SERMON OUTLINE:
• (1). God of grace (vs 1-4).
• (2). God of might (vs 5-8).
• (3). God of plenty (vs 9-13).
SERMON BODY:
Ill:
• According to the American radio and television writer Andy Rooney.
• The two biggest sellers in any bookstore, are the cookbooks and the diet books.
• The cookbooks tell you how to prepare the food,
• And the diet books tell you how not to eat any of it.
Ill:
• Orson Welles once said,
• “My doctor has advised me to give up those intimate little dinners for four,
• Unless, of course, there are three other people eating with me.”
Ill:
• A California scientist has computed that the average human being,
• Eats 16 times his or her own weight in an average year,
• While a horse eats only eight times its weight.
• This all seems to prove that if you want to lose weight, you should eat like a horse.
• TRANSITION: Ok, let’s move on and look at Psalm 65.
• The psalm has a simple purpose:
• To express thanksgiving to God for rain and harvest,
• Without these two things we would die!
• Remember most Jewish people worked the land, they depended on a farming economy.
• The psalm is addressed directly to God,
• We are not going to hear about the Psalmists troubles etc,
• It is all about God and presents him in three ways.
(1). GOD OF GRACE (vs 1-4)
1 Praise awaits you, O God, in Zion;
to you our vows will be fulfilled.
2 O you who hear prayer,
to you all men will come.
3 When we were overwhelmed by sins,
you forgave our transgressions.
4 Blessed are those you choose
and bring near to live in your courts!
We are filled with the good things of your house,
of your holy temple.
Note:
• The expression: “Praise awaits you”.
• It is a difficult phrase to translate into English.
(1).
• It literally means “To you, silence [is] praise”,
• It may imply “silence is praise” - and it may mean to fall silent before God.
ill:
• Met your hero a famous sports or movie star, or maybe someone like the Queen,
• Your mind might go blank leaving you speechless.
• So, it can mean to fall silent before God.
• As you reflect on the wonder & majesty of his presence.
(2).
• The C.E.V. translates the phrase:
• “Our God, you deserve praise in Zion”
• Zion is a term that refers in its literal sense to Jerusalem’s temple mount,
• And then by extension to the temple itself.
• It can sometimes also refer to land of Israel.
So straight away in this Psalm is the reminder that God deserves our praise:
• David, in this psalm, talks about how God blesses us and why God is worthy of praise,
• Scan the Psalm and see the many reasons given.
• Verse 2: Praise him because He hears prayers.
• Verse 3: Praise him because He forgives sins.
• Verse 4: Praise him because He chooses people to dwell in His presence.
• Verse 5: Praise him because He answers prayer.
• Verse 5: Praise him because He delivers.
• Verse 5: Praise him because He saves.
• Verse 6: Praise him because He creates the mountains.
• Verse 6: Praise him because He demonstrates strength.
• Verse 7: Praise him because He calms the seas.
• Verse 7: Praise him because He calms the nations.
• Verse 8: Praise him because He strikes the nations with awe.
• Verse 8: Praise him because He inspires praise of the nations.
• Verses 9-10: Praise him because He sends rain on the earth.
• Verse 9: Praise him because Makes the earth fertile.
• Verse 9: Praise him because He makes grain grow.
• Verses 9-10: Praise him because He ripens crops.
• Verse 11: Praise him because He blesses the annual cycle.
• Verse 11: Praise him because He gives abundance.
• Verses 12-13: Praise him because He provides rich pasture.
• TRANSITION:
• Praise isn’t like the carriages of a train that just follows what happens,
• Rather it is more like the engine of a train that makes things happen.
• Now out of those 19 reasons mentioned for praise God,
• I want for a moment to dwell on verse 3:
“When we were overwhelmed by sins,
you forgave our transgressions”.
Question: What is the difference between ‘sins’ and ‘transgressions’?
Answer: them in reverse order:
(1). “TRANSGRESSION”:
• "Transgression" is:
• When we "go beyond or overstep some boundary or limit".
• In everyday situations we transgress the law of the lands when we break the speed limit.
• e.g. Motorway the limit is 70 to go beyond that is to transgress the law of the land.
Ill:
Old boy who bought himself a top range BMW.
• Policeman said:
• “You were breaking the limit, you refused to slow down when you saw my blue lights,
• give me one reason why I should let you off”
• The old boy thought for a moment and replied:
• “30 years ago, my wife ran off with a policeman,
• And just for a moment I thought you were bringing her back!”
• In everyday situations we transgress the law of the lands when we break the speed limit.
• e.g. Motorway the limit is 70 to go beyond that is to transgress the law of the land.
• In Bible terms we transgress,
• When we break the law of God e.g. breaking one of the 10 commandments.
• e.g. If I take God’s name in vain or if I steal – I have transgressed God’s law.
(2). "SIN".
Ill:
• I like the story of the preacher who said.
• “Would anyone here like to admit that they love sin?”
• The Church went quiet and everyone looked down.
• Everyone except one old lady – a godly old lady – a pillar of the Church.
• She nervously raised her hand.
• The preacher was shocked and said to her.
• “Gladys’s, are you telling this Church that you love sin?”
• She replied.
• “Sin…ooh I thought you said gin!”
The word ‘sin’ in the Bible means “to miss the mark.”
ill.
• Video clip: https://youtu.be/nyoN5Tgtpu8
• (Liverpool’s Ronny Rosenthal’s infamous miss against Aston Villa.)
• In football if a player aims for the goal and misses,
• Question: is the match score affected? The answer of course is no!
• He has missed the goal; he missed the mark at which he was aiming.
• Therefore, he has sinned!
• Note: It doesn’t matter if he missed by 2 inches or 2 feet – he’s still missed!
• ill: Missing a train 1 minute or by 1 hour – you have still missed it!
Note:
• The word ‘sin’ in the Bible means “to miss the mark.”
• We as human beings have failed to live up to God’s standards,
• (If we are honest, we have not even lived up to our own standards)
Now here is where the word ‘grace’ comes in to play:
• The God of the Bible who ought to punish us.
• After all, in all areas of life if you transgress the rules you expect punishment.
• ill: Children get ‘naughty step’, ‘grounded’ or ‘loss of pocket money’ etc.
• ill: School you get detention or expelled (MR F’s days - 6 of best or 1,000 lines!)
• ill: Work – you may get an official warning and then possibly the sack.
• ill: In society you may be arrested and end up in court.
• The God of the Bible is also just, we break the law and he must call us to account.
• Yet, instead of punishment that we deserve,
• God wishes to deal with us in ‘grace’.
• Look at verse 3:
• “When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions”.
• Quote: ‘Grace’ means; ‘not getting what you deserve’.
• We deserve punishment but instead we get forgiveness.
• Quote: Someone has said,
• “Grace is everything for nothing to those who don’t deserve anything.”
Ill:
• Fragile flower – full of beauty.
• But it only takes a little bit of frost to kill it off.
• Grace is like a fragile flower – full of beauty.
• But it only takes a little bit of good works/self-effort to kill it off.
• As soon as you add anything to grace it no longer remains grace!
• It is complete in itself!
Quote: Ephesians chapter 2 verse 8:
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - 9not by works, so that no one can boast”
(2). GOD OF MIGHT (vs 5-8)
You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness,
O God our Saviour,
the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas,
6 who formed the mountains by your power,
having armed yourself with strength,
7 who stilled the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
and the turmoil of the nations.
8 Those living far away fear your wonders;
where morning dawns and evening fades
you call forth songs of joy.
This section of the Psalm emphases to us that God is a God of might!
• He is the Lord of nature.
• He is the hope of mankind.
• The Psalmist talks about God creating the mountains.
• Mountains, which are breath taking/awesome, secure and unmovable.
• I don’t think I have ever climbed (sounds energetic) rather walked up a mountain,
• Without saying to the person, I am with, “Wow! Look at that view”
• He then moves on to talk about the sea that roars with all its power.
• Again, he is talking about something we cannot conquer!
ill:
• The ocean is littered with ships who fought the stormy sea and lost!
• In this city we have the history of the Titanic to remind us the ocean won!
TRANSITION: Now here is the point:
• That which is unmovable and unconquerable are both subject to their Creator.
• Nature, regardless how impressive and daunting,
• Is ultimately under the control of the God of might.
• The Psalms (especially the O.T.) say to mankind, “Look and learn”
• God’s fingerprints are all over creation!
Ill:
• DVD: Indescribable -- God's creation is beautiful (HD).
• YouTube: https://youtu.be/Gzxp6G9DlK0
This section of the Psalm emphases to us that God is a God of might.
• He is the Lord of nature.
• He is the hope of mankind.
(3). GOD OF PLENTY (vs 9-13)
You care for the land and water it;
you enrich it abundantly.
The streams of God are filled with water
to provide the people with grain,
for so you have ordained it. [c]
10 You drench its furrows
and level its ridges;
you soften it with showers
and bless its crops.
11 You crown the year with your bounty,
and your carts overflow with abundance.
12 The grasslands of the desert overflow;
the hills are clothed with gladness.
13 The meadows are covered with flocks
and the valleys are mantled with grain;
they shout for joy and sing.
The Psalmist uses great imagery in these verses:
• He begins in verses 9-11 with a logical description of nature.
• These are the facts we take for granted, because they happen every season.
• And then in verses 12-13 his description changes from analytical to poetic refrain,
• And he says, the fields put on their finest clothes and celebrate together.
These verses are a reminder that God is ‘The God of Plenty’:
• He provides all that the earth needs to bring forth crops.
• He has provided all the world needs to feed its inhabitants.
Quote:
• The world produces enough food to feed everyone.
• In fact, we produce enough food to feed 10 billion people.
• So why does hunger still exist?
• Today, 795 million people are hungry.
• Another 2 billion are expected to join them by 2050.
• That means instead of curing the problem, it is going to get worse!
Now there are many reasons why hunger still exists.
• Corrupt governments,
• Civil wars,
• Climate change,
• Lack of resources and investment in these countries.
• But also, mankind’s greed,
• The haves need to share a bit more with the have not’s!
• That statement is simple to say but hard to implement,
• That is why I like to support organisations like Tearfund.
• Their website says:
“We're following Jesus where the need is greatest, working through local churches to unlock people's potential and helping them to discover that the answer to poverty is within themselves. When disasters strike, we respond quickly. We won't stop until poverty stops.”
This Psalm is a reminder that God has blessed us and blessed us abundantly:
• That is seen especially true in our western world.
• We all hear enjoy clean water, good food and so many other blessings.
Quote:
“Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done”.
Ill:
Bruce Barton in one of his sermons uses the illustration of two seas in Israel.
• The dead sea and the sea of Galilee.
• If you look at a map of the dead sea, you see an inlet but there is no outlet.
• The shoreline of the Dead Sea is the lowest dry land on Earth.
• It is approximately 413 meters below sea level.
• Due to the intense heat the waters will never flood, they evaporate,
• Leaving behind all the chemicals, sediment, salt etc,
• As a result, nothing can live in the dead sea (clue in the name!)
• In contrast the sea of Galilee has an inlet and an outlet,
• The Jordan River serves as its inlet and its outlet both,
• This continual flow of water in and out of the lake,
• Is responsible for making the Sea of Galilee a freshwater lake,
• One that is teaming with life!
• TRANSITION: the point of the illustration is simple,
• Are we a dead sea Christian?
• “Lord bless me and bless me and bless me” – all one way!
• Or are we Sea of Galilee Christians,
• God blesses me that I might bless others!
• Don’t forget teaches the Bible.
• Luke chapter 12 verse 48: “To whom much is given much will be required”
• We are accountable for the knowledge, resources, abilities, finances etc.
• That God has blessed us with.
• If we have been given much, then he expects that much more from us.
In conclusion:
The Psalm divides into three sections:
• (1). God of grace (vs 1-4).
• (2). God of might (vs 5-8).
• (3). God of plenty (vs 9-13).
• (1). God of grace (vs 1-4).
• We all need God’s forgiveness – that is why he sent Jesus!
• Forgiveness is never optional, it is essential.
• It is the message of the whole Bible.
• In Adam, is sin and death, but in Christ is forgiveness and life!
• (2). God of might (vs 5-8).
• God wants to demonstrate his power in the life of his people.
Ill:
• Invitation to the Jewish people (verse 1).
• Invitation to the rest of the world (verse 8)
• God’s plan according to the Old Testament was.
• That through Israel, this one nation he would bless all nations!
• Once again that principle saw its greatest fulfilment in Jesus Christ.
• Through this one Jewish man – salvation is available to all who receive him.
Ill:
John chapter 1 verse 11:
“He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. 12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. 13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.”
Quote: The Message:
He was in the world,
the world was there through him,
and yet the world didn't even notice.
He came to his own people,
but they didn't want him.
But whoever did want him,
who believed he was who he claimed
and would do what he said,
He made to be their true selves,
their child-of-God selves.
These are the God-begotten,
not blood-begotten,
not flesh-begotten,
not sex-begotten.
• (3). God of plenty (vs 9-13).
• Jesus said, “I have come that you might have life in all its fullness”
• Not just existence but LIFE!
• Physical & spiritual.
SERMON AUDIO:
https://surf.pxwave.com/wl/?id=hwqXfRaPLuxnk2KrTNySc6nKs3seUxN1
