On the Way to Church
Notes
Transcript
Text: Psalm 130
CIT: Subject - How should the suffering believer relate to God? Compliment - They should faithfully wait (hope!) on the Lord because he is loving and will redeem his people.
CIS: Find your way to the place of worship. There you will find Christ who redeems and loves his people.
SO: Apply - When you are suffering under the weight of sin turn to 1) the church 2) the gathering of believers 3) mercy has shown you in the past.
Intro:
The time when you are preparing for and getting on the way to church can be a challenging time.
Tired/don’t feel like it
Feeling ashamed/concerned that you are not worthy to enter
e.g., You slipped on that thing which you struggle.
The morning of you mess up
e.g., Argument with spouse, frustration with kids, letting somebody know how you feel on the drive in.
Have you ever felt this way?
Our Scripture today should be an encouragement to all of us who have has this problem.
We’ll see how an ancient believer handled the problem and gain some insights on how we can tackle our journey to church.
Pray
Context:
Genre: Psalm of Ascents (Most of your translations title)
Mishnah says that the Psalms of Ascent were sung up each step of the Temple Mount
Early Jewish Scriptures (Date) that preserved Oral Law, useful for Christians to gain perspective on the thoughts of Jesus’ and the Apostle’s audience they ministered to in the Holy Land.
Small citation:
Biblical evidence indicates that it was sung on pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the annual feasts (Hanukkah, Passover, Yom Kipper).
Citations
When the scripture talks about travel to Jerusalem, it always refers to Jerusalem as in the upward direction.
Citations
Date/Author/Purpose:
We are not given who penned this Psalm or its date.
Based off of its themes, it fits well in the period when the Jews were freed from exile and had rebuilt the temple.
There are hints of this Psalm in one of Solomon’s prayers so it could be earlier.
This song an ancient believer’s faith posture of hope in God. It is an encouragement for us today.
Read Entire Passage
A Song of Ascents. 1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord! 2 O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy! 3 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? 4 But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared. 5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; 6 my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. 7 O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. 8 And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.
Content - Biblical Theological, Part 1
God Redeems
God Redeems
Do you know the Scripture that says:
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
From the very beginning God was make a way to redeem mankind from their sinfulness.
To the Serpent in Eden, God curses the serpent who deceived Eve and said
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
The Serpent and the offspring of Even would be in conflict. The son would inflict a wound on the Snake’s head and he the heel of the son.
This is a prophecy of the conflict of Jesus with satan on earth and the Cross.
Later God makes several covenants, unbreakable promises, to ancestors of the first couple.
Noah
11 I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13 I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.
Despite common wickedness, God would not destroy all mankind with worldwide flood catastrophe.
Abraham
2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
God would use Abraham’s descendants to bless everyone on earth.
Moses
3 while Moses went up to God. The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”
Moses gives the people God’s law, with its prescriptions of sacrifice and ethical conduct, to the people. If they would obey, they would be a kingdom of priest to the world, exemplify his mercy and redeeming the world.
David
12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
David’s son, Solomon, builds the Temple, where the believers will ascend to worship God.
This is the covenant environment we find ourselves today as we reflect on the situation of the Psalmist in our Scripture. His faith is grounded in the knowledge of his redeeming God.
Content - Expository
God Hears the Cries of his People
God Hears the Cries of his People
1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord! 2 O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy!
Exp:
The Psalmist here is on the way to the Temple (Church) and he is in depths.
He doesn’t say what it bothering him but he is pleading for mercy from God.
Mercy - a favor from God our master
Supplication for Favor - humbly begging for mercy.
God does not avoid our cries for help.
Ill: Springfield Homeless population
App: Instead of avoiding church, run to it when you are under the weight of sin. There you will meet God who will
God Forgives those who Fear him.
God Forgives those who Fear him.
3 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? 4 But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.
Exp:
The Psalmist suggest that not one person could stand innocent in God’s judgement.
But God is not quick to judge but is patient with the aim of repentance. 2 Pet. 3:9
Fear = reverent awe of God’s greatness, a hesitancy to disobey him on account of his power, and a joy in his power to save.
For those who follow God, he forgives.
Ill:
App: Have you followed the Lord Christ? Do not forsake the gathering of two or three believers. There God’s presence is and he will forgive your sins.
Believer, Wait on the Lord
Believer, Wait on the Lord
5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; 6 my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.
Exp:
The appropriate response of the believer is to wait, earnestly expecting God’s action, even through the darkest trials.
Ill: Night shift working. Counting down the time that the Sun came up. It always came up.
App: The Dark Nights of the Soul does not mean that God is not speak/redeeming your life. You must wait on the Lord. Stay on your way to church my friends.
Believers, Hope in the Lord
Believers, Hope in the Lord
7 O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. 8 And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.
Exp:
The people of God can hope in God because
his love is steadfast, not wish washy.
it is in his nature to redeem. He wants to do it!
All who hope in the Lord will be redeemed from sin!
The subject has switched from the Psalmist alone to all of the people of God!
Ill:
App: Believer hope in God. Remember what God has done for you in your past, your testimony. Let is fuel your present hope to the glory that God has in store for you.
The point of our main passage today was how the suffering believer should relate to God. We learned that they should faithfully wait (hope!) on the Lord because he is loving and will redeem his people.
The Psalmist was going to the temple. Let’s bring this sermon home to today before we close.
Content - Biblical Theological, Part 2
Jesus Fulfilled the Purpose of the Temple
Jesus Fulfilled the Purpose of the Temple
We don’t worship in temples today. But we don’t have to. God fulfilled his covenant promises in His son Jesus Christ.
11 For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. 12 So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. 13 Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. 14 For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. 15 Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. 16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
Today our temple sacrifice is complete.
We sacrifice by being like Jesus and bearing the reproach he endured
Praising God and acknowledging his name.
Doing good and sharing what you have.
So although we are not ancient Jews on pilgrimage to the temple in Jerusalem, we sometimes deal with the same obstacles that might stop us.
Nevertheless, find your way to the place of worship. There you will find Christ who redeems and loves you, his child.
Response
Seekers:
All who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. Are there any here who would like to accept Jesus as their Lord today. He a merciful and patient father who want to make you into a person you cannot be on your own.
Believers:
Keep on your faithfulness to the church, the gathering of believers, and remember your testimony. Sometimes we go through dark nights, but the sun will come up by the power of Christ in our lives.
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