not your family. It's not a particular upbringing. It's not your parents or your spouse's faith. There is only one door, and that door is Jesus.”

“This is about as anti-American as you can get. We live in a pluralistic society where the default belief is that there are many ways to God. They say we are all on a spiritual journey and Jesus is just one option. To believe anything different is to be an arrogant, unloving, close-minded person. But the Bible is clear. Jesus will say the same thing in Chapter 14.”

“The exclusive claim that Jesus is the only way to God isn't our design. We don't determine the nature of the door. We're not in charge of the door. God is. And when Jesus says I AM the door, he speaks with the authority of God because he is himself God in the flesh.”

“This is critical for courage and confidence in evangelism. It's not arrogant and judgmental to give people truth. Don't believe that lie. It's loving. What's arrogant is to think you can come to God in the way you choose. What's unloving is to let someone believe they can because that makes them author of their salvation and a robber and thief trying to enter the kingdom of God through another door.”

“Now, notice what Jesus says in 9—I am the door. If anyone enters by me he will be saved. Saved from what? John 3:16 tells us. We are saved from perishing. We are saved from being eternally condemned by God for our sins. We are saved from His holy judgment and divine wrath that is expressed in eternal hell.”

“How is this possible? Jumping down to next week's text in 11—Jesus lays down his life for his sheep. On the cross, Jesus stood in my place. I was the sinner, I was the one deserving condemnation. But he chose to be my substitute, bearing all my sins and absorbing God's wrath meant for me. God treated Jesus as if he had lived my life of sin. And now he treats me as if I have lived Christ's life of righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21).”

ILLUSTRATION: Houdini and jail cell in British Isles

“Jesus is saying to you right now, by faith, lay all your efforts and strategies down and lean all your weight on me. Believe in me and you will be saved. There is no other way—I am the door to eternal life.”

“In 9, Jesus says those who enter God's presence through him will go in and out and find pasture. Again, rich imagery of sheep life. Freely moving about, going in for safety and out for food and nourishment in the pastures. But Jesus sums up the meaning of going in and out and finding pasture with just one word at the end of 10—Abundance. I came as the door that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

“We could translate it as extraordinary or, better yet, over the top. I came that you may have life that is over the top. (Grammarly suggested I change over the top to abundant). Jesus is saying I came that you may have life that you couldn't imagine in your wildest dreams.”

“Jesus is not talking about a life absent of health or financial problems. An abundant life is not about having a lot of stuff. Jesus' words are not an apologetic for a prosperity gospel. It's not a lifetime exemption from sorrow and suffering. The very one who promises an over-the-top life also promises a life of trials and persecution. And Jesus isn't saying live your best life now. We aren't pursuing Utopia in this life. The ultimate, over-the-top life awaits us in heaven. However, Jesus' promise is also for today. The going in and out and finding pasture in 9 is a picture of our everyday life in Christ.”

“There are numerous words in the Greek for life. The one Jesus uses in 10 is ‘zoe’. More than mere quantity, it denotes a quality of life lived in the present. That quality is a life abundant with God's presence, power, and promises. It's a life abundant with: 
- Abiding joy in the midst of challenging health situations
- Inward peace, even when you are about to lose it all
- Genuine satisfaction amid change, loss, and sorrow
- Spiritual strength when life has left you fragile
- Ephesians 1 says it's a life filled with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies”

“See, trials will occur. Loss will come. Suffering will happen. I don't have to tell you this. And I don't have to tell you how much our trials, loss, and suffering cloud our vision of the abundance we have in Christ. We need to preach this to ourselves and one another tirelessly: When you are in Christ, you can rise above it all because His Spirit lives in you as his adopted child, giving you joy, strength, and hope every day as you go in and out, finding pasture, a life of spiritual abundance that transcends all earthly matters.”

ILLUSTRATION: Father and Son's art collection—Whoever gets the son gets it all!

“Jesus says I am the door. Anyone who enters through me, will get it all—abundance today and eternity tomorrow.”

APPLICATION:
Q. By faith, have you entered through the door? Have you believed in Jesus? You've been attending church for years. You've seen the door. You've heard of the door. You can articulate the door. But have you placed your faith in Jesus, who is the door?

Q. Let me ask you: In times of trial, what do you fall back on? What do you depend on for your happiness? How would you define abundance?

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
John 14:6
Acts 4:12

QUOTES:
Charles Spurgeon - “Jesus has selected this emblem, I should think, partly that it may often come before our notice. You will not go out of this place without seeing a door; you will not get into your own house without seeing a door; and when you are inside, you will not get into your parlor without seeing a door; and when you go up to bed, you must pass through the door. When you rise tomorrow morning and start to go out to your work, you will have to open a door, — two doors probably; and, when you reach your work, there is pretty sure to be another door to be entered. Doors meet your gaze almost everywhere, so our Lord Jesus Christ seems to say to you, "I will meet you wherever you are; anywhere and everywhere, I will speak with you, and plead with you. I will make the door of every room in your house, and the door of every cupboard, too, to preach a little sermon to you, as you shall be reminded by it that 'I am the door'"

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
Rejoice
My Soul Will Wait (Psalm 62)
There is One Gospel
Rise My Soul The Lord Is Risen
We Receive

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
I Am the Good Shepherd - John 10:11

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

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

By Churches, Sovereign Grace

Buy on Amazon

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

We, His children, His followers need to grasp that if our Savior has power over our worst enemy – death – He has power over anything less than death. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: The I Am Sayings of Jesus
TEXT: John 11:25
TITLE: I am the Resurrection and the Life
PREACHER: Tim Lambros
BIG IDEA: God’s glory displayed in resurrection power transforms all our sorrows.

POINTS:
I. Trusting Jesus When Perplexed (1-16)
II. Trusting Jesus’ Compassion (17-37)
III. Trusting Who Jesus is

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

ILLUSTRATION: The world’s way of embracing death - unbelievers borrowing what we believe about death after spending no time understanding it in their life.

“John opens up this story by placing us at Mary and Martha’s home, and for the first time, we discover they are the sisters to (most likely) their young brother Lazarus. Lazarus is dying, so the sisters send word to Jesus.”

“Look closely at v. 3 to see how the message is sent to Jesus. The word Jesus receives is carefully stated, ‘He whom you love is ill.’ Jesus immediately responds in V. 4. The Savior knows the deeper purpose behind Lazarus’ sickness – Lazarus won’t die – God’s glory will be on display – the Son of God will be glorified through this.”

“We see in Scripture that Jesus loved this family.  The sisters don’t send a message like ‘you know how much Lazarus and we love you.’ Clearly, there is history and relationship here.  In their interactions over the years, they knew the Savior; it was clear He loved them.  So a quick point of application – in your walk with Jesus, do you ponder that He loved you?  He loved you and set His affection on you – His saving grace! Our love for Him is in response to His love for us.” 

“Besides living in the good of this truth – this is crucial as you face life in this fallen world, life where you will encounter difficulty and sorrow.  How do you view your relationship with Him?  Is it about your imperfect love for Him or is it about His perfect love for you?”

“So we know God’s purpose in this sorrow the family is experiencing, we know John puts the accent on the reality that Jesus loved this family, but the next scene, on the surface at least, doesn’t seem to be consistent with what we’ve seen so far.”

“This can be one of the most perplexing actions you see in Jesus.  He loves Lazarus, He loves Mary/Martha, but upon hearing that Lazarus is ill, he stays two more days.  Most of the time, even in our culture, when you get the 911 call – Mom might be down to a few days – you'd better get down there.”

“Why do we see perplexing situations in Scripture?  To get us to stop, slow down, and ask some questions.  Here’s a good question at this point in the story – who is the central player? It’s not Lazarus. Jesus, the Son of God is the center of this story.”

“How do you do when God delays in answering your cries for help? As a believer you know you are “loved by God” you are saved, you experienced/tasted what it means to be transformed by His saving grace – Then you face a sorrowful situation.  Maybe it’s death, sickness, a seriously bad report about your lost and rebellious child.  You cry out to Jesus . . . and crickets. You don’t hear anything, nothing changes. YOU ARE PERPLEXED. How do you respond? It’s so easy to doubt He’s there. It’s not abnormal to have doubts about God’s love creep in, truths you’ve been taught and believe seem to evaporate.  Friends attempts to comfort you with truths like ‘God’s ways are not our ways’ sound so hollow.”    

“This story can help you and I in the midst of sorrow.  Waiting on the Savior.  Knowing the truth of John 11, knowing what we will see next absolutely has the transforming power to equip you when you are in Martha’s place.”

“Jesus' timing is always perfect. He is never late. He loves you and I just like He loved Lazarus.  He is always central in each of our stories and His purpose is always to display His glory.”

“If you are not a Christian, may God’s display of love for you in the Cross cause you to bow your knee and repent of your sins and put your trust fully in Jesus Christ. God’s glory displayed in resurrection power transforms all our sorrows.” 

“Two things to note about this scene.  FIRST, 4 days is not an insignificant number.  Rabbis taught that the human spirit hovered over its body for 3 days. After the 4th day, death was permanent.  Jesus' glory would be manifested in resurrection power with no human explanation whatsoever.”

“SECOND, Jewish funerals were nothing like what we experience when we go to a funeral. In our culture, funerals are quiet, somber, respectful of those family members who have survived the deceased person.  Not so in Isreal.  Jesus would be coming into a loud scene.  Even the poorest Israelite was required to hire two professional mourners. People cried and wailed loudly.  This would have been a loud and chaotic scene.”

“In V. 22, Jesus states the truth that He knows what will happen.  Martha, not quite getting it, speaks of her brother’s eternal resurrection. Now, before we read V. 25, think about how odd this would have sounded to Mary.  Lazarus is dead, and Martha and Mary have been mourning for days.  READ V. 25. Jesus locates the resurrection and the eternal life IN Him! He states clearly to Martha that resurrection power and resurrection life is in Him.  It’s not just something he is able to do, it’s not something outside of Him – it’s who He is! Resurrection and life are in Himself!” 

“He restates the same thing in a different way.  If you live and believe in me, you shall never die. In Christ, you will experience an earthly death, but it’s nothing compared to the indestructible eternal life there is in Me!”

“Physical death, biological death, cannot destroy the eternal life we have in Christ.”

“Jesus knows there’s a day coming as He approaches Jerusalem where He will die a bloody death and rise from the grave. He knows that’s coming.  He also knows these words He’s saying to Martha will come alive!  So He asks her directly – Do you believe this?”

“There’s no more important question for each of us today than this!  When you are face to face with the tragedies of sin and death in this life – what you believe will be all that you hold on to.”

“Our English word ‘wept’ doesn’t capture what is going on.  This was no tearing up, Jesus is not some phony professional mourners there faking His emotion with a slight grin on His face because He knows what’s about to happen.  This was not a weeping that you quickly recover from. Jesus is sobbing, Jesus is weeping the kind of sloppy weeping when grief takes over. Then we see in V. 38 that Jesus approaches the tomb and is deeply moved again. Two times the text says Jesus is deeply moved and one time simply, Jesus wept.  So it begs the question – If Jesus already stated the purpose of His delay, if He knew what the outcome God the Father had ordained, why such a display of compassion? What was it that deeply moved Him?  Greatly troubled Him?  The loss of Lazarus?  The grief the sisters were experiencing? No, Jesus is troubled because He created the world perfect, and death wants part of it!  Jesus was there in the beginning! The highest and most perfect part of the creation was man, created in the image of God. Created to love and worship God and be in fellowship with Him!! Sin and death entered and have been ravaging His creation!”  

“Seeing what death has done, ravaging this family, moves Him to compassion.  Seeing cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes in children, chronic fatigue syndrome, the car accident that took your child’s life. Sin destroying marriages, teenagers rejecting all that Mom and Dad have taught them about Jesus. What many of us forget when we face sorrows and difficulties in life is that Jesus is the same to us as He was to Mary and Martha. The way Jesus responds at this funeral is the way He responds to you and me at our funerals.” 

“Jesus is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.  His compassion in what you are walking through doesn’t stop because He’s ascended into heaven.  What He’s like with the two sisters and their brother is how He is with your sorrow.”

“Notice Martha’s hesitation in v. 39 – We are all Martha’s even with Jesus’ Word given to us. Even after all He’s done, our faith is imperfect.  We have moments of functional atheism. Unbelief.  Jesus, yet again, is patient with her and reminds her of the word He gave her.”

“Jesus calls Lazarus from the dead.  Jesus who is the resurrection and the life commands death to back down and powerfully raises a dead man. He who is THE LIFE gives Lazarus life.  He powerfully displays the glory of God in the Son. Lazarus' cells miraculously come alive, his heart begins to beat. Everything that was dead in his body now submits to Jesus – who is the resurrection and the life!”

“Nobody would have been expecting this scene.  In all the chaos Jesus speaks boldly for Lazarus to come forward.  People would have gone from chaos to silence, gasping at what they saw.  No one would have anticipated this outcome.  Clearly people were stunned because when Lazarus comes out, Jesus needs to instruct the stunned people to unbind him.”

“We, His children, His followers need to grasp that if our Savior has power over our worst enemy – death – He has power over anything less than death.  You can trust Him with lesser sorrows/lesser difficulties.  You can trust Him even with the simple challenges of living in a fallen world.”

“We, His children, His followers need to grasp that if our Savior has power over our worst enemy – death – He has power over anything less than death.  You can trust Him with lesser sorrows/lesser difficulties.  You can trust Him even with the simple challenges of living in a fallen world. For my peer group, it’s recognizing our bodies are falling apart.  As we age, we need to press into the reality that biological decline and eventually biological death aren’t more powerful than the Son of God, who is the resurrection and life. For younger groups, it can’t be the many challenges of parenting.  Teens it might be that you’re recognizing your parents are sinners too. In these moments, we need John 11 so we can trust Jesus with who He is: The resurrection and the life.” 

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
1 John 4:9–10

QUOTES:
JC Ryle - “The chapter is one of the most remarkable in the New Testament. For grandeur and simplicity, for pathos and solemnity, nothing was ever written like it.”

Paul Tripp - “Our willingness to wait on God means we really do believe that he exists, that he really is wise, that he is good all of the time and in every way, and that he will ultimately do for us, in us, and around us everything he has promised.”

RC Sproul - “Biological death doesn’t disturb the continuity of the living personal existence for God’s people in the slightest.  Once a person believes in Christ, the life of Christ is poured into that person and that life is eternal.” 

David Clarkson - “His glorified body is now above suffering, but His heart suffers still. So far, perfect compassion is a kind of suffering. His love is such that the grievances of His people touch His heart as if they were His own.”

Charles Spurgeon - “If Jesus had never wept, He could never wipe away my tears.”

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
How Vast The Love
This Is Amazing Grace
We Are Yours Forever
Here Is Love
Because He Lives

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
I Am the Door - John 10:9

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

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

By Churches, Sovereign Grace

Buy on Amazon

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

On that day, in the treasury, a real place in real time, what he says about Himself will stand as true in every place and for all time! “Jesus spoke to them,” and He now speaks the same to us: “I AM THE light of the world!” Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: The I Am Sayings of Jesus
TEXT: John 8:12
TITLE: Jesus, The Light of the World
PREACHER: Tom Wilkins
BIG IDEA: Because Jesus is the light of life, follow him!

POINTS:
1. Jesus: “I am the light of the world.”
2. Jesus: “Follow me.”

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

“The scene was spectacular! - Vs 20. There were 13 trumpet-shaped chests “in the treasury” (for taxes and offerings). The treasury would have been in the Court of the Women, the largest court on the Temple grounds - just inside the outer Court of the Gentiles. During the Feast of Tabernacles, four massive 75-foot fiery candle opera lamps that stood throughout the Court were ignited every night. They lit the sky with dazzling light, refracting and flashing in and from the Temple Mount, illuminating the sky above the Temple and throughout Jerusalem. With torches in hand, the people filled the court dancing and singing at the top of their lungs every night during the feast under the light of these great lamps.”

“And it is THERE, in Jerusalem, on the temple mount, in the treasury where Jesus, surveying the lamps either being extinguished or being prepared for that evening, declared: ‘I AM THE light of the world.’”

“Jesus does ask, Who do the people say that I am? Who do you say that am? However, as we learned last week, we are intentionally focusing on the “I AM” statements of Jesus. In these, we learn what is paramount in our understanding, our knowing, and our faith. What Jesus says about Himself must inform whatever we would ever confess and believe about him. What we believe about Him and who we say He is must be informed first and forever framed by HIM and by who He says He is.”

“What is Jesus saying about himself here in John 8:12? What does He mean that He is the light of the world?”

“During their exodus, the LORD led and protected the people of Israel in the wilderness with a pillar of light, day and night. The celebration of this light is happening during this Feast of Festivals - Jesus is saying, that light that led you, I AM that light!”

“‘I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.’ Jesus: I am the Servant of Isaiah 49 - I AM the light… I am the light of the world! This light of Isaiah is the Messiah! Jesus: I AM THE MESSIAH!”

“With no ambiguity. No couching of words. No over-explaining. No hidden message. A Cypher is not needed. With no reading between the lines necessary. Jesus is saying, ‘I am the Promised One of Israel, shining light into this world, bringing salvation and forgiveness.’”

“As soon as Jesus declares that He is ‘the light of the world,’ he immediately announces the imperative ‘FOLLOW ME’ followed by the immediate implication: If you follow me, you ‘will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life!’”

“FOLLOW ME - Believe in Me. Place your trust… your faith in me… submit your life to me. These are some of the most gracious words that you or I could ever hear from Jesus! ‘FOLLOW ME' - These words save a man. They change the most stubborn of men. They call a man dead in sin to repentance and eternal life!”

“Biblically, this darkness IS this world ‘alienated from the life of God.’ This is a“domain of darkness”. The darkness is a realm… a kingdom… of sin and death, lost without God. WHY should you follow Jesus? Why MUST you follow Jesus? Because if you will not, you will forever have only darkness… what John Calvin simply called A VERY DARK NIGHT.”

“Without Jesus, all we have is this ‘very dark night.’ Without Jesus, we walk in darkness! AND we are not passively living in the darkness. We love the darkness and we hate the light.”

“HE IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU. Jesus, the light of the world, is standing right in front of you! Oh, hear the warning of verses 21-28. (Vs. 21) If you remain in the darkness, we cannot go where Jesus has gone - heaven! (Vs. 21) If you remain in darkness, you will die in your sin! BECAUSE WE ARE ALREADY DEAD IN OUR SIN.”

“Heed the fuller warning: These men were men of piety, with all of the right religious answers, all of the holy living, all their ducks appear to be in order, but open the chambers of their heart and you would find only darkness. If we do not turn from our sin in repentance and follow Jesus, we will remain in this world.”

“The cross both saves and reveals. The cross exalts Jesus AND reveals who Jesus is! You may refuse to follow Jesus, but you will know who He is! When He was lifted up on the cross, it was clear… He is the light of the world. He is the Son of God. And the day is coming that you know Him… you will bow down before Him… IF you reject the Savior, all that will remain is darkness in judgment!”

“BUT, the Cross of Jesus does not only judge! The GOOD NEWS IS THAT the Cross of Jesus brings salvation! Because Jesus is the light of the world, and if you FOLLOW JESUS, He will rescue you from the darkness: John 1:5”

“A Savior! Jesus, the Lamb of God, in an “unflinching self-sacrifice” dies for the welfare of men. Jesus’ light shines brightest from the cross like a lighthouse throwing its beams across the dark waters of human guilt and misery. Eternity dawns on us when we hear Him speak!”

“Left in the darkness, we would have only death forevermore. BUT, NOW basking in the light of Jesus, we will get LIFE FOREVERMORE.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Exodus 13:21-22
Psalm 27:1
Psalm 119:105
Ezekiel 1:4, 13, 26-28
Isaiah 49:6
John 1:4
Isaiah 9:2
Ephesians 4:18-19
Colossians 1:13
John 3:19-20

QUOTES:
Charles Spurgeon - “Eternity dawned on His hearers while He spoke…Oh! beloved, the light of Christ comes out brightest upon the cross. Someone called it the Ancient Lighthouse of this world’s sea. So it is. This is the lighthouse that throws its beams across the dark waters of human guilt and misery, warns men of the rocks, and guides them to the haven. A Savior!”

APPLICATION:
SINNERS, FOLLOW HIM - You MUST believe in Jesus. Your situation could not be more precarious and desperate. What is your guilt? Sex? Greed? Self-worship? Idolatry? Gluttony? What is your misery and sorrow? Death has brought you loss. Bitterness drains your life. Regret has you bowed down in darkness. You have Jesus, the light of the world, shining into all of it! Follow Jesus and you will be rescued from the darkness, and you will have Him, and He will pull you out and into everlasting life!

SAINTS, FOLLOW HIM - marvel that you have been rescued from the darkness - the light of Christ has shone on you! 1 Peter 2:9–10 “…proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” We have the joy, in following Jesus, of marveling in Him who called us out of darkness and into his marvelous light!

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
Your Words Are Wonderful (Psalm 119)
Praise His Name (Psalm 148)
Our Song From Age To Age
Christ Our Treasure
As You Go

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
I am the Resurrection and the Life - John 11:25

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

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

By Churches, Sovereign Grace

Buy on Amazon

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

Today, we begin a series on the I Am sayings of Jesus. Jesus famously asked his disciples, "Who do you say that I am?" This series is not about who we say Jesus is. We will spend the next seven weeks hearing what Jesus says about himself. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: The I Am Sayings of Jesus
TEXT: John 6:35
TITLE: Supreme Satisfaction
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: More than providing our daily bread, Jesus came to be our eternal bread.

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

“In one sense, we can never be closer to Jesus (gospel union). In another sense, we can never be close enough to Jesus. My prayer is that as we get to know Jesus more through these sayings, we fall more in love with Jesus, live more passionately for Jesus, and more courageously share the good news about Jesus with others.”

“Jesus' stunning claim comes as he is conversing with the crowds. BTW, so stunning is Jesus' claim by the end of the scene, even some of his disciples desert him.”

“A day earlier, Jesus fed 5k people (15-20k including women and children) with just five loaves of bread and two fish. And get this—there were leftovers. It was a miracle that revealed Christ's unmatched power and authority.”

“The next morning, the people run Jesus down again. They don't have questions about the feeding miracle. They aren't curious about its significance or implications. They aren't in awe of Jesus. They want breakfast. They aren't looking for a Savior; they are looking for a meal ticket.”

“The crowd responds in 28 by asking, "What must we do?" It's a familiar question, isn't it? What do I need to do? We are doers. We are self-sufficient. Surely I need to do something to get something. It's a daily fight to rest in Christ's work for us and the Spirit's power in us.”

“In 29-33, Jesus essentially says, You don't do anything. You can't do anything. Like the manna your fathers ate in the wilderness, this life-giving bread comes not from man but from God. Of course, the crowd loves that idea, so in 34 they say, ‘Sir, give us this bread always.’”

“The idea conveyed by the word "always" is continually or repeatedly. The crowd is still misunderstanding Jesus. Their mindset is stuck in a transactional mode. Ok, Sir, we'll meet you right back here with our baskets every morning. But Jesus says, I'm right here. Look at 35—I am the bread of life.”

“Revealing himself with the same name God revealed himself to Moses with at the Burning Bush, Jesus reveals not only his deity, but His sufficiency to not only meet their physical needs, but infinitely more, the spiritual life and nourishment that is essential but beyond their ability.”

“Remember what Jesus said earlier—look at 33 with me. Jesus says, I am the HE. I am the true bread my Father sends from heaven. Get your minds off bread loaves. Get your mind off earthly needs. Get your thoughts off the temporal. Get your eyes off the dot (here and now) and see the line (eternal). Think spiritually. I am the ultimate bread, the bread in the wilderness foreshadowed. It's me. I can give you all the bread loaves your heart desires, but that's not why I came. I didn't come just to provide you with bread, I came to BE your bread.”

“Now, Jesus follows up this stunning self-revelation with a generous invitation and an eternal promise. Jesus says, 'Come and believe in me.' How do we do that? By faith. BTW, faith is not a work. Scripture always juxtaposes faith and works. Romans 10:9—If you believe in your heart, you will be saved. Jesus has already said in 29 that the way to receive this bread of life is by believing the One who IS the bread of life. Coming to Jesus is not simply showing up on Sundays. Believing in Jesus is not merely agreeing with the facts of the gospel. Jesus invitation is to trust him, to lean all your weight on him, place all your hope in him, in who he is and what he has done at the cross for you, paying in full what you owed by taking all your sins, and the just and eternal punishment for those sins, upon himself so that your guilt is gone and you are justified before God. When you come to Jesus with a heart that believes that, that is FAITH.”

“This ultimately happens through the miracle of regeneration, an inward work of the Spirit that makes you acutely aware of your sin and guilt and even more of the love and mercy of God in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ in such a way that you come to Jesus with a broken heart and open arms in repentance and faith. God alone does this regenerating work that liberates you to come to Jesus in faith. Jesus makes that clear in the preceding verses, if you wish to study them this week.”

“This invitation comes with a promise—Supreme Satisfaction.”

“When Jesus says all who come and believe shall not hunger and shall never thirst, those promises are emphatic. In other words, the emphasis is on NEVER. When you come to Jesus, when you believe in him, you will not be disappointed. We were created for longing. God designed us to hunger and thirst after something. Physically, yes, but even more, spiritually. When we come to Jesus and feast on Him, our most fundamental needs are always satisfied.”

“We Hunger and Thirst for ACCEPTANCE without conditions. Human beings are gluttonous about love. We hunger after being loved. We thirst to be accepted without the fear of rejection. So we live promiscuously. We deceive others to stay in their good graces. But Jesus gives us a better meal to feast on. His blood and righteousness provide us with peace with God that can never be broken. Who can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus? No one and nothing! Romans 8:38-39.”

“We Hunger and Thirst for PURPOSE in and beyond this world. We were created with a longing for purpose. That ultimate purpose is, to quote the Westminster Confession—Glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Only in our union with Christ is this possible. As we feast on Jesus, believing, obeying, and resting in Jesus, our hungry and thirsty souls are satisfied.”

“We Hunger and Thirst for ASSURANCE before God. The eating of Christ's flesh and drinking of his blood is the coming and believing of verse 35. The point is, if you have believed in Jesus, you are saved and will be raised one day to heaven. Are you struggling with assurance of faith this morning? Have you believed in Jesus? If you have, you may be a struggling Christian, but you are a Christian no less. Once justified, always justified, FULLY. Christian, do you doubt God is working in you? Have you come to him in faith for your standing before God? If you have, you may be resisting His work, but He is at work no less because Romans 8:29-30 says all who are in Christ are being sanctified as they wait to be glorified.”

“We could keep going—security, reputation, longevity. These are some of the most fundamental things we hunger and thirst after. And there is no amount of money or possessions, no position of importance, no degree of power, no measure of success that can satisfy our desires.”

ILLUSTRATION: Millionaire YouTuber - “I've tried everything, but there is still something missing.”

“If Jesus isn't our supreme satisfaction, something will always be off because Jesus alone is the bread of life. On the other hand, the more we feast on Jesus, the more our desire to feast on the world dissipates. I'm not thinking about a McDonald's cheeseburger when my belly is full of a ribeye.”

QUOTES:
Charles Spurgeon - “Faith is a motion of the heart, not a motion of the feet…It is an act of reliance upon Christ's great sacrifice, and wherever the Holy Ghost works it in men, it makes Christ to be theirs, so that they shall never hunger and shall never thirst.”

Jean-Paul Sartre - “That God does not exist, I cannot deny, that my whole being cries out for God, I cannot forget.”

Charles Spurgeon - “The love of Jesus casts out all hankering for other loves and fills the soul. If the ocean of divine love cannot fill us, what can? What more can a man want or wish for?”

APPLICATION:
Here is the BIG question: What are you feasting on? Where are you seeking satisfaction? Where are you going to quench your hunger and thirst for things like purpose, assurance, and acceptance? Here are a few questions to help you answer the bigger question:
- What do you find yourself reveling in more, your worldly success or Christ's atoning sacrifice?
- In disappointment, is your heart ruled by your subjective feelings or the objective truths of the gospel?
- What creates a sigh of relief in your soul most, your social acceptance or your heavenly adoption?

The world and all its sparkle and promises leave us hungry, thirsty, and sick every time. We don't always feel our malnutrition. Sin is like cancer; it eats away at us even when we don't know it. 

Oh, but there is great hope! Jesus says, "I am the bread of life. Come to me. Believe in me. Feast on me. And you will never hunger or thirst." This is the Savior's promise to you! More than providing our daily bread, Jesus came to be our eternal bread of life. So come, believe in him, for the first time or the thousandth time, and be supremely satisfied.

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
Bless The Lord O My Soul (Psalm 103)
Christ Our Hope In Life And Death
All Things
Praise His Name (Psalm 148)
We Hunger And Thirst

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
I Am the Light of the World - John 8:12

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

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

By Churches, Sovereign Grace

Buy on Amazon

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Isaiah 43:10
Proverbs 21:1

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

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

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

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

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

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

By Churches, Sovereign Grace

Buy on Amazon

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Psalm 136

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

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

By Churches, Sovereign Grace

Buy on Amazon

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Psalm 16:5
Psalm 23:5

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

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Guest Pastor - Erik Rangel

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

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

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

Buy on Amazon

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Six Statements Regarding the Word of God:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Psalm 116

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

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

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

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