Conversations In The Dark

Introduction- Conversation In The Dark by John Legend (Greater Love Album in 2020)

[Verse 1]

Talk, let's have conversations in the dark

World is sleeping, I'm awake with you, with you

Watch, movies that we've both already seen

I ain't even looking at the screen

It's true, I got my eyes on you

[Pre-Chorus]

And you say that you're not worthy

You get hung up on your flaws

Well, in my eyes, you are perfect as you are

[Chorus]

I won't ever try to change you, change you

I will always want the same you, same you

Swear on everything I pray to

That I won't break your heart

I'll be there when you get lonely, lonely

Keep the secrets that you told me, told me

And your love is all you owe me

And I won't break your heart

[Bridge]

When no one seems to notice

And your days, they seem so hard

My darling, you should know this

My love is everywhere you are

Transition To Body

The title of this psalm reads, To the Chief Musician. On the instrument of Gath. A Psalm of David. It indicates the audience of the psalm (the Chief Musician), the author of the psalm (of David) and the sound of the psalm (the instrument of Gath). In this psalm David speaks of the glory of God, and how the glory of man and his destiny reflect upon God.

King David has probably spent time in his younger years of life as shepherd, looking up at the sky during the night while watching over his sheep…

Body- Why is the LORD’S name majestic in all the earth? The LORD created this wonderful world

Psalmist is

Mesmerized By The LORD’S Majesty

Psalm 8:1 ESV

1 O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.

O LORD- Yahweh

Our LORD- lord, master; God

How majestic- glorious; to make/prove to be glorious; majestic

You have set your glory- weight, power, splendor, majesty; glory (state)

Illustration: Playing 25 Words and observing rain falling on the left side of the pavilion/gazebo and no rain falling on the right side of the pavilion

Psalm 8:2 ESV

2 Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.

Illustration: What a Wonderful World by John Legend (Louis Armstrong)

I see trees of green

Red roses too

I see them bloom

For me and you

And I think to myself

What a wonderful world

I see skies of blue

And clouds of white

The bright blessed day

The dark sacred night

And I think to myself

What a wonderful world

The colors of the rainbow

So pretty in the sky

Are also on the faces

Of people going by

I see friends shaking hands

Saying, "How do you do?"

They're really saying

I love you

I hear babies cry

I watch them grow

They'll learn much more

Than I'll ever know

And I think to myself

What a wonderful world

Yes, I think to myself

What a wonderful world

Ooh, yes

Fearfully & Wonderfully Made

Psalm 139:13–17 ESV

13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. 17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!

You have established- found, establish, lay a foundation; to destine;, allocate; to appoint (duty)

Strength- might, strength; in strength; fortified, strong, well founded; ramparts; to show oneself strong; to defy

i. David here touched on a familiar theme in the Bible: the idea that God uses otherwise weak things to display His glory and strength. 1 Corinthians 1:27 is an example of this idea:

1 Corinthians 1:27 ESV

27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;

ii. It is hard to think of anything more weak and helpless than a baby; yet the same God who can ordain strength out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants can give strength and support to me in the midst of my weakness.

iii. “The word here rather means a strength…that, out of such frail material as children’s speech, God builds a tower of strength, which, like some border castle, will bridle and still the restless enemy.” (Maclaren)

iv. “The praises of the Messiah, celebrated in the church by his children, have in them a strength and power which nothing can withstand; they can abash infidelity, when at its greatest height, and strike hell itself silent.” (Horne)

v. Significantly, Jesus quoted this passage to His indignant accusers in Matthew 21:16, as Jesus did wonderful miracles in the temple area, and as He received the praise of children who cried out Hosanna to the Son of David! (Matthew 21:15).

Matthew 21:15–16 ESV

15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, 16 and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, “ ‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise’?”

To still- to cause to cease, stop; to be absent; to come to an end, perish, die; to rest, celebrate (the Sabbath)

The enemy- to be hostile to; enemy (personal)

And the avenger- to take revenge, avenge oneself; to take vengeance

{

Psalmist is

Mesmerized By The LORD’S Majesty

}

Psalmist demonstrates how to

Meditate On The LORD’S Mindfulness

Psalm 8:3–4 ESV

3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4 what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?

Psalm 8:3 ESV

3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,

Ezekiel- A Son of Man

Ezekiel 2:1 ESV

1 And he said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you.”

Ezekiel 3:1 ESV

1 And he said to me, “Son of man, eat whatever you find here. Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.”

Ezekiel 4:1 ESV

1 “And you, son of man, take a brick and lay it before you, and engrave on it a city, even Jerusalem.

Ezekiel 5:1 ESV

1 “And you, O son of man, take a sharp sword. Use it as a barber’s razor and pass it over your head and your beard. Then take balances for weighing and divide the hair.

Our LORD Remembers

That you are mindful of him- to name, mention, remember; to take to court, mention, make known, profess, praise; to remember

Exodus 2:23–25 ESV

23 During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. 24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.

Our LORD cares for

care for him- to visit inspect, look at, see, command, summon, appoint, muster, avenge, afflict, hand over; to care (feel)

1 Peter 5:6–11 ESV

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Our Sympathetic High Priest

Hebrews 4:14–16 ESV

14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

{

Psalmist is

Mesmerized By The LORD’S Majesty

Psalmist demonstrates how to

Meditate On The LORD’S Mindfulness

}

Psalmist appreciates the

Magnificence Of The LORD’S Emissary (no ordinary Missionary)

Psalm 8:5 ESV

5 Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.

Yet you have made him a little lower than- to decrease, to lesson; to be devoid of; to have too little; to deprive; to make lower

Crowned him- to encircle, include; to surround; to crown with a wreath; to entwine a wreath; to honor

Glory- to weigh heavily upon; to be heavy, be dull; to be weighty, be honored; glory (state)

Matthew 5:16 ESV

16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Buzz Aldrin’s Communion on the Moon

During the first human landing on the moon, Buzz Aldrin, said:

"I wondered if it might be possible to take communion on the moon," Aldrin recalled a year after the mission, "symbolizing the thought that God was revealing Himself there, too, as man reached out into the universe. For there are many of us in the NASA program who do trust that what we are doing is part of God’s eternal plan for man."

At the end of the mission, when Aldrin was headed back to earth, he read aloud a second verse, from the Old Testament, he scrawled on the same notecard, Psalm 8: 3-4: "When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou has ordained; What is man that thou art mindful of him? And the Son of Man, that thou visitest Him?"

You can hear it on YouTube

Let Your Light Shine!

Matthew 5:16 ESV

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Given Him Dominion

Psalm 8:6–8 ESV

6 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, 7 all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, 8 the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

You have given him dominion- to rule; to make someone lord; dominion; to cause to rule

Of your hands- forearm, hand; metaph; side bank part, possession, power, monument

Put all things under his feet- to set; stand, place; to ordain, cause to occur; to put (place)

Definition of Emissary

A person sent on a private message or business; a secret agent, employed to sound or ascertain the opinions of others, and to spread reports or propagate opinions favorable to his employer, or designed to defeat the measures or schemes of his opposers or foes; a spy; but an emissary may differ from a spy. A spy in war is one who enters an enemy's camp or territories to learn the condition of the enemy; an emissary may be a secret agent employed not only to detect the schemes of an opposing party, but to influence their councils. A spy in war must be concealed, or he suffers death; an emissary may in some cases be known as the agent of an adversary, without incurring similar hazard.

{

Psalmist is

Mesmerized By The LORD’S Majesty

Psalmist demonstrates how to

Meditate On The LORD’S Mindfulness

Psalmist appreciates the

Magnificence Of The LORD’S Emissary (no ordinary Missionary)

}

Transition To Close

O LORD, our LORD!!!!

Psalm 8:9 ESV

9 O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

The Son of Man whom David was really speaking

To told you, Ezekiel was a son of man, but there is also the Son of man

Daniel’s vision:

Daniel 7:13–14 ESV

13 “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. 14 And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.

Jesus said:

Matthew 20:28 ESV

28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Mark 14:62 ESV

62 And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

Luke 19:10 ESV

10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

John 3:13 ESV

13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.

Close- Jesus Christ: The Ideal Glorious Human Being

Glory As Of the Only Son From the Father

John 1:14–18 ESV

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’ ”) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

Hebrews 2:5–9 ESV

5 For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. 6 It has been testified somewhere, “What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? 7 You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, 8 putting everything in subjection under his feet.” Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. 9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

God Put All Things In Subjection Under...

1 Corinthians 15:27 ESV

27 For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him.

Ephesians 1:22 ESV

22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church,

Hebrews 2:10–11 ESV

10 For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. 11 For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers,

While we were still week, at the right time....

Romans 5:6–11 ESV

6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

What a mighty God we serve.

What a mighty God we serve.

Angels bow before Him.

Heaven and earth adore Him.

What a mighty God we serve.

What a mighty God we serve.

What a mighty God we serve.

Angels bow before Him.

Heaven and earth adore Him.

What a mighty God we serve.

I command you, Satan,

in the name of the Lord

to take up your weapons and flee,

for the Lord has given me authority

to walk all over thee.

What a mighty God we serve.

What a mighty God we serve.

Angels bow before Him.

Heaven and earth adore Him.

What a mighty God we serve.