psalm 73 sermon illustration

Asaph goes on to tell us here in Psalm 73 that God did show him the whole picture, and what he learned kept him from giving up . June 08, 2017 The Psalms are in the Bible to give a us a full range of ways to approach God. As a result, their speech is arrogant and they threaten oppression (vs. 8). It doesnt seem to pay? This turning point consists of two important observations.25, First, according to verse 15, one important consideration that kept his feet from slipping from the faith was once and for all the generation of Gods children. When you did the right thing, but got the back of the hand anyway. He did what Job did. Is it really worth it to serve God? Psalm 25:6-9 All The Wrong Notes. He is a graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. What do you do when with your theology clashes with reality? Dt 32:4). But the thing is, the Christian has the ultimate perspective on history. Sometimes questioning and doubt is due to sin. "You are guiding me with your counsel," he said . Denomination: Methodist. He said these people mock at God (:8). Furthermore, to highlight the uniqueness of worship, the beatitude in Psalm 65:4 should also be used because it claims that true happiness consists of God bringing us to his courts where we may be satisfied with his goodness. The repetition of the verb to tell (sfr) from verse 15 in verse 28c shows that the psalmists speech has now changed dramatically from self-pity (vv. The smell was almost unbearable. In the midst of suffering believers often feel cheated and begin to question and doubt Gods goodness. But her sophomore year, she suffered a knee injury that took her out for some time. 2. In fact, in rather strong language, he acknowledges that he behaved as a brute beast38 with God. Your sermons are simple but complex with a very good end lesson. This is especially true of Psalm 73. (LogOut/ It has all turned around, so suddenly. But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; My steps had nearly slipped. ", Building Your Life On The Rock (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon), "This Is My Story: The Woman At The Well" (John 4:1-42 sermon), "The Greatest Verse in the Bible?" "God I'm so angry! 1855 Knollcrest Circle SE Grand Rapids, MI 49546-4402 USA In the opening verse (vs. 1), the meaning of the predicate adjective good is ambiguous. He didn't pretend everything was okay. Materialism Truly God is good to Israel, To such as are pure in heart. Some of us today, if we are honest, might say that we are troubled by some questions is our lives just like Asaph was. Thats the message were going to hear the next 3 Wednesday nights, in the video. As men despise their dreams when they awake from them, so, when God "stirs up himself and awakes to judgment" ( Psalms 35:23 ), he will despise such mere semblances of humanity ( Psalms 39:6) as the wicked are. In the Psalm Asaph recounts a time of wavering faith and growing doubts. Your family. AOL News (1-29-04); see also BBC News http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3437455.stm). But then he begins to tell his own personal testimony in :2, "But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling.". And then, in worship, he renews his relationship in praise: Yet I am always with you; You hold me by my right hand. Because my wife is out of town visiting her elderly parents, our dog, who is lovesick for her, spends his entire day and night in our bedroom, in some doggie blankets, placed on the Why? Psalm 73 in context. ", Envy is the tendency to compare yourself with someone else in a way that leaves you feeling deprived. He was watching how the ungodly were getting along. And that lead him to the fourth word we need to see in v. 3: envy. One of the best known memoirs of the Holocaust is Night by Elie Wiesel. But despite his efforts to serve and honor God, his life was marked by difficulty. Just like Asaph, bring your doubts to the Lord, and let Him show you in His word that although it may not look like it now, it is going to end better if youll hang in there, and learn the lesson of the man who almost gave up his faith. Life has a way of suddenly altering its course down hard paths, leaving us hurt, confused, and weak, with lots of unanswered questions. Wiesel was a devout Jew before his experience in the Nazi death camps, but his time there destroyed his faith. It is this asseveration of divine justice that is severely tested in verses 2-27 and marvelously reaffirmed in verse 28, which, as we have noted above, forms an inclusio with verse 1. For this reason they do not fear divine retribution. Ps 103:5; 104:28). Using the imagery of clothing in this verse, the psalmist boldly engages in shrewd moral and economic criticism.22 According to this verse, the affluent are well-off because of pride and violence. He opens it with a truth: "Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.". Verse 25-26. Two weeks later, on January 29, authorities decided to truck the dead whale to a laboratory where they could do an autopsy. You're going about your business, and a whale explodes. God, I was like an animal. There isn't a product on the other side of these prayerful actions. Their prosperity is only temporary. You didn't plan for it. Because, according to verse 14, while the arrogant wicked are not plagued (vs. 5), the speaker is plagued constantly. The section as a whole concludes with a summary statement in verse 12, a verse in which the term wicked is repeated from verse 3 and the phrase at ease (NRSV; cf. (LogOut/ Psalm 145:18 adds that "the Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth." Because of the complexity of the compositional structure of Psalm 73, scholars have not reached a consensus regarding the classification of the literary genre of this psalm.13 Some classify Psalm 73 as a lament. These subdivisions will be used in our exposition. Ps 30:7) recalls the word shalom in verse 3. So why am I serving God? Rover is only concerned with the immediate. From a canonical perspective Walter Brueggemann4 and J. Clinton McCann5 have argued that Psalm 73 stands at the theological center of the Psalter. 4. State your [case], so that you may be vindicated." 13-14), the poet first embarks on an extensive and vivid description of the actions and words of the wicked in verses 4-12.18. Asaph had been checking out the people playing for the other team. This God-inspired worship leader is ready to walk away. 52-week preaching calendar to help you plan your sermons, Customizable sermon manuscripts for verse-by-verse preaching, Preach with creativity and impact throughout the year, [NEW YEAR] 4-Week Series to kick off 2023, [PRODUCTIVITY] Fulfill your full potential, [FOUNDATIONS] Getting back to what matters most, In a recent survey in Discipleship Journal Magazine, readers reported that their greatest spiritual challenges came from The first correction concerns the fate of the wicked in verses 18-20, which is introduced with the emphatic particle surely. In somber language he describes at length what was already introduced in summary fashion in Psalm 1:6b.34 Unlike Psalm 1:6b, however, God is directly involved in their destruction. It suggests that the affirmation of faith in verse 1 posed a serious problem for the speaker. In the midst of suffering believers often feel cheated and begin to question and doubt God's goodness. The speakers extensive description of the wicked in verses 4-12 suggests that he was a careful observer and that he has been intensely occupied with the problem.19 His detailed description consists of two parts, verses 4-6 and 7-11. And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen ( Psalm 72:18-19, ending Book 2). According to the twice repeated expression "Happy are those," in verses 1-2, divine forgiveness of sins is the gateway to happiness. He took his doubts and confusion to God in prayer. I want to talk with you for the next several weeks about the hardest, the most painful, the worst days of your life. He was angry and disillusioned. All he could only see their immediate pleasure. Back to Chuck Smith's Bio & Resources "THE PLACE OF UNDERSTANDING" Intro: I know a dear dedicated couple, tithe faithfully, serving God as active laymen in church, their first baby was born horribly deformed. Asaph was one of three directors who worked under King David. Psalms 73:25-26. Such a condition is contrary to the basic belief that God rewards the good with good. I heard a sermon last Sunday on Psalm 73. They make sure the cameras are clicking and the interviewers are there to fawn over them. As Brueggemann rightly notes, this summary is not a condemnation of the wicked. Your Bible study. The reader of Psalm 73 may wonder why the detailed profile of the wicked in verses 4-12 was inserted between verses 3-4 and 13-14. Whitney Hand was one of the best womens basketball players who ever played for the University of Oklahoma, and she is also a Christian. Yet most people today have never heard of John Gill. (Lee Eclov, Vernon Hills, Illinois; source: "Thar She Blows!" Maybe it happened at home with a parent or grandparent, your husband or wife or best friend. Others, however, claim that it is a song of thanksgiving by an individual. He is married to Leeanne and is the father of Joey and Craig. As we will see shortly, this is a man who is resting in God's goodness. He opens it with a truth: Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But then he begins to tell his own personal testimony in :2, But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling. He says God is good; I know that but I came close to stumbling (in the Bible stumbling means to be lost; to give up the faith. God will judge the wicked, and He will reward the righteous; those who have turned away from their sins, and followed Jesus as their Savior. That spoke to a need in my life, or a question on my heart. And I am grateful that God speaks to us through His word! Behind every support specialist, Bible study editor, graphic designer, and accountant is a Sunday School teacher, kids volunteer, or small group leader. Reorientation with Respect to Gods Presence (vv. Publisher's summary: Confraternities were the most common form of organized religious life in medieval and early modern Europe. But because there is an eternity, what happens in this life is not even a speck on the timeline of eternity, and we know that things will be different there. What happened to him, and what he saw happening around him, raised questions that caused him to give up his faith. Dont give up your faith. This great discovery, in turn, leads the speaker to reaffirm his faith in God, I have made Adonai, the LORD,56my refuge. In so doing, he picks up the important theme from Psalm 2:12, Oh the happiness of those who take refuge in him., However, he not only declares that he has made the Lord his refuge. For example, my father recited the beautiful words of verses 24-25 of this psalm to my mother on August 27, 1945, just before she died. And they show us that we can be HONEST with God; we dont have to hide in some kind of fake spirituality and hold any of our questions back from Him. Why do dictators, child molesters, and corporate raiders get off easy? He DIDNT but he said, he almost did. Hugh Hefner may well have been one of the most evil men in the world in the last generation. Here is where Asaph's perspective is expanded. (1 John 2:17) God completely controls their destiny, not them. WORD AND PHRASE STUDY. We dont know why; its not our place to guess or even speculate. Baptist, So there I am. While the first half of the Psalm is marked by a man-oriented perspective, he now sees things from a God-oriented perspective. This wonderful psalm may be best understood by the . It isn't a Psalm about a dramatic event but rather about an internal struggle and a moment of revelation, an Epiphany. read more, Scripture: 5 stars; 4 stars or more; 3 stars or more; Any Rating . 3 Tests Of Plagiarism: Do Your Sermons Pass Them. Anybody here know what I'm talking about? Center of the Psalter as we will see shortly, this summary is not a condemnation of the in. Organized religious life in medieval and early modern Europe shortly, this summary is not condemnation... The Psalm is marked by a man-oriented perspective, he acknowledges that he behaved as a beast38! The tendency to compare yourself with someone else in a way that leaves feeling... But his time there destroyed his faith may wonder why the detailed profile of best. Time there destroyed his faith out the people playing for the other side these. She Blows! maybe it happened at home with a truth: Surely is! The reader of Psalm 73 may wonder why the detailed profile of the best known memoirs of Holocaust. Beast38 with God posed a serious problem for the speaker however, claim it. Playing for the speaker is plagued constantly and confusion to God in.. Through his word understood by the walk away a very good end lesson when you did the right thing but... 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What do you do when with your theology clashes with reality was one of the Psalm asaph a. A condemnation of the wicked good psalm 73 sermon illustration Israel, to those who are pure in.! There to fawn over them whale explodes tell his own personal testimony in,...
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