Sermon Tone Analysis

*Series*: First Psalms

*Title*: Reasons for Praise

*Text*: Psalm 107

 

*Introduction: *

* *

The latest anti-Christian movie to hit the theaters is a movie titled, “Religulous.”

Starring Bill Maher, the title gives the plot away – the point is to make religion look ridiculous.

Maher, and director Larry Charles, pull out all the stops.

They show the craziest antics performed in the name of God, all to make fun of religion and to convince people that believing in God requires you to put your brain in neutral, or throw it out all together.

If you haven’t seen it, you can watch the trailer online.

Here’s a sneak peek.

If you go to the movie’s website you will first be greeted by the face of Bill Maher, mysteriously appearing on the toasted bread of a grilled cheese sandwich.

Reminding us of all the people that have seen the face of Jesus in a tortilla, in the pattern on their housecat, or on their garage door.

The trailer then begins with Bill Maher walking down a church aisle, entering a confessional and saying, “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned.

It has been 40 years since my last confession.”

Then it shows a guy who walks the streets looking like Jesus with long, flowing hair, and a robe to match.

The guy tells Maher that God will one day wipe out evil.

Maher responds, “what is he waiting for?”

He tells a United States Senator that it bothers him that there are people running his country that believe in a talking snake (referring, of course, to the appearance of the Devil in the book of Genesis).

He has a physician~/author telling us that even if millions of people believe something it can still be ridiculous; it all depends on how you define crazy.

Then he shows people of several faiths, jumping up and down, hands lifted in the air, speaking in tongues and talking about being taken up in the rapture and returning on a white horse.

Of course, he speaks to someone who thinks they themselves are Jesus Christ reincarnate, and then he compares the ludicrous thought that Santa Claus can deliver presents to everyone in the world all on one night with someone who “can hear millions of people murmur all at the same time” - mocking a God who hears prayer.

The reviews of the movie have been pretty stinky too.

Short on laughs, and even shorter on any convincing substance seems to be the general take.

It is all part of a cultural push by Maher and other “new atheists” (that we have talked about before) to convince the world that religion is not just wrong, but dangerous.

They would like every semblance of religion to be utterly done away with in our society.

For them, we have moved beyond our need for God as we have evolved.

Interestingly, their argument is exactly the opposite of the argument of the Psalmist, whose words we will examine this morning.

Today it our final week in the series titled First Psalms; where we have been looking at the first psalm in each of the five collections of writings that make up the biblical book of Psalms.

This morning we are going to look at Psalm 107.

It’s author is unknown – and rightly so.

This isn’t just one man’s story – this is a Psalm for everyone, because it is a Psalm that calls for everyone to give God his due – to give thanks to God.

Far from viewing God as a figment of our imagination, or as a worn out idea that needs to be replaced by – oh, why not ourselves, this Psalm tells us why it is right to give God his due – why it is fitting to give him thanks.

I am convinced that this Psalm bears a critical message for everyone on the planet – and you will see that unfold as we jump into this passage.

The message of the Psalmist unfolds in three parts.

First, the Psalmist tells us what we should be doing.

Second, he tells us why we should be doing this, and finally he shows us why his ideas demand some critical thinking and calculated action.

First, the Psalmist tells us what we should be doing.

It is his thesis statement.

1 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, \\                For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

\\             2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, \\                Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary \\             3 And gathered from the lands, \\                From the east and from the west, \\                From the north and from the south.

The call is clear – we are to give thanks to God, because He is good and has done good things for us.

To be a little more literal with the words, here is what the Psalmist is calling us to . .

.

*I.                    **Recognize and then declare that God is good – for he has redeemed his kin from difficulties and dangers.

*

* *

It would be one thing to call us to give thanks to God if God had not done anything for us.

And I am certain that there are people who believe that God hasn’t done a single thing for them.

Or more precisely, that He hasn’t done for them, what they wanted, or expected, him to do for them.

I remember watching a video on the life of Charles Darwin, certainly one of the better known unbelievers.

Darwin at one point considered the ministry as a vocation, but opted for science instead.

As he was developing his theory of evolution he was struggling with the thought of making it public since he knew that it contradicted the currently held opinions of his day as to the origins of life.

He didn’t really want to shake up the world.

But in my mind, there was one pivotal event that pushed him over the edge.

It was this: Darwin had a daughter, named Anne, that he adored.

It was no secret that she was his favorite – he didn’t hesitate to tell people of this fact.

He loved the way she spontaneously showed him such great affection, smoothing his hair and straightening his clothes.

When Ann was ten she came down with scarlet fever, and some think tuberculosis as well.

Darwin prayed incessantly for his Annie to recover.

But she didn’t recover.

Upon her death, Darwin noted that the source of “joy had been taken from their household.”

I think it was then, that Darwin gave up on God.

Since God did not answer his prayer, and since God took his Annie away, Darwin no longer had room for God.

His story has been repeated more times throughout history than I can count.

Many have suffered similar tragedies.

They prayed fervently, found the doors of heaven closed and their request denied, and walked away from the experience finding no use for God.

We could talk about their bad theology, but the reality of their emotions can’t be denied.

They would certainly rebel at the opening call of this Psalmist to give thanks to God who is good, and has done good things for us.

In honesty, they do not recognize God as good, and they certainly wouldn’t declare His goodness, after what they experienced.

They did not find in Him any rescue from difficulties or danger.

We can understand this, but we find something different transpiring in the heart of this Psalmist.

This writer’s life had not been easy.

They hadn’t lived a pain-free, suffering-absent life.

In fact, when this writer looked at the human condition, he saw the pain, and the heartache, but at the same time he saw the hand of God.

It led him to declare that God is good, and he has done good things for his people.

By way of evidence the writer now chronicles the good things God has done.

If we were to summarize his reasons for such a positive take on God we would say that we should thank God because he has delivered us and because he has dominion over all things.

God is good because he has done good things for us and because of who he is.

*II.

**God is good because of what he has done for us and because of who he is.

*

I don’t have time today to walk through the intricacies of each and every verse of this passage since it is rather lengthy.

So let me summarize what the Psalmist says.

For one thing, the Psalmist believes we should give thanks to God, because He has done good things for us.

He lists four good things God has done for us.

Let me give them to you in a more modern dress:

 

*When you were lost, he brought you home.

(v.

4-9)*

 

    4 They wandered in the wilderness in a desert region; \\          They did not find a way to an inhabited city.

\\     5 They were hungry and thirsty; \\          Their soul fainted within them.

\\     6 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble; \\          He delivered them out of their distresses.

\\     7 He led them also by a straight way, \\          To go to an inhabited city.

\\     8 Let them give thanks to the LORD for His lovingkindness, \\          And for His wonders to the sons of men! \\     9 For He has satisfied the thirsty soul, \\          And the hungry soul He has filled with what is good.

Some of you have spent time wandering aimlessly through life.

In pursuit of pleasure, or satisfaction, or the Almighty dollar.

Only to discover you could never find what you were looking for.

Then one day God brought you home – to the place where you discovered that He was all you needed; that you were satisfied with him.

The Psalmist says, then “give thanks to the Lord” because of what He has done for you.

\\ \\

*When you were trapped, he set you free.

(v.

10-16)*

 

    10 There were those who dwelt in darkness and in the shadow of death, \\          Prisoners in misery and chains, \\     11 Because they had rebelled against the words of God \\          And spurned the counsel of the Most High.

\\     12 Therefore He humbled their heart with labor; \\          They stumbled and there was none to help.

\\     13 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble; \\          He saved them out of their distresses.

\\     14 He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death \\          And broke their bands apart.