Summer in the Psalms: 2020 (Week 2)
Notes
Transcript
Welcome
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Giving
Transition
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No Kid’s Services Currently
Church in the Park (Lawn Chair & Picnic)
NO Youth Services until (AUGUST 6th?)
Sermon
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RECAP
The idea behind this series came from the pastor that married Candi and me in Maryville, TN. Each Summer, there campuses spend a few weeks on specific Psalms. They don’t necessarily look at the same Psalms, but they have made it annual rhythm to spend a few weeks looking at a series within the 150 chapter book in the Bible.
What I love about the Psalms is their unfettered, raw approach to life. The veneer is removed, and what you see is what you get. They are riddled with raw poetry, some of sorrow and laments, others desperation for God’s presences in acknowledgement of His presence, while pleas for God to take care of some enemies. I guess what I like about these chapters in the Bible is just how real and authentic they are. I can identify with some of the struggle, the soul baring struggle that the authors use.
And we value a culture of trust and being real, which requires healthy vulnerability from the top-down. How many of you think it is time we start being a little more real with each other in the House of God? And that’s why I think we will love this series, Summer in the Psalms. Because they will force us into a reality of authenticity with God and one another.
STORY: I mentioned last week that while mask may be required or even strongly encouraged right now in a lot of places due to entirely different reason, come before God with a mask hiding our true selves won’t accomplish anything. He asks that what’s on our lips match what’s in our hearts.
13 The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.
We see in Jesus’ teaching a warner for all of us today. Being religious isn’t the answer. You can grow up in religion, appear to have everything together but have a heart that is far from God. According to Christ...
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’
23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
It is astounding how much of Christ’s teaching was exposing motives among those that were pretending to be pure. (I am preaching to myself right now.) The Word tells us that everything that is hidden in secret will be disclosed, revealed, made visible.
17 For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.
Now, back to this idea of veneer. Applying veneer is a work of carpentry. It has received a bad reputation, but originally it was to take something solid whether wood, pressboard, or something similar and apply a thin wood layer (1/8”) to the outside to help with the expansion and contraction that occurs due to temperature change.
In Architectural Digest they write, “In woodworking, a veneer is actually a "paper thin" cut of wood that's applied to both sides of a strong core surface, like furniture-grade MDF or substrate material, to seal and stabilize it—which is critically important when you're fashioning built-in furniture or anything with a mechanism. The reason is simple: Solid wood expands and contracts as the temperature changes, and your apartment isn't temperature controlled no matter how powerful your A.C. unit is. A dining table, for instance, can be made from solid wood (and many are), but a wood piece with moving parts cannot. "With kitchen cabinetry, drawers, and anything built-in or paneled, you really have to have veneers," Caruso explains. "A solid piece of wood just isn’t always structurally sound enough to fabricate a millwork."
But have you heard folks use the word veneer with negative connotations? I have. I have even used it that way before myself. Where did it get that reputation?
AD goes on to say, "Oftentimes, when people see a veneered furnishing that’s cheap, it’s actually not wood at all—it’s a laminate material," Caruso explains, putting a name to the faux surface that gave all veneers a bad rap somewhere along the line. (Those are made from plastic, paper, or even foil that's been printed with a wood grain pattern that often wears away at the edges—a sure way to spot them.) But of course, there's also a range in quality of proper veneers depending on who makes them. "All woodworking can be done well or it can be done poorly—but an expert millworker will make veneers look seamless, with perfect corners," Caruso says, which explains the "misconception that a wood veneer is cheap when it’s anything but."
The Psalms provide space for desperation, sorrow, deep rejoicing and even exultation towards God and sometimes even over one’s enemies all in a transparent and honest manner.
The work of God in the Psalms is that what God is crafting in the life of the follower of God often requires ebbs and flows, expansion and contraction. The work God is doing on the outside may look a little different piece by piece, but the craftsmanship is still solid. God doesn’t use a cheap process or any shortcuts to craft in us the image of Christ and the fulfillment of the works we have been created to do before the creation of the world.
The veneer of the world, self, and enemy are apparent for what they are because they aren’t solid. Under pressure and wear they show themselves artificial in nature.
So, let’s jump into our Psalm for today. Psalms 91.
INTRO
While many of the Psalms may list an author or occasion, this one doesn’t.
1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
3 Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
This Psalms is closely connected to Psalms 90 and 92 in both thought and language: “dwelling (place)” (90:1; 91:9); “spring up” (90:6; 92:7), “make glad … your deeds” (90:15–16; 92:4), “Most High” (91:1, 9; 92:1). The prayer of Psalm 90 is for blessing and divine favor. This prayer is confirmed by the promise and oracle of God in Psalm 91.
Psalms 91 doesn’t originally include a subscript title, but the LXX adds, “Praise. A Song of David”.
Psalm 91 contains both a wisdom psalm (vv. 1–13) and a divine oracle (vv. 14–16). The wisdom psalm encourages the godly to pursue the path of godliness and holds out the many promises of God’s protection and blessings.
The structure of the Psalms looks something like this, unfolding in distinct progression:
A Invitation to the Protection of God (vv. 1–2)
B Forms of Protection (vv. 3–8)
A′ Invitation to the Protection of God (vv. 9–10)
B′ Forms of Protection (vv. 11–13)
C The Oracle of Salvation (vv. 14–16)
Let’s begin in the first two verses, at the initial invitation to the protection of God.
vs. 1
Like many of the Proverbs, wisdom Psalms invite anyone seeking wisdom to journey through the blessings of godliness, the fruit of their pursuit. The many names of God are used to describe the various aspects of God we experience in seeking Him.
“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.”
“I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
The Psalmist begins with emotional language that creates a sense of sensitive security for the reader. For you and for me, if we make God our home, where we dwell, abide, and live (live, move, and breath…have our being), not only will we find shelter (lit. meaning something that covers or affords protection; an establishment providing food and shelter) (we find provision…seek first and all these other things will be added unto us) but we also find rest.
How many of you would like to find rest right now? Rest for your mind, your body, your emotions, your soul? Stay at Home and Social Distance hasn’t exactly brought REST to these other areas of our life. This isn’t a lack of activity but rather a state of being. Even in the midst of what we may be walking through, we can find shelter in Christ and live at rest in our souls. A peace that doesn’t make sense overcomes all of these other things in our lives, and we find the wholeness we were created for in His rest. God, Himself, rested upon the completion of His creation work in six days. Christ has provided rest for us spiritually.
And it has been God’s desire since the beginning that we would dwell in His presence and be marked by His rest. This is His tender, loving plan for us.
Summary:
The description of the protection is also couched in metaphorical language: “shelter,” “shadow,” and “refuge and … fortress.” The first two words suggest the imagery of a bird under whose wings the baby birds find safety (cf. v. 4; 17:8; 36:7; 57:1; 63:7). The other two words suggest a stronghold or military installation (cf. 18:2; 61:3).
These first two verses set the tone for what is to follow. We have been invited to experience God’s Divine Protection.
vs. 3-4
In verses 3 & 4, how He will protect us begins to be spelled out. Hear today that our God will save us from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.
No trap or deceitful dungeon will hold a place for you. Multiple times the Psalms will record how God is faithful to deliver us from the traps set before us. Likened to a bird’s trap, Psalms 124:7 says:
7 We have escaped like a bird from the fowler’s snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped.
The salvation our God works in our life not only sets us free from the power of sin and death but also the evil traps set around. He breaks our chains and destroys the traps of the enemy as we take refuge in Him.
Neither will any deadly pestilence preempt God’s ability to save. No disease or sickness has a home in God’s presence. The tender care of the Lord is like that of a mother covering her young with her feathers, where under God’s wings we can take refuge. This is “a place where one will find safety, rest, or comfort, implying the place of refuge is a place to be trusted to keep one safe.”
The basis for these outcomes of protection are all based on one thing: His Faithfulness.
4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
RECENTLY: How many of you saw or heard folks praying and reading this Psalms at the beginning of the outbreak? These are words of God’s truth that we can and should turn to reminding us of God’s desire and will for all us. That we all…(take shelter, find refuge, find rest and protection)
vs. 5-8
The promises of God, of protection and solace, include protection from the fears that plague so many. “You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.”
When we dwell in the shelter of the Almighty there is protection from the things we can see that seek to cripple and destroy us. Fear that seeks to terrorize His creation is no foreigner to many of us today. The enemy has been using it for thousands of years; kingdoms have been divided and decimated by the terror of fear. But our God provides safety for us from the unseen enemies we face, as well as the ones visible by day, the arrows that fly and destroy by midday.
You won’t get this kind of math anywhere else. Not even common core has a place for God’s scale.
7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
The psalmist is amplifying for us the greatness of God’s protection by this disproportionate ratios: a thousand, even ten thousand to one. It is a reminder of Joshua’s words in his farewell speech to the Israelites. In his final address he reminds them to be strong and courage, follow the statues of the Lord. Listen and obey.
10 One of you routs a thousand, because the Lord your God fights for you, just as he promised.
But this is sandwiched between two verses that acknowledge the power and influence we have as God’s people, as His children.
In context Joshua said:
9 “The Lord has driven out before you great and powerful nations; to this day no one has been able to withstand you.
10 One of you routs a thousand, because the Lord your God fights for you, just as he promised.
11 So be very careful to love the Lord your God.
So be careful to love the Lord your God. You have greatness inside of you; don’t squander it; don’t misuse it; don’t abuse it. It is possible.
The psalmist goes on in verse 8:
8 You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.
The godly will witness the righteousness, justice, and fidelity (faithfulness) of the Lord as well as the punishment of the wicked. The reminder to us today is that there is no power in heave or on earth greater than that of Yahweh’s, our Divine Warrior. His faithfulness towards us reminds us that there is nothing in heaven or on earth or even below the earth that can separate us from the love of God.
vs. 9-10
These poetic verses remind us that when God is our refuge, our abode and place of dwelling, then regardless of what happens in this life we can rest with assurance and confidence that it didn’t happen without His knowledge. I like to say that everything in our life as His children, when dwelling in Him, is Father filtered. It doesn’t mean He causes but walks with us through. We see that circumstances that appear harmful don’t have the final say. They will not overtake us. Disaster (lit. disease or wound) will not be your way of life. When God is your fortress and deliverer, whom shall you fear? The final word is eternal and declares the land of the living because of what God has done for us. Through Christ this has been purchased for us once and for all.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished.
Jesus has taken our punishment and judgment upon Himself. He was cut off from the land of the living so that we would never be. To accept anything less would be to minimize, squander, and make useless the death of Christ.
vs. 11-13
Do you remember where these same words were used against Jesus?
That’s right! Satan quotes them to Christ after fasting for 40 days tempting Him to test the Lord God.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
In life the Lord may permit many terrible things to happen to his children (cf. Job), as he did to his own Son, our Lord. But his children know that no power is out of God’s control. They trust their heavenly Father, while they act responsibly. Hence they do not test the Lord to see to what extent he will deliver them from troubles. Satan tempted Jesus to act presumptuously, but Jesus rebuked Satan by correctly responding that humans may not test the Lord (cf. Lk 4:10–12).
STORY: My kids have heard me tell them of the only similar experience I have had personally to these verses. As a kid, we had a stone walk way that led to our backdoor. A few steps from the driveway were how you got to them. And before my parents had a deck built, those stairs were always a little rickety...
I had and still have a praying mama!
vs. 14-16
The final words of this beautiful Psalm are a declaration from the Lord over us, His children. He declares because of our love relationship with Him that rescue and protection come to those who acknowledge Him.
This is way better rescue than Carol Baskin’s Big Cat Rescue.
This is Divine and eternal, affecting both this life and the next.
We can be confident that when we call on God, He will answer. The guarantee isn’t that he takes away our trouble, but that He will be us in the midst of whatever we find ourselves in…He will never leave us nor forsake us.
Finally, the display of God’s salvation works out in our lives through deliverance and a display of something outside of ourselves that comes directly from God. He writes, “I will deliver him and honor him.” (NIV) The Hebrew is kabed, derived from the noun kabod. Kabed meaning be heavy. God will deliver us and display His salvation on our behalf, revealing the weight of His glory to us. He will bestow upon us the weight of His glory, brining long life, satisfaction, and show us what His salvation looks like.
Salvation looks like the Good News of what Christ has done for us.
Salvation looks like what God has declared He will do for us as a faithful Father to His children.
17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
The glory being displayed to us and through us is because of what Christ did for us. He took a suffering that wasn’t His so that we could share in a glory that wasn’t ours. This is the display of His salvation. A cross. Not a crown. A death. Not a dictator.
Through the life of this servant all have seen salvation and a glory that defies the odds. Pauls says...
10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
The final word is spoken by us but to us. It is the echoes of Christ work that continues to display the glories of His inheritance (which is us, all the saints). Today, God wants you to know the weight of His glory. He wants to show you the breadth of His salvation. He invites us to come and dwell in His shelter, rest in the shadow of His wings. He is our refuge, fortress, God in whom we can trust.
My question this morning is...
Will you make the Most High your dwelling?
...let’s pray...
PRAY