Bless The Lord O My Soul (Part 3) Series

Part 3 in a series called “Blessings”.

In part 1 we looked at how God blessed man.

Our key verses in part 1 were:

• Genesis 12:1-3,

o where we learned that God told Abram if you get out of your country, from your family, and fathers house, to a land I will show you, I will make you a great nation.

• Deuteronomy 28:1-2

o If you obey My commandments

o Then I will overtake you with blessings

• Both of these passages have if/then clauses.

o If YOU do this, I will do that!

In part 2 we examined how man blesses man.

Our key verses were:

• 2 Corinthians 9:6-11,

o Paul was talking about being a cheerful giver:

o Sow stingy, reap stingy

o Sow bountifully, reap bountifully

o Give from the heart, not grudgingly or of necessity

o Because God loves a cheerful giver, and

o He abounds us in His grace

• 1 Peter 3:8-9 Called to Blessing

o Basically Peter is telling us to love and have compassion on everyone, even those ones that are tough to love, and we will inherit a blessing.

o I love the feeling I get when reading “and we will inherit a blessing”.

o Unexplainable how that brings peace to my spirit.

• Then we considered what it looks like to bless others.

In parts 1 & 2 we examined that we must be obedient and have faith, to receive blessings.

Today, we will look at one final element of blessings.

As we wrap up this series, I pray you have heard something to stir in you, a desire to dig deeper into Gods’ Word about blessings.

-Let’s go to the Lord in prayer-

Before we get into todays’ message, I have to ask:

• Did you learn something new in Gods word this past week?

• Or did you read a familiar passage with new eyes?

This week we celebrate Thanksgiving.

• As Christians and Americans, I’m sure we each have our own perception of our National Day of Thanksgiving.

• I came across something this week, that I am compelled to share with you today.

Read pages 655-656 in The Founders Bible.

I think sometimes we lose sight of the importance and magnitude of Gods hand in the founding of our nation.

Key points:

Elias Boudinot proposed the resolution on September 25th, 1789

8 Days later George Washington proclaimed a Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving, and the official day of observance was November 26th, 1789 which btw was a Thursday.

Lincoln officially set Thanksgiving, as the 4th Thursday in November on October 20th, 1864.

2 things:

1) Look how fast Congress moved two hundred years ago! It took only a month!

2) You didn’t know you were going to get a lesson in American history in church today, did ya?

-Ask Dan to come up-

Set up 2 Chronicles 5 (Bringing into the temple: Ark of Covenant, treasures, holy furnishings)

Ask Dan to read:

2 Chronicles 5:12-14

Take a few seconds and try to imagine this event!

Today our key scripture is Psalm 100:4.

• We are in part 3 of Blessings, as we wrap up this series, titled:

• “Bless the Lord, O my soul”

• As I began this series, I thought it a bit ridiculous that man could bless God.

• Think about it, what could we possibly do that would “increase” God?

• Let’s go back to Vine’s Expository Dictionary’s definition of the biblical word “blessing/blessed”

o Blessing connotes the state of prosperity or happiness that comes when a superior bestows his favor (blessing) on us. In most passages, the one bestowing favor is God Himself.

Given that definition, how could man possibly bestow prosperity or happiness upon God?!

Let’s unpack this together today.

So exactly how do we bless God?

We begin blessing God by acknowledging His attributes.

I’m going to list an attribute and a verse that coincides with that attribute, for those of you taking notes.

Some of His attributes are:

His: Holiness Exodus 15:11

Sovereignty Psalm 103:19

Omnipotence Job 42:1-2

Providence Exodus 19:4

Preeminence Colossians 1:15-18

Immutability Malachi 3:6

We acknowledge these attributes through:

If I give you a verse, I will also ask you to put an F or an O next to the verse. I’ll explain more on this later.

Prayer (f) (specifically praying in His name)

Y’all, I’m a little slow on the uptake.

I didn’t realize until about 5 years ago that Jesus gave us permission to pray in His name. So many prayers we end “In Jesus’s name”. John 14: 13-14 Jesus gives us permission “and whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

V.14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it”