Are They Ready?

Introduction

When we mention the word legacy, what comes to mind? Some might think of some great act that will be remembered by many people, that maybe will make it into the history books someday. Some may think of sports and great ball players, others, war heroes, but in the end, a legacy is something that we want to pass on to the next generations, some truth, some helpful way of making life better or just something to be remembered by.

For the truth is, as morbid as this may sound, fifty years from now, many of us in this room will have passed on, and what will be left behind; what will the world be like; what will the family structure be like; what will the church be like? Much of that is dependent on what we do now, another words, our legacy that we left behind. Our children, our grandchildren, are they ready…are they ready to take over and lead their families, their churches, their communities, their nation, their world, to worship and live by the truth of who God is, and what he has done through his son Jesus Christ?

If this concerns you, what should we be doing to make sure they are ready? I believe this is what King David had in mind when he penned . This psalm is the first of six hymns that close the Psalter like a display of fireworks. The psalm is an acrostic, each parallel line beginning with a consecutive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

This poem is the first of six hymns that close the Psalter like a display of fireworks. The psalm is an acrostic, each parallel line beginning with a consecutive letter of the alphabet.

Text:

R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (Orlando, FL; Lake Mary, FL: Ligonier Ministries, 2005), 865.

Psalm 145 ESV

A Song of Praise. Of David. 1 I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. 2 Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever. 3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. 4 One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. 5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate. 6 They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness. 7 They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness. 8 The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 9 The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made. 10 All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all your saints shall bless you! 11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and tell of your power, 12 to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. 13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. The Lord is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works. 14 The Lord upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down. 15 The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. 16 You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing. 17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works. 18 The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. 19 He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them. 20 The Lord preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. 21 My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord, and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.

Main Idea:

Since we, who are members of Christ's Eternal Kingdom, have been given this moment of time in God's eternal timetable, we are held responsible to pass on the amazing truth of God and his glorious redemption plan to the next generation.

Supplemental Verses:

Deuteronomy 6:4–9 ESV

4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

deut 6:20-25

Deuteronomy 6:20–25 ESV

“When your son asks you in time to come, ‘What is the meaning of the testimonies and the statutes and the rules that the Lord our God has commanded you?’ then you shall say to your son, ‘We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. And the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. And the Lord showed signs and wonders, great and grievous, against Egypt and against Pharaoh and all his household, before our eyes. And he brought us out from there, that he might bring us in and give us the land that he swore to give to our fathers. And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as we are this day. And it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to do all this commandment before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us.’

deut 6:

Ephesians 6:1–2 ESV

1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise),

Ephesians 6:4 ESV

4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

By Unfolding Who God Is (vss. 1-9)

Psalm 145:4 ESV

4 One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.

ps 145:

Commend (imperfective aspect): the idea of an action unfolding without respect to time. In this context, one generation is unfolding who God is and what he has done in the past, what he is doing presently, and what he will do in the future. As each action is unfolded, the praise that results is increased.

God is His Name

His is used here to rid the sense of common place. It is “His” name that defines who he is, not someone else's…He is self defined, and

unsearchable. God’s power and might are so great that finite human minds are unable to comprehend them fully. This verse teaches the doctrine of the incomprehensibility of God. People can have a true understanding of God, but never a complete or exhaustive one.

R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (Orlando, FL; Lake Mary, FL: Ligonier Ministries, 2005), 865. he is compared to no one.

Name: designates His reputation; His characteristics. In other words, God (Elohim - vs 1), creator, ruler, sustainer of all things. Also, LORD (Yahweh - vs 3), the self existing one (I am), who keeps his covenant with His people.

God is His Greatness

God’s greatness cannot be determined by comparison to anything else in creation. He alone defines greatness, and all things great are determined to be great by their comparison to Him!

His greatness, because he defines greatness, is unsearchable.

(vs. 3) unsearchable. God’s power and might are so great that finite human minds are unable to comprehend them fully. This verse teaches the doctrine of the incomprehensibility of God. People can have a true understanding of God, but never a complete or exhaustive one.

His greatness shows the following attributes:

His Great Majesty (vs 5)

Splendor, power, and bigness that inspires a sense of extreme awe. God is great in what He is and what He does.

God is great in what He is and what He does.

R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (Orlando, FL; Lake Mary, FL: Ligonier Ministries, 2005), 865.

His Great Wondrous Works (vs 5)

God’s greatness unleashed as marvelous events of supernatural acts; often deviating from the normal course (or laws) of nature.

a marvelous event manifesting a supernatural act of a divine agent; often deviating from the normal course (or laws) of nature.

His Great Awesome Deeds (vs 6)

His wondrous works are meant to induce fear and awe in those who experience them.

His Great Righteousness (vs 7)

God defines moral rightness and holiness. It is not relative, or situational, it is absolute. Our children need to know that there is a right and wrong, and that there are consequences to the decisions we make in both time and eternity.

His Great grace and mercy (vs 8)

as reflected in his slowness to anger and abounding steadfast love (The love of God’s covenant devotion to His people)

The love of God’s covenant devotion to His people.

R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (Orlando, FL; Lake Mary, FL: Ligonier Ministries, 2005), 865.

His Great Goodness (vs 7, 9)

God’s goodness must be understand from God’s perspective, as a piece of the whole of God’s eternal plan. Sometimes the events of life are recognizable as good from our perspective, other times they seem wrong and out of place (like a dark puzzle piece). But ultimately, we will see the competed picture.

the scope of which extends to all he has made (common grace)

Romans 8:28 ESV

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

By Experiencing What God Does (vss. 10-21)

Psalm 145:12 ESV

12 to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

ps 145:

to make known - has a strong tie to knowledge gained through experience. In other words, what has been “unfolded” about God, has been and can be experienced in everyday life. This is “tested” knowledge by risking our lives on the sovereign God who has proven faithful throughout time. It is developing our own God centered legacy!

God Does Eternal Works (vss 10-13)

He makes eternal saints (v. 10)

This happens in time

He builds an eternal Kingdom (v. 13)

His time based activity is feeding His eternal plan

God Does Temporal Works (vss 14-20)

Upholds and raises up the fallen (vs 14)

The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version Chapter 145

God is compassionate toward the weak and restores the erring

Provides physical necessities for all living creatures (vss 15-17)

The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version Chapter 145

God gives gifts to all His creatures, people and animals, saints and sinners.

This is known as God’s Common Grace.

Hears the cries of those who call on Him (vss 18-20)

The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version Chapter 145

While God is kind to all creation, the psalm goes on to specify those who love Him and turn to Him.

The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version Chapter 145

145:18 to all who call on him. While God is kind to all creation, the psalm goes on to specify those who love Him and turn to Him.

Romans 10:9–13 ESV

9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

rom 10:9-13

Romans 10:9–10 ESV

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

God Deserves all Worship (vs 21)

As a natural outflow of all the experiential knowledge of God is worship!

So What?

Are we unfolding the truth of God through testifying what he did in the past, what he is doing presently, and what he will do in the future?

What “God sightings” have you seen recently that your children/grandchildren can point to the show that God is actively working in your life?

What have you done to test your children/grandchildren on their readiness to receive the baton for their generation?