A Reminder of your Redeemer

Introduction

Introduce self

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Connection point: Life groups starting up, vacation, excited for the next three weeks for our church as we have our staff and guest speaker come in and preach.

Today we are looking at a passage that God brought me to in my personal devotions last week that spoke to my heart and I want to share it with you.

I’m also going to communicate this message in a waay that I typically don’t. I’mm always wanting to grow as a communicator of God’s word and today I’m going to try something different. If it’ terrrible, come back in 4 weeks and you you can hear me again.

The passage I want to hare with you is Psalm 121.

The book of Psalms is a book of songs with many written by David with others coming from various places. The origins of this song are unclear however it’s purpose is crystal clear.

This song is a reminder of your redeemer.

Raise your hand this morning ifi you have been in a situation in life when you haave needed a reminder of your redeemer? My hands up.

The people of the Old Testament did not have easy lives. Let’s putt ourselves in 5 bc, roman occupation in the homeland, the last rebellion didn’t work out well, you under the laws of the pharrisees and your connection to God is through the temple.

We on the other hand live ina day where we have self driving cars, we have a personal relationship with God through faith in Jesus, and let’s be honest, comparitavely there is none of us that have it as hard a the men and women of that time period.

However, in our lives and theirs there is always a need for a reminder of our redeemer.

This pslm reminds of Him in three ways: how he is our strength, our safety, and our salvation.

Before we read this Psalm, let’s talk about how it was sung.

It was sung like a military cadence. Now with the craziness that can come with it but the back and forth from a person leading the singing and someone singing after. Someone would sing the first two verses and then someone else would sing the next two.

Let’s look at the opening lines of this Psalm and see how Jesus is our Strength

I. Jesus is our Strength

Psalm 121:1-2 “1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, From whence cometh my help. 2 My help cometh from the Lord, Which made heaven and earth.”

Exegete:

ORIGINS OF THE PSALM, Hezekiah

Place yourrself in the shoes or sandals of the old testament jew. You are on your way to Jeruslaem for the passover. You’ve been on the road for a ccouple days now, your tired, your kids are fighting, the food hasn’t been that great, your worried about whats happening at home, and off in the distance you see the 7 hills of Jeruslaem.

Your almost there, the journey is almost complete, and you begin to belt out this Psalm.

You see the end of the journey, you have the goal in your eye, and then you have to remind yourself, the goal, the achievement, the thing you are pursuing after accomplishing isn’t what is going to help you or your family. It isn’t going to support you in life.

Whether that endstate for you is a business, a 401k, a yacht, family, kids, or whatever you see as the thing that you are pursuing in this life, this song reminds that the mountains are not the goal, they are parrt of the journey with the one who created and is in control of the mountains.

Illustrate:

"Hey there, Church! I want to share a story with you today that's near and dear to my heart, and I believe it has the power to change the way we look at life, our struggles, our victories, and above all, our relationship with God.

Let's think about Jack. He's your average, everyday guy. He's a hard worker, a family man, a guy who's determined to achieve his goals. Jack's got this dream of climbing the tallest mountain. He's always loved the thrill of a challenge, the satisfaction of achievement. He loves the idea of standing on the peak, looking down, and thinking, 'I did it.' The mountain has become a symbol of his aspirations, his dreams, his goals. His life has become a quest to conquer this mountain.

He trains, he plans, he sets out on the journey. The climb is tough, just as he expected. But what he didn't foresee was just how lonely, how harrowing it could be. There were times when he felt defeated, ready to turn back. But he pushes on, determined not to give up.

One day, exhausted and overwhelmed, Jack looks up at the mountain peak. It's still so far away. In despair, he drops to his knees and cries out, 'I can't do this alone. I need help.'

And just as he says this, a cloud shifts and sunlight beams down on him. He feels a warmth, a peace he hasn't felt in a long time. He hears a voice, quiet but clear, saying 'My son, your help comes from me, the Lord who made heaven and earth.'

Suddenly, Jack understands. His goal, the mountain, had become his god. He had been seeking satisfaction, fulfillment, and identity from the mountain, from his own achievements. But true support, the real strength to overcome life's obstacles, doesn't come from the mountains we climb, but from the Lord who created those mountains.

From then on, Jack climbs with a new spirit. He knows that whether he reaches the peak or not, he is loved and supported by God. His worth isn't determined by the height of the mountains he climbs, but by the love of the God who made him.

Apply:

Now, Church, I want you to hear this: The mountains in our lives, our goals, they're important. They give us direction, they give us purpose. But they are not our source of strength. Our help comes from the Lord. It's not about the mountains we conquer, but the God we serve. Let's remember to lift our eyes, not to the mountains, but to the One who created them."

When the mountains you want to conquer are on the Path God wants you to take the strength to overcome them will be made available on your journey.

But the journey of life is treacherous. There are temptations that can knock you off your path, there are failures coming your way, there are people that want you to fail, and there are situations you face that on your journey with Jesus that require protecction to get you through.

It’s one thing to pick yourself up by the bootstraps and keep going because your focus is on the Lord, it’s another to face the trials as you go through it.

The potential of the difficulty you face could keep you from moving forward in faith.

It’s in those moments of doubt you remind yourself of your redeemer and the safety he provides.

Because

II. Jesus is our Security

Psalm 121:3-6 “3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: He that keepeth thee will not slumber. 4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The Lord is thy keeper: The Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. 6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, Nor the moon by night.”

Exegete:

Whehter you are King Hezekiah that has cchosen to stand againt God’s enemies or the young Israelite that has started his journey to Jerusalem from the town of Eliat tha is 186 miles from Jerusalem and you are about to walk for days to get there, or the 21st century believer that has said I’m going to take this step by faith for the Lord even though it doesn’t make logical sense and I’m scared, it would be easy for your foot to be moved from the path you are now on.

The reference here is to the idea of you second guessing the journey you are on by faith to the glory of God.

Illustrate:

It is not outside of God’s ccharacteer to call you to do crazy things. It’s also not outside of his character for you to do crazy things that don’t end well for you in the physical sense.

Hear me,

He called fishermen to be the leaders of an international movement, He called them to stand against the authorities of their day.

And what was their prayer when things got difficult?

Acts 4:23-29 “23 And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them. 24 And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: 25 Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? 26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. 27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, 28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. 29 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,”

When you are on a journey that God has brought you on and is walking with you, your going to find every reason in the world to stop and move off that path.

How do you keep going? Remind yourself of who your redeemer is. You serve the god of the universe. You sereve the one who parted the red sea, who brought firee down on mt carmel, who tore the veil into, shook the earth, and put darkness over the land when His Son died for you, you do not serve a weak, distant God.

However you do serve a God and not a Genie.

God may send you on a path where you don’t get everything you desire.

The men who prayedd this prayer were martyrd for their faith. Peter wasa crucifiedd upside down, John was boiled in oil and exiled to the island of Patmos.

They didn’t ridde off into the sunset on whtie horse with all the money and luxury life had to offer.

What was the result of their obediencve though? The glorification of God and the furtherance of the gospel.

Apply:

What step of faith have you been afraid to take? Are you afraid because it won’t glorify God or are you afraid becuase it won’t glorify you?

Whether that is a step to get involved ina churchc after being hurt, giving to the Lord through the church by faith, selling your business and pursing a life of ministry, or a relationship you have been apart of that seems to be of the Lord but your unsure of.

It’s time to seek Jesus and take some steps of faith. He will give you strength and safety.

However those things only come after what we ultimately find in Jesus an that is salvation

III. Jesus is our Salvation

Psalm 121:7-8 “7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: He shall preserve thy soul. 8 The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in From this time forth, and even for evermore.”

Exegete:

The preservation from evil is not the preservation form difficulty or bad times. It is not the preservation from poverty, from illness, from cruel governments.

The preservation of evil is talking about the preervation of your soul. It is through salvation in Jesus that we find ultimate deliverance in this life and the next.

Illustrate:

How do we obtain salvation in Jesus, well…that’s easy.

We understand we are sinners

Roman 3:23 “23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”

We know the penalty for sin is death adn Hell

Roman 6:23 “23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Rom 10:9 “9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

Rom 10:13 “13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Apply:

I’m thankful for the church survey we put out and for those of you that responded. When it came to salvation being by grace and thorugh faith and only by Jesus we had an overhwelminly positive response. A couple people made some false claims about going to Heaven by other means. The only way to God and they onyl way to heaven is by faith in Jesus Christ. That is a cornerstone of the Cchristian faith and exactly what Jesus meant when he said

John 14:6 “6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

Redepmtion comes from the Lord, the maker of Heven and earth.

And if you are on thise joruney without Jesus I can’t imagine howe difficult it has been for you. I’ve lived some of my life without Jesus and I know waht that was like. I’m grateful now to be a transformed follower of Christ that has mountains, that has temptaions, but more importantly has a redeemer that is on this journey with me.

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