Bring It
Notes
Transcript
Intro
Intro
Psalm 118 is part of a very important group of psalms. These were all psalms that focused on thanking and praising God for His faithfulness to Israel while Israel was journeying to the Promised Land.
We know the stories of how God rescued His people from slavery in Egypt, and through leaders like Moses and Joshua, lead them to possess the land He had promised them for centuries.
While the people experienced God’s judgment for their continued unfaithfulness, they also experienced God’s amazing blessing in
I want us to look at our own lives for a moment and think about the things that God has led us through in the past. The things that we were not sure if we would make it through. Reflecting on those moments, can you see pieces of God’s provision throughout that season?
Read
Read
1 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever!
2 Let Israel say,
“His steadfast love endures forever.”
3 Let the house of Aaron say,
“His steadfast love endures forever.”
4 Let those who fear the Lord say,
“His steadfast love endures forever.”
5 Out of my distress I called on the Lord;
the Lord answered me and set me free.
6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear.
What can man do to me?
7 The Lord is on my side as my helper;
I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.
8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in man.
9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in princes.
Teach
Teach
1. God is Unchanging and Unfailing (1-4)
1. God is Unchanging and Unfailing (1-4)
1 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever!
2 Let Israel say,
“His steadfast love endures forever.”
3 Let the house of Aaron say,
“His steadfast love endures forever.”
4 Let those who fear the Lord say,
“His steadfast love endures forever.”
I remember one time when my friend and I were shooting our bow and arrows in my backyard at a foam target.
After several hours, we got bored and started shooting the arrow in to the sky and playing chicken.
The arrow got stuck in the roof of the house and we were going to stick together and tell my dad what happened. When it came down to it, that man snitched on me.
HE CHANGED HIS MIND
So what is the point
GOD DOESN’T
People can change their mind on a whim, but God’s character and love never changes.
When I am at my worst, he loves me
When I am at my best, he loves me
When I am pursuing Him, he pursues me
When I am running as fast as I can away from Him, he pursues me.
God is not the one in the relationship with the changing nature, we are.
The foundation of our interaction with God is praise and thankfulness. There is nothing about us that COMPELS God love us. There is nothing about us that earns or justifies God’s love for us. God’s goodness to us flows out of who He is, not who we are.
Malachi 3:6 “For I the Lord do not change; “
Do you see that progression? Israel, Aaron, all who fear God?
That is a way of saying, “Every single person who knows God, regardless of who you are, should be praising and thanking Him.”
Israel refers to, well, Israel. All of the children of God.
The house of Aaron is referring to the priests.
Even those who God chose to represent Him are not above praising and thanking Him.
Finally, those who fear God could be referring to anyone, including those who weren’t Israelites, who knew God for who He was. The psalmist is making the case clear: ANYONE who has encountered God’s goodness and love should respond in praise.
8 And Jesus answered him, “It is written,
“ ‘You shall worship the Lord your God,
and him only shall you serve.’ ”
2. God Frees us from our Despair (5-7)
2. God Frees us from our Despair (5-7)
5 Out of my distress I called on the Lord;
the Lord answered me and set me free.
6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear.
What can man do to me?
7 The Lord is on my side as my helper;
I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.
What a powerful image of who God is and how we have power through him.
6 So we can confidently say,
“The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear;
what can man do to me?”
9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
Ask the Egyptians how it works out when you come against the people of God.
Ask Satan about his many encounters with the power of God
Ask the man they called Legion because he was possessed by too many demons to count. They had to had to beg Jesus for mercy.
31 And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss.
Students, God is for YOU. He is “on YOUR side,” as verse 6 says. Because of this, there is no need for fear to dominate our lives. Neither fear, nor sadness, nor despair, nor stress should cause us to feel forsaken by God. In His love and mercy, He sets us free from these things
6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, 7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
It seems like so often I try to take the weight of the world on my shoulders, but I end up failing or falling because I was never meant to carry that weight. It’s not mine, it’s the Lords. DON’T PICK UP WHAT IS NOT YOURS TO CARRY.
I remember being terrified to take out the trash at night time. I AM TERRIFIED OF THE DARK.
Funny illustration about sprinting to the trash can and back.
DON’T BE AFRAID OF WHAT IS NOT EVEN THERE.
When we know Christ and he is our stronghold, there is nothing to fear!
3. God is our Refuge (8-9)
3. God is our Refuge (8-9)
8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in man.
9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in princes.
The psalmist makes two comparisons here. He puts God on one side and people on the other. He says, in essence, “When we’re near the end of our rope, we have a choice who we will turn to.
People or God.
One of these two will always be there for us. One of them won’t.” God will NEVER not be a rock-solid source of strength and peace. He is ALWAYS in the “setting free” business. People are great. God has surrounded you with people who love you and are reflections of His character. These folks are a gift from God. It’s just that the people we surround ourselves with aren’t God. Even the best people we know can let us down. Even the best people
10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower;
the righteous man runs into it and is safe.
1 God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
I promise that every single time that we lean in to people they will fail us, BUT GOD NEVER WILL.
Respond
Respond
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.