Sermon Tone Analysis

*Blessings the Soul Forgets*

 

*Introduction*:

#.

As people we have a problem that affects every single one of us here this morning

a.

We are forgetful.

b.      Oh we can remember all kinds of things,

                                      i.

Especially those bad things that others have said about us

                                    ii.

Or done to us.

c.

But we tend to forget that which the Lord has done in our lives.

d.

We have a LONG memory when it comes to our hurts, our sorrows and our burdens,

e.

But a very sort memory when it comes to recalling just how good the Lord has been to us.

#.

David also had this problem

a.

In the first *2 verses of Psalm 103*, David calls upon his soul to remember what the Lord has done.

b.

He wants to stir up the inner man and get himself excited about what he has

c.

And what the Lord has promised to do for him and in him.

#.

David calls upon his soul to do two things

a.       /First/, he calls upon his soul to “*/Praise the Lord/*!”

                                      i.

The word “*/Praise~/Bless/*” means “/to kneel with the idea of adoration and praise/.”

ii.

He knows that God is worthy of all praise we can give to him.

iii.

He wants his soul to be involved in praising the Lord.

b.      /Second/, he calls upon his soul to “*/Ponder the Lord!/*”

He doesn’t want his soul to forget all that the Lord has done for it.

“Forget not all his benefits–” *vs.

2*.

                                      i.

Notice all the personal pronouns in the next 3 verses, “6x” He is speaking to his soul with the words “You and Your” or “Thine, Thy, Thee.”

                                    ii.

He wants his soul to remember and contemplate all the “benefits” which the Lord has given.

iii.

The word “*/benefits/*” means “*/dealings/*.”

It refers to how the Lord treats the soul.

#.

Sometimes the soul forgets just how good God has been and continues to be to His Children!

#.

Is it not true that we allow ourselves to get caught up in the problems and troubles of life and that we often forget where the Lord found us and what He did for us.

#.

Aren’t we guilty of allowing our eyes to wander from the Lord?

#.

Aren’t we guilty of allowing our focus to be man-centered instead of              God-centered?

#.

Far too often, we are guilty of forgetting what God has done in us! 

#.

You see the world around us is in a constant state of decay.

#.

Some would say that a lack of *Gratitude* is a “*/Sign of the Times/*.”

a.       *2 Timothy 3:1-4* “/But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.

People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God/—” Sounds like today doesn’t it?

b.

The failure to remember to remember and be grateful for good is an indication of the degeneration of human society.

c.

Our text today calls us from our forgetfulness and reminds us to remember the goodness of God.

d.

Sometimes my soul forgets just who God is and what He has done for me.

e.       Sometimes I need a reminder of the benefits I enjoy as a child of God.

In our text (*Psalm 103:1-5*) I see */Five Blessing The Soul Forgets/*.

*Outline*:

I         *As a sinner he forgives me* (*vs.

3a*)

A      Man’s greatest need makes the top of David’s list!

Sin~/Iniquities – *Rom 3:23* “All Have Sinned.”

B       We all know what sin is, but it is anything that we do that God does not approve.

1        We usually think of sin as bad things.

2        They are errors in judgment or mistakes that we make.

3        Any /thought/, /word/ or /deed/ that is contrary to the will of God.

4        They reflect the deliberateness on our part, to act in ways that are contrary to the ways God would have us /think/, /speak/ and /act/.

C       I like the response of the little boy when asked by his Sunday school teacher, “What do you have to do if you want God to forgive you for your sins?”

The little boy answered, “Well, first you have to sin!”  While true none of us has to worry about sinning so that God can forgive, we already do that by nature.

D      *Vs.

3a* says “Forgives All your (my) sins”

1        He has taken ALL of my sins and put them away from me FOREVER.

2        This made possible by Christ Blood shed on the cross and his resurrection from the grave.

3        ALL – that is Past, Present and Future sins are all taken care of.

E       So does that mean that we are sinless?

1        Of course not!

I still sin (just ask my wife) but

2        This caries the idea that when God looks at us from His throne he is looking through the blood of Christ which cancels out our sin and God sees us perfect and sinless (because of Christ’s blood).

F        David was a realist, he knew that he had sin in his life and he was reminding himself of how God had forgiven him of those sins.

G      What a blessing to have God forgive me of my sins and pay my debt, which ties in with the 3rd Blessing but first lets look at the 2nd Blessing we tend to Forget.

II      *As a sick man He heals me* (*vs.

3b*)

A      It is true.

God does heal us physically and we give God credit for our physical health.

1        But it is important that we remember who David is talking to here, His Soul.

2        So when he says, “Heals all your diseases” he is speaking of diseases of the soul.

a         Our souls are subject to many terrible diseases:  /guilt, lust, hate, greed, jealousy, discouragement, depression, anger, fear, doubt, bitterness, immorality, spite and greed/, just to name a few.

b        Just as surely as diseases of the body can take away physical life, the diseases of the souls can deaden us toward the things of God and leave us lifeless and weak.

B       Thank God, he has a remedy for the diseases of the soul!

C       How could the soul ever forget the tender touch of the “Great Physician” as time and again He has diagnosed, treated and healed the diseases of the soul?

D      When I think of the help and healing I have received, what can I say but, “Bless the Lord, O my soul:  and all that is within me, bless His holy name.”?

E       Now that 3rd Blessing that we tend to forget.

III   *As a slave He redeems me* (*vs.

4a*)

A      Every soul that enters this world is a slave to sin…

1        *Gal 3:22* “But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin”

2        Every soul is headed to a horrible conclusion as well, *Rom 6:23* “For the wages of sin is death.”

Eternal Damnation in Hell.

3        Thank the Lord that he saw our destination and provided redemption for us.