Psalm 67

Intro

Read Psalm 67

Psalm 67 ESV

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song. 1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah 2 that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. 3 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! 4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Selah 5 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! 6 The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us. 7 God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him!

Blessed to Bless

Read Psalm 67:1-2

Psalm 67:1–2 ESV

1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah 2 that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations.

The first part of this prayer is for God to bless us

The nation of israel seeks Gods blessing

Its ok to ask God for blessings

We can ask God for good things thats not wrong if we ask with our hearts in the right spot

So we can ask God to bless us

We can ask God to make his face to shine on us

We can ask for God’s presence to be around us

We can ask for God to draw near to us

There is nothing wrong with this

nothing wrong with asking God to be good to you

There is really no prerequisite outside of faith for us to ask for God’s blessing/presence

WHY?????

Look at verse 2

We ask for blessing for what purpose our own glory?

Our own gain?

Our own prestige?

Our own fame?

Foot ball players

No!!! we ask for blessing so that God will be known throughout the nations

That his way would be known throughout the earth

We ask for God’s blessing so that all the people can see God’s power

God’s power can be easily shown in our lives

On Wednesday we talked about what being buried and raised with Christ means

What a powerful testimony

God would take a human stuck in sin enslaved to it and he would free him

What a blessing!!!!

What a way for us to show God’s power

God’s way of saving his people

We are blessed by God

We ask for blessing from God

We ask for his presence near us

SO THAT!!!!!!

His glory can be shown

So that the people will see him through us

So that he can be glorified

Blessed to praise

Read Psalm 67:3-5

Psalm 67:3–5 ESV

3 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! 4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Selah 5 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!

How can we show his great power in our life

Sing praises

By singing songs living lives that worship and praise God

Our testimony of God’s blessing in our life is praise unto him

Our thankfulness to God for his goodness to us is praise unto him

Our desire to live a life in obedience to God is a praise unto him

Notice whats going on here too

Let the people praise you O God

Let the people praise you

Let the nations be glad

The pslamist is praying for God to let us praise him

The psalmist is asking God to bless us such that we have no option but to praise him

This is the story of God

Not that people make themselves good and people then people choose to worship God

Rather God will work he will bless he will save

And our only response can be praise to him

God will let us sing praises because of his great mercy and salvation

And we will sing out not out of obligation but out of thankfulness

He saves us so we can worship him

Blessed by the harvest

Read Psalm 67:6-7

Psalm 67:6–7 ESV

6 The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us. 7 God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him!

For the nation of israel God’s blessing is seen in their harvest

The hand of God on the nation of israel is that out of the dessert they have a bountiful harvest

This is just one way in which God shows his power through israel

God shows his power through our lives as well and because he dose we proclaim him

one of the powerful things that we see the psalmist proclaim here

Is not that God has blessed but will continue to bless

He shall bless us

This isnt a command on behalf of the psalmist rather an acknowledgment of God’s faithfulness

God promised to make a great nation of isreal he promised that through this nation will all the nations be blessed

He will do just that

in fact he shall do that because of his faithfulness

God shall bless the nation of israel and by extension the whole world

Because he will send his son

He will send his son so that all nations can be blessed through placing their faith in him

This is what we celebrate this christmas

That God blesses us by coming down to earth as a humble baby

Grow into a man

Then lays his life down for our sins

and on the third day he risen again

Thus defeating sin and death

So that we can sing his prasies all the day long

What does Psalm 67 ask for when it requests God's blessing and presence?

How does Psalm 67 reflect the concept of God’s saving power among all nations?

In what ways can you identify blessings in your life that you can use to reflect God's grace to others?

How does the psalmist describe the relationship between God's blessings and the reaction of the peoples?

What practical steps can you take to share the gospel in your schools and communities as discussed in the sermon?

A Light to the Nations

Bible Passage: Psalm 67

Summary: Psalm 67 is a prayer for God's blessing and glory, calling on all nations to rejoice in the saving power of God.

Application: This passage teaches teens about the importance of sharing God's love and hope with others, challenging them to see their role in spreading the gospel in their schools and communities.

Teaching: The sermon will encourage teens to recognize their responsibility to not only receive God's blessings but to also be conduits of His grace to those around them.

How this passage could point to Christ: Psalm 67 foreshadows Christ's mission to bring salvation to all nations, as seen in the Great Commission, where Jesus commands His followers to make disciples of all nations.

Big Idea: We are blessed to be a blessing, and through Christ's love, we can impact the world around us.

Recommended Study: As you prepare your sermon on Psalm 67, consider exploring the Hebrew parallelism in the text using your Logos library. Delve into commentaries that address the structure and themes within the Psalm. Also, a deeper look at the connections to the Great Commission in Matthew 28 may provide additional insights into the role of the Church in evangelism.

1. Blessed to Illuminate

Psalm 67:1-2

Perhaps, you could emphasize how God's blessing is meant to extend His ways and salvation to all on Earth. Encourage teens to see themselves as bearers of this mission, engaging actively in reflecting God's grace in their daily lives. This introduction sets the stage for understanding their personal responsibility in God's global purpose.

2. Praise that Shines

Psalm 67:3-5

You could focus on praising God as an integral aspect of drawing the nations to Him. Referring to verses 3-5, remind teens that their lives of joyful praise serve as a testimony to those around them, making God's salvation desirable to all cultures. Highlight how worship is part of being a light to others.

3. Provision that Proclaims

Psalm 67:6-7

Explore how God's provision glorification leads to global reverence for Him. Suggest that as teens witness and share about God's goodness and blessings (in their studies, families, and relationships), it can have a ripple effect, encouraging others to seek God. This point can stir a desire to actively shape their communities with grace.