The Story of the Redeemed

The Story of the Redeemed

8/14/22

Text: Psalms 107:2

2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,

Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy,[1]

This is my story; this is my song praising my Savior all day long.

· If you have been in church for any length of time, you are familiar with that song.

That song reminds us of the Blessed Assurance that each of us has because of our relationship with the Lord.

· Blessed Assurance has ministered to many people across this great land for many years as we have lifted our voices.

And we have remembered how good and gracious God has been to us by giving us the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.

· Each of us understands that we don’t deserve the gift that God has given us

· Each of us understands that we could not mirror the gift, but God has graciously given it to us

None of us this Sunday morning can work enough for the gift, but it is given to us by a gracious God who has blessed us every day of our lives.

· Each of us has a story to tell how God has worked in our lives and brought us to the point where we are now

· We have been so blessed by God to know what we know and do what we do to experience life as we have experienced it.

To God be the glory for our story because we can look back over our lives and say that experience has made me a better person, and if I hadn’t lived through that, I would not be as strong as I am right now.

· If I had not gone through this scene

· Through this situation, I wouldn’t be able to have the strength that I possess right now and

· Thanks be to God for the story

Some of us would have to testify that I did not like it when I was going through it, but when I got on the other side, I realized that:

· It strengthened me

· It blessed me

· It made me into the man, the woman, the person that I am right now. (pause)

This is my story; this is my song. I am praising my Savior all the day long,

· Each of us has a story, and each of us should tell our story

· No matter how hard it maybe, we need to tell our story

· No matter how difficult and painful we find ourselves, we still have a story to tell.

And Psalms 107 is the story of the Children of Israel; these 43 verses of this psalm remind us of the ups and downs they had to endure and experience.

· They went through a journey with God that was sometimes pleasant, sometimes pleasing, and other times they just found it a pitiful reality they had to deal with.

The Children of Israel is a story of brothers and sisters; despite their circumstances, they had a God who was on their side.

· Who was working all things together for their good?

· And their story mirrors our story because all of us have had to go through a few things in life, and we understand that God has been with us through it all

The songwriter said:

I’ve had many tears and sorrows

I’ve had questions for tomorrow

There’s been times I didn’t know right from wrong

But in every situation, God gave me blessed consolation that my trials come only to make me strong

The second verse says

I’ve been a lot of places

I’ve seen a lot of faces

There’s been times I felt so all alone

But in my lonely hours

Yes. those precious lonely hours

Jesus lets me know I was his own

I like the third stanza

I thank God for the mountains

I thank Him for the valley’s

I thank Him for the storms He brought me through

For if I’d never had a problem

I wouldn’t know if God could solve them

I’d never know what faith in God could do

Here it is

· Through it all, I’ve learned to trust I’m Jesus

· I’ve learned to trust in God

· Through it all, I’ve learned to trust in His word

· I know it’s some saints this morning who know about through it all

· Somebody ought to thank God for a through it all testimony

Psalm 107 is the story of brothers and sisters who can testify that they went through it but never by themselves. It’s a story that lets every believer know you will have to deal with circumstances but that you do not have to deal with them on your own.

And so, the palmist declared in Psalms 107:2 since you know how much God has done for you

· Since you know how good God has been to you

· The redeemed of the Lord ought to say so!

That lets us know that if God has blessed us, we need to open up our mouths and begin to talk about it every time we get a chance

When you think about how good God has been, you ought to talk about it

· The Bible says that the redeemed of the Lord should say so

Revelation 12:11

11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony,[2]

Is there anyone who can testify that He’s been better to me than I’ve been to myself, and this is what the Psalmist is trying to get the people of God to understand

· If God has redeemed you, you ought to say so

The word redeemed means

· To be reclaimed

· Restored

· Renewed

· Recycled

It is God’s will for our lives that we would not be beyond his love, beyond his grace, but He pulls us back in to make sure that we counted as part of the believers

The redeemed this word blesses me because it suggests that I was out of order and in some kind of way, and God paid the price to get me back in order, and because I couldn’t do it for myself, God did it for me, and I have the responsibility to talk about it

I said it to fast rewind and press play: I said I was in order at one point, then I got out of order, but God saw fit to pull me back in from where I was, and as a consequence, I am rightly positioned where I am supposed to be, and I got the responsibility to talk about it.

· I’ve been re-instituted

· I’ve been reclaimed

· I’ve been renewed

· I’ve been recycled

· I’ve been released upon receipt of ransom (repeat)

· Here’s the picture — That an enemy got a hold of me, and I was held hostage by an enemy who was too strong for me, but somebody stronger than my enemy showed up and made sure that the enemy didn’t get the last word and know I’ve been released because the ransom has been paid

Somebody in here ought to thank God this morning because He paid the ramson

· (Can I just leap over to the NT) On a hill called Calvary one Friday afternoon, I got released upon receipt of a ransom

That’s why the old saints sang:

· Jesus paid it all… all to him I owe sin had left a crimson stain, but he washed it white as snow

And if you know:

· You’ve been redeemed!

If you know:

· You’ve been reclaimed

If you know:

· You’ve been reinstituted

You ought to open up your mouth and say so! (Let the Redeemed Say So)

· Somebody ought to say Hallelujah

· Somebody ought to tell him thank you

· Somebody ought to know you’ve been redeemed, and you don’t have to keep it to yourself and “Say So.”

So, we got a story to tell. Can I walk through Psalms 107… it seems to me that the Psalmist is trying to get us to be pleased about our story!

So much that he says in vs. 1:

· Oh, give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good for his mercy endures forever.

· That every morning of their lives, every day of their lives, we are awakened to brand new mercies

Jeremiah tells us about it in Lamentations 3:22 (ESV)

22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;

his mercies never come to an end;

23 they are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness. [3]

And I love it, child of God, that God meets us every day with brand new mercies

We don’t wake up to leftover mercy

· You didn’t wake up to a stale mercy

· You didn’t wake up to last week’s mercy

· No, He gave you fresh brand-new mercy for another day

· And everybody ought to tell the Lord thank you for your New Mercies!

That’s what the Psalmist says we ought to say so!

When we read the Psalms, we find out four things that just might help us with the story of the redeemed.

One of the things we have, when you begin to read the story, is:

First: We have a God who is a provider

In verse 4,5,7,9, the Psalmist tells how the Lord provided for his people in the time of the Exodus

When you understand the Exodus in chapter 16&17, you’ll find out that every time that the Children of Israel were wandering in the wilderness, God kept supplying every one of their needs

They were in the wilderness wondering for forty years, and during those four decades, the Bible says

· Their shoes never wore out

· Their clothes never wore out

· God gave them manna in the wilderness

· And he gave them water out of a rock in a dry place

· I’m telling you, He’s Your Provider!

He gave them:

· Water out of a rock, you missed it… who gets water out of a rock

· Suggesting that God will bless you in unexpected ways in unexpected places just to prove to you that He is Your Provider

· That God doesn’t have to use the usual means, the regular route that He will bless you by any means necessary

Not only did he give them water out of a rock, but he also fed them manna from heaven

· Manna means: What is this?

· They are getting manna from heaven so God can show them that He is their provider

· Has God ever blown your mind with His blessings?

· Has God ever given you a jaw-dropping blessing, and all you could say was wow?

Are there five people who can testify that some of your blessings didn’t take the usual route of coming to you, and all you could say was thank you, Lord!

Oh, child of God, somebody ought to be grateful that you got a Provider in your God

· Somebody ought to call Him: Jehovah-Jireh is there anybody who knows that every time you turn around, He keeps making a way for you?

· He keeps providing for you

· Somebody ought to testify that “My God” is a provider, and every one of us can testify that we have a God who is our provider

Look at the text; in verses 10-20, not only do we have a God who is our provider

Second: We have a God who is our Perfector

The following verses talk about how God has been with His people through exile, the exile was when Nebuchadnezzar came and stripped the people from their homeland to Babylonian captivity, and they had to stay there for seventy years. They were in a place that was unfamiliar to them, and the enemy had his foot on their neck

· They could not move

· They could not operate as they wanted to

Ps. 107:5 says: 5 Hungry and thirsty,

Their soul fainted in them.[4]

They were in a place they did not want to be—(hungry and thirsty), and during this time, they couldn’t even sing praises to the Lord. They were singing people, but during the exile, they lost their shout, their celebration, and their song.

And when their captors asked them to sing a song in Psalms 137: 4 - How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land? [5]

· Have you ever been in a place where you lost your song?

· Have you ever been in a season in your life where you could not celebrate like you once did?

· Somebody came to church, and you can’t say amen like you once did because you are in a place that is a strange land

Oh, it happens, child of God; there comes a time that you will find yourself in a place where you do not feel like saying amen

· Everybody around you is putting their hands together

· There will come a time when we find ourselves in that place

o They had lost their appetite

o They lost their usual activity

· They are in a season in which they cannot get no swift release

The Bible says, 2 Timothy 2:3:

3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus[6]

Are there at least three people who can testify

· There have been some days when I had to endure

· There have been some days where I had to persevere

· There have been some days when I had to scratch my head and wonder if I was really in the will of the Lord

Is there anyone who knows:

The Bible says 2Tim. 2:12: 12 If we endure,

We shall also reign with Him.[7]

Ps 34:12: 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,

But the Lord delivers him out of them all.[8]

But by the time they get to verse 20, of Ps. 107 it says 20 He sent out his word, healed them,

and delivered them from their destruction. [9]

Somebody should be able to testify when you showed up at the church house; God sent a word and healed you!

· A Rhema Word

· A Word in season

· A Word sent from the Lord, and He’s working things out

His Word:

Ps. 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet

and a light to my path.[10]

His Word:

Ps. 105: 11 I have stored up your word in my heart,

that I might not sin against you. [11]

His Word:

· It is like a two-edge sword

His Word:

· Will comfort you when you can’t find comfort anywhere else

His Word:

· Will Keep you when you feel like giving up

His Word:

· Sustains you when all hell is breaking out

His Word:

· Let’s you know this too shall pass

His Word:

· Says no weapon formed against me shall prosper

His Word:

· Says: 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart[12]

His Word:

· Says I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me

Is there anybody in here who can still thank God for His Word?

The Bible says:

Matt. 24:35:

35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. [13]

He is our Perfector

First: We have a God who is our: Provider

Second: We have a God who is our Perfector

Third: We have a God who hears our Prayers

I am still in the text Ps 107 in vs. 6,13,19, then again in vs. 28

· 28 Then they cried to the Lord [14]

The Bible says in vs. 28: 28 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,

and he delivered them from their distress. [15]

They are in a place where they can’t get any swift release: Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, then he saved them out of their trouble.

I like the picture the song painted: It said Jesus is on the main line; call him up and tell him what you want. If you are sick and you can’t get, well, call him up and tell him what you want

· Is there anyone here who still believes prayer still works?

· Does anyone here still believe what James 5:16 says: The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much?[16]

He hears you when you pray!

· 2 Chronicles 7:14: 14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.[17]

Oh, what peace we often forfeit; oh, what needless pain we bear because we simply don't carry everything to God in prayer

This is one of them desperation prays: Ps.107: 28 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. [18]

First: We have a God who is our: Provider

Second: We have a God who is our Perfector

Third: We have a God who hears our Prayers

Fourth: We have a God who deserves our praise vs. 8,15,21

Ps 107:8: 15 Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness,

And for His wonderful works to the children of men![19]

· They began to praise God for everything that He had done

Let the redeemed of the Lord Say So!

[1] The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Ps 107:2. [2] The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Re 12:11. [3] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), La 3:22–23. [4] The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Ps 107:5. [5] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ps 137:4. [6] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 2 Ti 2:3. [7] The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), 2 Ti 2:12. [8] The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Ps 34:19. [9] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ps 107:20. [10] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ps 119:105. [11] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ps 119:11. [12] The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Ga 6:9. [13] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 24:35. [14] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ps 107:28. [15] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ps 107:28. [16] The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Jas 5:16. [17] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 2 Ch 7:14. [18] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ps 107:28. [19] The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Ps 107:15.