Bless the Lord
Thanksgiving • Sermon • Submitted
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Transcript
Intro:
Intro:
AG: In the 18th-century classic, A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life, William Law made the following statement:
“Would you know who is the greatest saint in the world? It is not he who prays most or fasts most; it is not he who gives most alms or is most eminent for temperance, chastity, or justice; but it is he who is always thankful to God, who wills everything that God wills, who receives everything as an instance of God’s goodness and has a heart always ready to praise God for it. Could you therefore work miracles, you could not do more for yourself than by this thankful spirit, for it turns all that it touches into happiness.”
TS: Psalm 103 and 104 seem to be a pair designed to promote worshiping God. It is a prayer of nothing but praise to God. .
There is no supplication, no request, no petition or plea in this prayer. It is pure unadulterated praise to God. David was awestruck with God's blessings.
We are not told the circumstances in which David received this Psalm, but it is not difficult to imagine how it happened. Looking at his life, counting his blessings instead of complaining about his burdens, it dawned upon David just how much God had done for him. He realized how good God had been and how undeserving he was of all these blessings. Springing up from the depths of his heart and gushing out onto his parchment came this prayer of praise, this benediction expressing his gratitude toward the Lord.
RS: This week we observe Thanksgiving. It is a great opportunity to follow David’s lead.
Look at our lives
Count our blessings instead of complaining about our burdens.
GOD is good and has given us much and like like David, we don’t deserve anything.
Of David. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The Lord works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all. Bless the Lord, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word! Bless the Lord, all his hosts, his ministers, who do his will! Bless the Lord, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul!
1. A Call for Human Praise (Ps 103. 1-19)
1. A Call for Human Praise (Ps 103. 1-19)
A. Personally
A. Personally
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
David remembers the many times God had graciously delivered and provided for him.
As a young shepherd he survived animal attacks all the way through being a king surrounded by enemies God had been there and been good.
He acknowledges the benefits are all from GOD.
forgiveness of sin v. 3
recovery from sickness v 3
deliverance from death v. 4
abundant lovingkindness and mercy v. 4
food to sustain life v. 5
Essentially, all good things come from God
things we often never even think about
things that are so massive they may be all we think about.
Pause and consider the benefits we have received
Each of us owe a debt of gratitude to the Lord this morning!
B. Corporately (103:6-19)
B. Corporately (103:6-19)
David now rehearses the attributes of God and His interactions with His people.
When we consider GOD, it too leads us to grateful worship.
The Lord works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed.
Moses
Request
Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.”
Answer
The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”
God declared He is merciful
Mercy is an attribute of GOD
Yes, judgment day is coming and God will pour out His wrath, but in the meantime, HE is merciful
He doesn’t give us what we deserve!
Imagine the restraint and mercy exercised by GOD!
Every time we sin, we deserve death.
Every thought, every action, every instance of not doing as He instructed or doing things He prohibited deserve punishment!
I’m so grateful He is merciful
He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.
God is Love
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
God is Forgiving
as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
Through the work of Jesus on the cross, our sins are completely removed from us
and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—
God is a Father
As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.
He knows we are limited
He knows we are weak
He is compassionate on us in our need!
God is Sovereign
The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.
God is our sovereign Lord!
He created and rules the universe and all within it.
2. A Call for Creation’s Praise (Ps 103:20-22)
2. A Call for Creation’s Praise (Ps 103:20-22)
A. Angels
A. Angels
Bless the Lord, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word! Bless the Lord, all his hosts, his ministers, who do his will!
The Host of heaven praises the Lord
I love the example of this in Isaiah:
In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.
Another:
Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”
Angels, God’s ministering spirits, serve and worship Him.
They will one day be joined by us who wore flesh.
We won’t be angels, but we will join their worship in heaven.
The worship goes to God, not to any spirits
Several times in the Bible, we see this emphasized.
An angel comes with a message, and when people attempt to worship them, they are stopped.
I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”
God alone is worthy of our praise!
B. Works of Creation
B. Works of Creation
Bless the Lord, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Creation also worships God
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard.
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
God is everywhere! All of creation bears His fingerprint and declares His glory!
“But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you; or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind.
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
Be aware - Forget not his benefits.
Be grateful - There is nothing that encourages praise like gratitude. Have a thankful heart.
Be vocal - Tell someone. Sing His praises. Bless someone with a testimony.
Be natural - Praise God in a way that is natural for you.
Be consistent - Make it part of your everyday
We must continuously cultivate a lifestyle of gratitude.