3-27-16 The Logos is Alive!

Scripture   John 1:1-5, 14; 8:32

John 1:1-5

          In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

John 1:14

          The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

           John 8:32   “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

God and the word are one and have been so from the beginning

In the beginning was the Word…

…and the Word was with God…

…and the Word was God.

          In the beginning was the Word…with God…who is God! Therefore the Word spoken of is not an impersonal entity like we think of when we talk about “words”  This Word is a personal living being. Next sentence starts with a personal pronoun: “He”…

2 He was with God in the beginning.

All we know at this point is that the He is a personal being and is referred to as the “Word”

A little study of the original language (Greek) shows that this (logos) Word who was in the beginning is eternal – “Beginning” is in the imperfect tense – meaning a time before creation with a continued timeless existence; so now we know this personal Word who was with and is God has an existence in eternity past.

3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. (Nothing was going to become something once the Word decided there should be something, then went ahead and made something out of nothing.) That just took us from God’s beginning which is eternity past to our beginning which is CREATION. Vs 1-2 are timelessness before creation – Vs 3 is the time of creation. Everything that came into existence did so at his command and in his presence (without him nothing was made that has been made, but THROUGH HIM all things were made). Great and creative things happen when the “Word” is present and working.

4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

In the “Word” was Life (zwn) = the power to make something alive (Ezekiel / Valley of Dry Bones) – pointing to a particular part of the Word’s creation – mankind. And embedded in that life was light = the ability to recognize where the life has come from – ie. the Word = a personal GOD! That light never stops shining – even in the darkest darkness!

All that being true – is there a way to know the “Word”?...this always existing - creation making – life giving – light bearing - personal being?      Of course – if I didn’t know the answer, I wouldn’t have asked the question. Jump ahead to vs. 14.

          The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

          This always existing Word/God who created us has now himself become one of us. How do we know who he is?  John tells us by revealing the entire reason he wrote all this: John 20:30-31 Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

          Therefore – the Word John referred to is none other than Jesus! Jesus is the personal Word who existed in eternity past, brought about creation, gave us life and light and became one of us so he could do what none of us are able to do without him – receive “Life” (that is life in eternity future) = eternal life!

          The synoptic gospel (Mt Mk Lk) see life and death, heaven and hell, temporal and eternal life in a vertical sense “This age and the age to come” relating more to time.  John, however sees those things in a horizontal sense: “This world and the world above” relating more to place. Both are correct – time and place and the reality of the Logos is where those two meet at the center of the cross!

          We are looking more at John’s perspective today. He sees the world we live in (earth) as evil whose ruler is the devil and the world above (heaven) as good whose ruler is God. He begins his gospel by clearly stating that the good God of Heaven has broken through time and place to enter our dark world with his in comprehensible light!

          What does this have to do with Easter? Nestorius (5^th c.) writes: “Is the Logos risen from the dead? And if the life-giver (Logos) died, who then could give life? The mystery of godliness must, however, be expressed in this manner: ‘One thing is the Logos who dwelt in the temple formed by the Holy ghost, and another is the temple itself, different from the God who dwells within it.’ This acknowledges the unity of the combination [trinity], but the duality [triality] of the natures and substances.”

          Maximus (7^th c.) writes: “All visible realities need the cross, that is, the state in which they are cut off from the things acting upon them through the senses. All intelligible realities need burial, that is, the total quiescence of the things which act upon them through the intellect. When all relationship with such things is severed, and their natural activity is cut off, then the logos, who exists alone in himself, appears as if risen from the dead. He encompasses all that comes from Him, but nothing enjoys kinship with Him by virtue of natural relationship. For salvation of the saved is by grace and not by nature.”

          Luke 15:31-32  "My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.  But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found."

          Once the Word became flesh – EVERYTHING changed! For thousand’s of years the Jews had been waiting for the Word to become flesh. Creation was groaning for the creator to physically walk on that which He created. God was no longer just Spirit and Voice but had become flesh and blood with all the possible frailties of every human – including death.  One might have imagined that when the messiah were to come, it would not be possible for him to die or be killed. Jesus blew up everyone’s theory of how God would act in history and how people could know God and be granted life eternal with Him in heaven.

          If that wasn’t enough to caused a severe migraine to comprehend, then he did in fact die – was murdered by the Roman government at the urging of the Jewish religious leaders – as if the whole world were against Him.           …But wait it gets better…

          Acts 2:22-24    "Men of Israel, listen to this: God raised Jesus of Nazareth from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.

Acts 2:32-36   God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, "'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." '  "Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."                                                       CONCLUSION

          I believe that this Jesus is the always existing - creation making – life giving – light bearing - personal being who alone can forgive us of our sins and grant us eternal life!  ALL glory be to the WORD – the risen living Logos – to Jesus…Jesus…Jesus!

O GLORIOUS DAY

One day when Heaven was filled with His praises
One day when sin was as black as could be
Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin
Dwelt among men, my example is He
Word became flesh and the light shined among us
His glory revealed
        Living, He loved me
        Dying, He saved me
        Buried, He carried my sins far away
        Rising, He justified freely forever
        One day He's coming
        Oh glorious day, oh glorious day
John 8:32  “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

                One day the grave could conceal Him no longer
                One day the stone rolled away from the door
                Then He arose, over death He had conquered
                Now He's ascended, my Lord evermore
                Death could not hold Him, the grave could not keep Him
                From rising again.  O GLORIOUS DAY!

3-6-16 “I came to be served!”

Scripture   Mark 10:41-45

Mark 10:33-34

          Jesus said, "We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise."

Mark 10:35-40

          Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him and said, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask." "What do you want me to do for you?" "Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory." "You don't know what you are asking, can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?" "We can!" "You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared."

          Those who want to get to the top at all cost – no matter who’s shoulders they step on – often do get to the top – but it is short lived.

Eugene O’Neill in The Emperor Jones says “For de little stealin’ dey gets you in jail soon or late. For de big stealin’ de makes you emperor and puts you in the Hall o’ fame when you croaks. If dey’s one thing I learns in ten years on de Pullman cars listenin’ to de white quality talk, it’s dat same fact.”

Mark 10:41-45

          When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Demosthenes cites the law that the one who was ransomed became the property of the one who freed him. Paul assumes this principle in his admonition to the Corinthians: 1 Cor 6:19b-20a You are not your own; you were bought at a price.

Mark 10:46-52

          Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called to the blind man, "Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you." Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see." "Go, your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

          Asking a blind man what he wants Jesus to do for him night seem stupid – however consider when others were asked: The Pharisees wanted to outsmart and trap him, the rich man wanted eternal security at minimal cost, James and John wanted to be top dogs in the new kingdom – A blind beggar may want money – but Batimaeus just wants to see again.

          God asks us this important question all the time and we usually answer poorly. Biblical examples: Herod asks his step daughter what she wants for dancing for him? She says the head of JTB on a platter. Pilate asks the crowd: Barrabas or Jesus – they say Barrabas – Crucify Jesus!

          When you ask for the right things look what good can happen: Batimaeus was sitting on the road side begging – until Jesus gave him sight – then he got up and followed Jesus – follow doesn’t mean just walk behind him – it means to walk like him or to love like him which means to serve like him!  Has your blindness been healed? Here is the test – are you following Jesus or sitting on the roadside? Are you serving in ministry for the sake of His Kingdom?

Far too many of us believe we don’t have the qualifications to serve in and through the church.

Martin Luther King Jr. said: “You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You don’t have to know Plato and Aristotle. You don’t have to know Einstein’s theory of relativity. You don’t have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” “LOVE LIKE JESUS!

COMMUNION

Ministry Fair

02-21-16 2016 Theme Introduction: LOVE LIKE JESUS!

Scripture  1 John 4:7-12

          1 John 4:7-12     Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.  Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.  This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.  This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.  Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

INTRODUCTION

          Love like Jesus! What does Jesus’ love look like?

VIDEO: YouTube of girl helping another in a track meet.

          APPLY: What had that audience seen that day?  They had seen love in action.  And it had such a powerful effect on them that they stood and applauded. More important – hopefully, is that people would emulate what they saw: love in action. When someone form the opposing team helps another to finish the race – does that sound familiar? Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, (while we were on the opposing team) Christ died for us.”

          Jesus told His disciples: “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:35 In other words: if we show love by our actions the world will notice, they may even stand and applaud.
          Now, this “loving one another” was not just some passing comment by Jesus. It became the royal law of the Kingdom.  James 2:8 says “If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing right.”
          In fact, love was to become such a crucial part of who we are as Christians that Galatians 5 tells us it is THE MARK of the Spirit bearing fruit in our lives.  “… the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”
          Notice… LOVE was the very first item on the list.
That’s because love MUST be what we are known for as Christians.

ILLUS: One Handed church steeple

          It was the closing night of a summer VBS. The teacher of one of the classes had missed one night and hadn’t encountered a boy who had come that night, but who was there that Friday. He only had one hand. It shook her a little… and she began to be afraid that the others might make fun of him. In fact, she was so distracted by this that when time came for the closing program she mechanically led the children onto the stage and told them "Now, let's all build our churches. Put your hands together now, here is the church, here is the steeple . . . .”
          Then suddenly, she was aware what she had done. The little boy couldn’t build a “church” because he had only one hand.

          After a moment of awkward silence, the little girl seated next to the boy with one hand held her hand up to his and said, "Here, let's build the church together."

Mark 2:1-17

          A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."

          Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, "Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?"

          Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, "Why are you thinking these things?  Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take your mat and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins . . . ." He said to the paralytic, "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home."  He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!"

          13 Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them. As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him.

          While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the "sinners" and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: "Why does he eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"

          On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

Loving like Jesus then, looks like responding to people’s needs and it looks like forgiveness

          ILLUS: Fred Craddock, one of the greatest preachers of the modern era told a story about his own father.

          His dad had been greatly hurt by someone in the church years before. For years the church reached out to him to come back, but he always rejected their offers to go to church with one statement: "All they want is another name and another pledge" (meaning: they didn't care about him, all they wanted was one more person on the rolls and his money).

          Year after year, an evangelist would visit the man during the Revival meetings trying to get him to come and he would repeat the same phrase as he dismissed them: "all they want is another name and another pledge."

          That's what Craddock's father always said... all except one time.

          Fred Craddock tells of how his father got cancer and finally had to go to the VA Hospital to receive proper care. Over a period of time, the once burly man wasted away to a mere 78 pounds, and when Craddock made it home and visited him in his hospital room he was shocked by his father's frail appearance. 

          He was also shocked by the appearance of the room. 

          It was filled with flowers and cards. 

          As Craddock went about the room looking at the flowers and reading their cards he was struck by the fact that for the most part they came from the very members of the church that his father had for so long rejected.

          His father motioned him to the bed, and because he could not speak due to the cancer, he weakly wrote these words on his notepad. Words from Hamlet: "Draw your breath in pain as you tell my story..."

          "What's your story, dad?" Craddock asked.

          Then his father wrote these three words "I Was Wrong."

          That church loved Craddock’s father. And because they loved him they gave God the room and the time to change the man’s heart. All because they were committed to concept of loving one another.

          Whether you are in a race and someone else falls, or someone is brought to you by friends, or you come upon them – to love like Jesus is to first walk in the forgiveness he offers you:

INVITAITON

02-14-16 A 7 Day Experiment in Trust

Scripture  Psalm 23:1-6

Video:  Little girl reciting Psalm 23  (“surely?”)

          My primary job is to remind you what you already know. The canon of scripture was closed over 1600 years ago. The same Spirit who inspired what is written in the Bible inspires my preparation and delivery AND your receiving and understanding. I don’t have anything new to tell you. I can only remind you what the scripture already says.  However, some secondary jobs of mine related to the first is to get you to hunger for God’s Word, to remember God’s Word, to apply God’s Word to your life, and to live out God’s Word.

          Therefore, today, and for the rest of your life I hope to make the 23^rd Psalm a part of your life like it never has been before. I am going for life changing here. This is probably the most well-known of all Old Testament passages of scripture among Christians and comes in second in the entire bible only to John 3:16. So the material is nothing new, but I hope your reception and subsequent application is fresh and long lasting.

The 23^rd Psalm is known as the Shepherds Psalm – so let’s look at why that is important to us.

          John 10:1-5; 7-11

          "I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice."

          "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."

          How well David knew God to describe Him so perfectly, even as He would later reveal Himself in Jesus!  In light of that I want to give you a 7 day challenge to change your life. Each day for the next week, take one of the 7 points made in Psalm 23 – memorize that portion of the scripture, meditate on it and receive the promise God has for you in this great passage.

                   Psalm 23   (KJV)

1)      THE LORD WILL WORK FOR ME!

          The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

          We constantly feel inadequate – like we are not working hard enough for the Lord. The problem with that is we miss the point that God is working for us. Just like the good shepherd who would scout for green pastures and sources of water while we sleep. Even while he is tending to our current needs he is also preparing a way for our future needs. Maybe our greatest work is to stop and thank him for what a loving shepherd he is and for all the work he does on our behalf.

          Sheep have a will of their own – and so do we. We get anxious about something and try working it out instead of trusting that the Lord is working for us.  This week, I don’t want you to try to manipulate anything into working out for you. Ask God to work out all things for your good (Romans 8:28) do what he says and trust Him for the results.

          Live like the little boy who messed up the words and said, “The Lord is my shepherd, I don’t want anything else!”

          ILLUS: TWO MEN recite psalm 23 Great actor and an old man: “I know the psalm, but obviously, this man knows the shepherd”

2)      THE LORD WILL PROVIDE FOR ME!

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

Matthew 6:33   But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

          He leads us to what we need (we have to follow) – green grass and still water. You can’t make a sheep lie down unless certain things are in place: 1) free of fear 2) coat cleared of parasites 3) well fed 4) knowledge of the presence of the shepherd.

          Water cannot be running water – they will drown from weight of wet wool.

3)      THE LORD WILL KEEP ME GOING!

He restoreth my soul:

          When you are downcast it is hard to keep going. Have you ever been downcast? The term comes from sheep. A sheep lying down near a hallow can roll over on its back but the wool or fatness of the sheep makes it hard to right itself. The term for this is that the sheep is cast – or downcast. The shepherd lifts the sheep and holds him till blood returned to the legs then sets him on the ground to move again – restores my soul!

          How many times had David found himself downcast by things he had done or things others were doing to him – each time the Lord restored his entire being – his soul!

4)      THE LORD WILL GUIDE ME!

He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

          When we follow our parents, Adam and Eve – we go the wrong way. When we follow our Lord and Savior Jesus, we go the right way. It is not a question of being a follower – we all follow one or the other. It is simply a choice of who we will follow. Following A & E requires nothing of us. Following Jesus requires intention of the will – you have to want to follow him.

5)      THE LORD WILL PROTECT ME!

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

          Hinnon Valley (Gehenna = hell) Christians walk in the shadow of death but need not fear it’s full effect as it serves as a transition point.

          His weapons of protection were a staff and a rod.

6)      THE LORD WILL HEAL ME!

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

          The shepherd would rub oil into the sheep’s wool to repel insects and as a healing balm for cuts and bruises. Imagine how good this would feel to the dusty, dirty sheep to have the shepherd massaging oil onto your back and legs and on top of your head. No wonder the sheep would follow only him. He cares so much for them. The shepherd could have them graze in a pasture as long as he was there to keep predator animals away.

          “Cup” in Hebrew really refers to “my life”. Because I belong to the loving shepherd – my life overflows with good things.

7)      THE LORD WILL PURSUE ME!

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

          To follow (יִ֭רְדְּפוּנִי / yir·de·fu·ni) means to pursue. Goodness and Mercy will pursue me every day of my life!  That is a promise that rings true!

          I will dwell in his house forever! Will you! Will you? How do you know?  John 14:1-4  Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

A 7 Day Experiment in Trust

          Dr. Charles Allen, beloved Methodist minister, tells the story of a friend who came to see him one day. His friend was nervous, tense, and he had literally worried himself sick. The man's physician had suggested that he see his minister. They talked for awhile, and then Allen took a pad of paper from his desk drawer.

          "If you went to see a doctor, he would give you a prescription, and that's what I want to do," Allen said. "Take the prescription exactly as I write it. Five times a day for seven days I want you to read prayerfully and carefully the twenty-third psalm. When you awaken, before each meal and at bedtime, read the psalm." Charles Allen says that in a week his friend returned literally a different person.

CONCLUSION: The good shepherd is the author of LIFE!

          Tim Zingale wrote: My brother served his first parish in Massillon, Ohio, as an associate pastor, with the late Pastor Maurice "Mo" White. Pastor White was a very large, strong and vibrant man. During one Lenten season, one of the older, but faithful members of the church came with her husband to an evening Lenten service. As they were leaving the service, the woman somehow fell down the outside flight of steps and broke her hip. For some unknown cause, she did not recover from the hip surgery and died in a few short days. Pastor White stood with the bereaved husband by the casket the night before the funeral. Many people came to offer their sympathies. Some were saying to the sorrowing husband, "God must of had a plan for this, so accept it." Another said, "It was God’s will and we must live by it." Still another said, "Somehow God planned this to test your faith!!" And still another said, "There is a sliver lining in every cloud, you will find God’s reason behind this eventually.

          Pastor White left that funeral home filled with a very strong emotion of anger at the "babbling", as he put it, he heard that evening. He went to the study and rewrote the beginning of his funeral sermon.

          Pastor White began his funeral sermon with this phrase: "My God does not push old ladies down church steps!!!" Then he proceeded to explain that God cannot be blamed or accused for all the brokenness of this world. If God is the author of death, how, how can He be at the same time the author of life as shown through the resurrection we celebrate each Sunday and especially on Easter. Is God the God of the living, or the God of the dead? You cannot have it both ways.

          When we walk through the Valley of the shadow of death we walk not fearing death, rather following the good shepherd who is also the author of LIFE – abundant and eternal!

02-07-16 In Remembrance of YOU

Scripture    Psalm 103:1-22

                             Worship a Merciful God                   Psalm 103:1-5

                             The Triumph of God’s Mercy           Psalm 103:6-10

                             The Greatness of God’s Mercy         Psalm 103:11-14

                             The Eternity of God’s Mercy            Psalm 103:15-18

                             Worship the Eternal King                  Psalm 103:119-22

Worship a Merciful God

1 Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

The Psalm writer is expressing self talk. We all do this.  Not only should the part reserved for God give praise to God but every part of his being should give God praise. God is the “Lord” and is “holy”! If that isn’t enough, he then repeats it to himself while adding more to do:

2 Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits —

Praise the Lord and don’t forget the benefits that come only from God; which are:

1)    forgives all your sins

2)    heals all your diseases,

3)    redeems your life from the pit

4)    crowns you with love and compassion,

5)    satisfies your desires with good things.

5        SO THAT: your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

                The psalmist must have experienced the things from which the list of God’s benefits come which means he had at one time sinned, had been sick, in a pit, unloved, and absent of good things. Also, as a Jew he would have heard and recited the Shema since childhood: Deut. 6:4-9 which would give him a basis for understanding that we Bless the Lord with everything we’ve got!

                Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.   Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

The Triumph of God’s Mercy

          6 The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.

If you are ever unfairly treated in this life, know that God is for you: Jer 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. To make it simple God chose a particular people in a particular place at a particular time to make himself known.

7 He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel:

What are the ways and deeds he made known to them? The things that every generation needs to know anew – in fact; that every person needs to know:

          THE LORD…

1)    is compassionate (feeling or showing concern for someone who is sick, hurt, poor, etc.)

2)    is gracious (free and unmerited favor of God)

3)    is slow to anger (Ex 32:9-10 "I have seen these people," the Lord said to Moses, "and they are a stiff-necked people. [won’t bow to God] Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation."  Long suffering = bearing with us while we sin hoping we will turn back and live right / Mercy = Removing the penalty for our sin )

4)    is abounding in love

5)    He will not always accuse

6)    nor will he harbor his anger forever

7)    he does not treat us as our sins deserve (GRACE) or repay us according to our iniquities (MERCY).

The Greatness of God’s Mercy

                   God’s Comparison Chart

1)    11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

                   so great is his love for those who fear him;

2)    12 as far as the east is from the west,

                   so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

3)    13 As a father has compassion on his children,

                   so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;

          WHY?  14 for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.

The Eternity of God’s Mercy

          We are reminded that we are nothing and we are everything

          15 As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; 16 the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.  We are not remembered or known past the 5th generation.  You work so hard to pass on good things but it seems pointless because however you lived will be forgotten…or will it?

          17 But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children — with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.  So who you are , how you lived – if it is with godliness – will be passed on from generation to generation – God will honor you beyond your own time – and then “BONUS” he will welcome you into eternity.

Worship the Eternal King

          We end where we began but now self-talk is no longer needed because the things that needed prompting before are remembered and elevated. The psalm writer looks beyond himself to the highest heights of heaven encouraging praise to God!

          19 The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.

20 Praise the Lord, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word. 21 Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will.

          Now beyond himself and the heavenly realms to everything that exists:

22 Praise the Lord, all his works everywhere in his dominion. And concludes with himself doing what he aspires for everyone: Praise the Lord, O my soul.