Sermon Manuscript022507
Sermon Worksheet & Manuscript
Robert L. Hutcherson, Jr.
Quinn Chapel A.M.E. Church
Sermon Preparation/Delivery
Psalm 91
“Because You Love Me”
The Rev. Karla J. Cooper, Pastor
February 25, 2007
Sermon Worksheet & Manuscript
AUTHOR
1. Who wrote (or is credited with writing) the text?
That the principal contributor to the collection, the main author of the Book of Psalms, is David, though denied by some moderns, is the general conclusion in which criticism has rested, and is likely to rest. The historical books of the Old Testament assign to David more than one of the psalms contained in the collection. Seventy-three of them are assigned to him by their titles. The psalmody of the temple generally is said to be his. The Book of Psalms was known in Maccabean times as "the Book of David. David is cited as the author of the sixteenth and the hundred and tenth psalms by the writer of the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 2:25, 34). Internal evidence points to him strongly as the writer of several others. The extravagant opinion that he wrote the whole book could never have been broached if he had not written a considerable portion of it. With respect to what psalms are to be regarded as his, there is naturally considerable doubt. Whatever value may be assigned to the "titles," they cannot be regarded as absolutely settling the question. Still, where their authority is backed up by internal evidence, it seems well worthy of acceptance. On this ground, the sober and moderate school of critics, including such writers as Ewald, Delitzsch, Perowne, and even Cheyne, agree in admitting a considerable portion of the Psalter to be Davidic. The psalms claiming to be Davidical are found chiefly in the first, second, and fifth books - thirty-seven in the first, eighteen in the second, and fifteen in the fifth. In the third and fourth books there are only three psalms (Ps 88., 101., and 103.) which claim to be his.
The next most important contributor would seem to be Asaph. Asaph was one of the heads of David's choir at Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 6:39; 15:17, 19; 16:5), and is coupled in one place with David (2 Chronicles 29:30) as having furnished the words which were sung in the temple service in Hezekiah's time. Twelve psalms are assigned to him by their titles - one in Book II (Psalm 1), and eleven in Book III (Psalm 1-3-83). It is doubted, however, whether the real personal Asaph can have been the author of all these, and suggested that in some instances the sect or family of Asaph is intended.
On the whole, the collection may be said to have proceeded from at least six individuals - David, Asaph, Solomon, Moses, Heman, and Ethan - while three others - Jeremiah, Haggai, and Zechariah may not improbably have had a hand in it. How many Korahite Levites are included under the title, "sons of Korah," it is impossible to say; and the number of the anonymous authors is also uncertain.
2. From what perspective does the author write?
The usual Hebrew title of the work is Tehillim, or Sepher Tehillim; literally, "Praises," or "Book of Praises" - a title which expresses well the general character of the pieces whereof the book is composed, but which cannot be said to be universally applicable to them. Another Hebrew title, and one which has crept into the text itself, is Tephilloth, "Prayers," which is given at the close of the second section of the work (Psalm 72:20), as a general designation of the pieces contained in the first and second sections. The same word appears, in the singular, as the special heading of the seventeenth, eighty-sixth, ninetieth, hundred and second, and hundred and forty-second psalms. But, like Tehillim, this term is only applicable, in strictness, to a certain number of the compositions which the work contains. Conjointly, however, the two terms, which come to us with the greatest amount of authority, are fairly descriptive of the general character of the work, which is at once highly devotional and specially intended to set forth the praises of God.
It is manifest, on the face of it, that the work is a collection. A number of separate poems, the production of different persons, and belonging to different periods, have been brought together, either by a single editor, or perhaps by several distinct editors, and have been united into a volume, which has been accepted by the Jewish, and, later on, by the Christian, Church, as one of the "books" of Holy Scripture. The poems seem originally to have been, for the most part, quite separate and distinct; each is a whole in itself; and most of them appear to have been composed for a special object, and on a special occasion. Occasionally, but very seldom, one psalm seems linked on to another; and in a few instances there are groups of psalms intentionally attached together, as the group from Ps 73. to 83., ascribed to Asaph, and, again, the "Hallelujah" group - from Ps 146., to 150. But generally no connection is apparent, and the sequence seems, so to speak, accidental.
Our own title of the work - "Psalms," "The Psalms," "The Book of Psalms "2 - has come to us, through the Vulgate, from the Septuagint. Yalo, meant, in the Alexandrian Greek, "a poem to be sung to a stringed instrument;" and as the poems of the Psalter were thus sung in the Jewish worship, the name Yalmoi appeared appropriate. It is not, however, a translation of either Tehillim or Tephilloth, and it has the disadvantage of dropping altogether the spiritual character of the compositions. As, however, it was applied to them, certainly by St. Luke (Luke 20:42; Acts 1:20) and St. Paul (Acts 13:33), and possibly by our Lord (Luke 24:44), we may rest content with the appellation. It is, at any rate, one which is equally applicable to all the pieces whereof the "book" is composed.
TEXT
"Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name. He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With a long life I will satisfy him And let him see My salvation." (Psalms 91:14-16 NASBR)
BODY
This happens to be probably my most favorite passage in all of Scripture, and I have had to cling to it on on so many occasions, You see, our enemy the Devil wants to fill our hearts with fear. He certainly tried to scare the Psalm writer in front of us. We are not sure of the exact situation facing the Psalmist. It might have been a battle, maybe he was being pursued by enemies the way hound dogs chase a fox or a rabbit, maybe it was disease or death, maybe it was hunger and suffering and pain. But whatever it was, the Psalmist was fighting fear.
The Devil loves it when God's children are scared. He wants to scare us away from God and faith in Christ and being a part of the church. He tries to scare us with death, pain, suffering, cancer, stroke, disease, and heart-attack. He tries to scare us with divorce, separation, and family fights. He tries to scare us with sin, evil, and wickedness.
But no matter how hard the Devil tries he cannot succeed in driving God's children away from the Lord. In the first thirteen verses of Psalm 91, it is the Psalmist who does the speaking. But in verses 14-16 it is Almighty God Who does the speaking. He speaks and six times He says,
"I will ..."
I will rescue him (vs 14).
I will protect him (vs 14).
I will answer him (vs 15).
I will be with him in trouble (vs 15).
I will deliver him and honor him (vs 15).
I (will) satisfy him (vs 16).
What a list of promises! "I will deliver him and honor him." Here the Psalmist thinks of a soldier in battle who has somehow lost his sword, his spear, and his shield. Such a soldier is defenseless. But a Savior comes and equips him for battle.
"With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation." The Psalmist presents an image of being completely filled. I think of those festive meals that we have at Thanksgiving or Christmas. You eat so much that you can't take even one more bite. God satisfies the Psalmist with long life. In the light of the Gospel we know this as eternal life, never-ending life, in the presence of God.
What a list of promises! But these promises are NOT for just anyone and everyone. No, not at all! But, then, they were never meant to be. Let’s look at verse 14. "Because he loves me." The Hebrew word used for "love" here is unusual and rare. Most often it carries the idea of "attaching something to something." An example would be attaching a saddle to a horse, or a plow to an ox. The idea that is conveyed is that of clinging or grasping or being tied and bound. God's promises, then, are for those who cling to Him in faith. God's promises are for those who bind themselves to the Lord. God's promises are for those we wrap themselves in the Savior and His blood. What a way to live! In fact, it is the only way to live. This verse begins what may be regarded as a poetical setting of the answer which God gives to the fully trusting soul.
God himself comes forward to establish the faith of his servants, places deep in our soul so great a consolation, and confirms the testimony of his servants. “He loves Me; he knows My name; he calls on Me.” These are the marks of a true servant of God. I want you to notice that the words, "I will," are repeated six times in the last three verses of this psalm: "I will deliver;" "I will set him on high;" "I will answer;" "I will be with him in trouble;" "With long life I will satisfy him;" "I will show him my salvation."
We may feel toward God all we can feel towards our fellow men - faith, admiration, devotion, etc. We may even go so far as to "love him" - make him to be our chosen one, our specially loved one. What we do to help ourselves, in the effort to "love" our fellow men, we do to help in loving God. Such things as cherishing the thought of them; actively seeking their company; and trying in every way to please them.
The response God makes toward our right feeling toward Him is found indicated in the assurances of this passage. He gives us an answering affection. He guards us with an ever-watchful defense. He provides mighty deliverances for us. He graciously exalts us. His Divine favor comes to us:
1. Because we make him our choice.
2. Because we seek intimacy with him (implied in "knowing his Name").
3. Because we are always showing signs of their dependence on him. Some of those signs
being our daily and our special prayers.
God says "I will be with him in trouble." Think of the presence of a friend in the time of sickness and distress. That friend may be totally unable to help, and yet the best of help comes from that friendly presence. If God is with us in trouble, we are sure He can help and deliver. If he does not, it can only be because He is doing kinder things for us, by letting the trouble stay.
The strain of feeling alone in time of trouble can be like a lonely walk through a strange and dangerous country. You walk on, mile after mile, until it gets very dark, and there are no stars overhead, and no friendly voice or guide anywhere; and, as you get very tired and faint and yes, frightened, doesn’t it seem as if the way gets more rough and stony with every step? You can remember each time you stumble in the weary darkness against a stone, how the pain seems to shoot through every nerve; and the lack of light, and the uncertainty lest each step might be the one that puts you over the cliff, - all this unnerved you. But how different is it if a loving friend is with you! and especially if it so happens that he knows the road and the country well!" God's presence has all that we can possibly need included and involved in it. He really doesn’t have to tell us what he‘ll do for us; it is enough if He will just BE there. Our Lord Jesus wrapped up everything for his disciples in this one assurance, "Lo, I am with you always…even to the end of the earth."
GOD'S PRESENCE WITH US MEANS THE BEST POSSIBLE LIMITATION OF OUR TROUBLE.
GOD'S PRESENCE WITH US MEANS ABUNDANT COMFORTING DURING OUR TROUBLE.
GOD'S PRESENCE WITH US MEANS THE FULFILLMENT OF THE MISSION OF OUR TROUBLE.
GOD'S PRESENCE WITH US ASSURES OF A "HAPPY DELIVERANCE OUT OF OUR TROUBLE.
That God is with us in trouble is a fact; but everything for us depends on our realization of that fact.
WHAT ARE THE QUALITIES THAT GOD VALUES MOST IN CHARACTER?
1. Knowing/Acknowledging his Name; i.e. of his nature and character, now revealed to us more fully than then, in the Person and work of Jesus Christ. Being willing to share this with those around us.
2. Loving Him. Because he is what he is, and because our love is the surest pledge of obedience to his will.
3. Dependence upon God. Expressed by the habit of prayer - calling on him.
IN WHAT WAY WILL GOD HONOR AND REWARD THESE QUALITIES?
He will deliver us through our troubles by giving us strength superior to all of our trials. We cannot escape trouble, but we can conquer it by the aid of the Spirit of God.
He will raise us to the possession of high honors. He will give us positions of great security - high above all danger, and of great influence and usefulness. This is high honor.
He will answer his prayers. In the only ways in which a supremely good and wise Being will answer the prayers of the errant and sinful - by giving us what they need, and not always what we ask for.
As we think of the verse from the hymn, “Abide with me—fast falls the eventide.” remember the promise of Jesus, “If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatsoever you will in My Name, and I will DO it.”
Let us pray…
“Lord, we remember your promise, and we understand that it applies to us, too. We’ve done nothing to deserve it but we receive it as Your free and loving gift. We need you. We need your assurance and guidance to be faithful to You in this situation. Teach us what we need to learn. Deliver us from this place and this captivity, if it is Your will. If it is not Your will to set us free, help us to accept whatever may be involved. Show us Your gifts, and help us to recognize them as coming from You. Even in the midst of trouble, let everything we do reflect Your Grace and Your glory. We ask this in Your mighty and matchless Name, Amen.
CHILDREN’S LESSON
Order of Worship
Sunday February 25th, 2007
11:00 A.M.
Opening Hymn……………………” All Hail The Power Of Jesus’ Name”, Hymn 6
Doxology………………………………………………..All
Call to Worship……………………………….Bro. Robert Hutcherson
Hymn…………………………………… “Lead Me, Guide Me”, Hymn 378
Prayer…………………………………………..Bro. Robert Hutcherson
Prayer Response………………………………….Give Us This Day”
Scripture Reading……………………………..Bro. Robert Hutcherson
Decalogue………………………………………Bro. Robert Hutcherson
Gloria Patri………………………………………….Congregation
Sermon…………………………………………Bro. Robert Hutcherson
Invitation to Christian Discipleship………”I Surrender All”, Hymn 251
Altar Call/Offertory………………………………………All
Offertory Response……………………………”All Things Come Of Thee”
Affirmation of Faith…………………………………Congregation
Benediction……………………………………..Bro. Robert Hutcherson