TEACHINGS OF THE PSALMS #2 in series
Text: Ps. 4
Intro:
1. Everyone knows how vital good communication is in our relationships---marriage, parent—child, employer—employee
2. Good communication is not as easy as it may sound, it actually takes some effort
3. The same is true with our relationship with God
4. As we begin our look at some of the Psalms, there are some things we can know and be reminded of.
I. WE CAN TALK TO GOD
A. To those of us in the Christian faith, this is almost an entitlement
1. conversation with the Creator & Sustainer of life
2. In our world, the more important the person, the less of a
chance you will have to speak one on one
3. communication with God is something we often take for
granted and don’t practice enough.
B. This is something He desires; it is part of our relationship
C. Notice this in Ps. 119:9-16, 49-50---God has spoken, we speak
in response.
II. WE CAN TALK AT ANY AND ALL TIMES
A. God’s door is always open and ears are always listening, we don’t
have to wait to be invited like queen Esther.
B. We approach Him in our high periods Ps. 95, 96
C. we approach Him in our low periods Ps. 38, 51
III. WE COMMUNICATE WITH GOD IN TOTAL HONESTY
A. As we read Psalms we get a different perspective of prayer:
1. our practice: nice, calm, reverent---we thank and petition
2. the psalmists: cry out in anger, hurt, despair, joy—even
Vengeance!
B. If God knows our heart, if he knows our words before we utter
them (139:4) why not express what is on our heart?
1. is it not more of an offense to stay silent with our true selves?
2. Would it not be hurtful to God to think we can’t really express
what we think & feel?
3. Who and what are we trying to protect—God already knows!
C. Listen to these:
13:1-2, 22:1-11, 35:1-10, 57:1, 74:1,
And what about the ones that really give us trouble?
58:1-8 140:9-11
We can be honest because
IV. WE SERVE A BIG GOD—CREATOR, SAVIOR
A. Ps. 103:4 he formed us, he knows us
B. Ps. 24
V. WE COMMUNICATE FROM WITHIN OUR HEARTS.
A. Theology in Psalms is not like Romans or Hebrews, Rather it is
one heart crying out for another, trusting it is there, trusting it is
listening, believing the One listening has the power & ability to do
something about the circumstances of the one crying out
C. I call it “soft” theology, not systematic, propositional, but rooted
and grounded in core convictions that give rise to the prayers &
songs
1. Listen to me! Help me! How long must I endure?
2. thank you! I exalt and praise you!
VI. WE COMMUNICATE BECAUSE WE WRESTLE WITH OUR
FAITH
A. Who is this God? Where is He? When will He answer? 77:1-12
B. Where is justice? How long must I keep on? 79
C. Look at what He has done, remember his mighty deeds, 78
D. We walk together, 23
E. Walter Brueggamann wrote:
We approach Psalms on 3 levels of faith:
1. orientation---solid ground of our beliefs
2. disorientation---our lives are turned upside down
3. reorientation---we learn that God’s ways are not our ways,
We must adopt a new perspective of life, faith, obedience
We must hold on, keep believing in the midst of chaos,
God’s silence and when it’s hard to believe.
Concl.
1. talking to God should be as natural and easy for us as anything else we do, but so often it isn’t
2. The Psalms reminds us of some core communication principles in our relationship with God
