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The Satisfaction of Creation
Psalms 104
April 25, 2021

Tonight we come to the 104th Psalm.
There are many who put 103, 104, and 105 in a sort of trilogy.

After all, we spent much time in Psalms 103 speaking about the command to “Bless the LORD, O my soul!”

And indeed we see that command once again reiterated here.

You also see that same statement end this Psalm.
(35b) “Bless the LORD, O my soul. Praise the LORD!”

Some have even included the final parts of verse 35
As verse 1 of Psalms 105 and thus you see the trilogy of sorts.

They are Psalms in which David commands his soul
To leave its complacency and apathy behind
And to rise up and bless the Lord.

That is still the emphasis of Psalms 104.

The difference is Psalms 103 focused on the BENEFITS OF REDEMPTION,
Psalms 104 focuses on the GREATNESS OF CREATION.

• In Psalms 103 David command his soul to look with spiritual eyes and remember all of God’s benefits.
Things like forgiveness, deliverance, redemption, and blessing.

• In Psalms 104 David commands his soul to look with physical eyes at the splendor of creation and take note of all that God has done, and still does.

In David’s mind both should easily motivate the soul to bless God.

So Psalms 104 is a Psalm that blesses God
Because His great work as the Creator of the universe.

And the Psalm is very specific in this regard.

Keep a finger here in Psalms 104, but also Turn To Genesis 1
And let’s examine the mind of the Psalmist here.

1:3-5 “Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.”

On the first day God created light.

And here in Psalms 104:2 we read:
“Covering Yourself with light as with a cloak, Stretching out heaven like a tent curtain.”

That is Day 1 of Creation.

Then we read about Day 2 in Genesis 1:6-8
(1:6-8) “Then God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” God made the expanse, and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so. God called the expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.”

On day 2 of creation God separated the heavens and created the expanse
We refer to as the sky or the atmosphere.

And here in Psalms 104:3-4 we read:
“He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters; He makes the clouds His chariot; He walks upon the wings of the wind; He makes the winds His messengers, Flaming fire His ministers.”

The Psalmist references God’s creation of the sky and the firmament in the heavens upon which God walks and that which does His bidding.

An interesting point to be made on these verses is that
The writer of Hebrews clarifies verse 4 for us.

Hebrews 1:7 “And of the angels He says, “WHO MAKES HIS ANGELS WINDS, AND HIS MINISTERS A FLAME OF FIRE.”

According to the writer of Hebrews verse 4 is not about literal wind or literal lightning, but rather is about God’s angels who at times work in that form and in that way.

But you see day 2 of creation referenced here in Psalms 104.

Day 3 of creation is revealed to us in Genesis 1:9-10
(1:9-10) “Then God said, “Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so. God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was good.”

God separated the waters and caused dry land to appear.

And in Psalms 104:5-9 we read:
“He established the earth upon its foundations, So that it will not totter forever and ever. You covered it with the deep as with a garment; The waters were standing above the mountains. At Your rebuke they fled, At the sound of Your thunder they hurried away. The mountains rose; the valleys sank down To the place which You established for them. You set a boundary that they may not pass over, So that they will not return to cover the earth.”

David is marveling here at what God did on the 3rd day.
• How God pulled back the oceans and set a boundary for them.
• How God caused the mountains to rise and the valleys to appear.
• How God told the sea where she had to stop.

Job 38:8-11 “Or who enclosed the sea with doors When, bursting forth, it went out from the womb; When I made a cloud its garment And thick darkness its swaddling band, And I placed boundaries on it And set a bolt and doors, And I said, ‘Thus far you shall come, but no farther; And here shall your proud waves stop’?”

That happened on day 3 and David is marveling at it here.
Can you imagine anyone harnessing the sea?
God does.

Also on Day 3 of creation we read:
(1:11-13) “Then God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them”; and it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good. There was evening and there was morning, a third day.”

That also on day 3 after the land appeared
God covered it with vegetation and plants.

And in Psalms 104:14-17 we read:
“He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, And vegetation for the labor of man, So that he may bring forth food from the earth, And wine which makes man’s heart glad, So that he may make his face glisten with oil, And food which sustains man’s heart. The trees of the LORD drink their fill, The cedars of Lebanon which He planted, Where the birds build their nests, And the stork, whose home is the fir trees.”

Clearly David is working through the glory of the creation of God.

On Day 4 of creation God created the great luminaries as a sort of time-keepers over the planet.
(1:14-19) “Then God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also. God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good. There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.”

So on the 4th day God made the sun and the moon.

And here in Psalms 104:19-23 we read:
“He made the moon for the seasons; The sun knows the place of its setting. You appoint darkness and it becomes night, In which all the beasts of the forest prowl about. The young lions roar after their prey And seek their food from God. When the sun rises they withdraw And lie down in their dens. Man goes forth to his work And to his labor until evening.”

On the 5th day God created the great creatures of the sea and of the air.
(1:20-23) “Then God said, “Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens.” God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good. God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” There was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.”

And here in Psalms 104:25-26 we read:
“There is the sea, great and broad, In which are swarms without number, Animals both small and great. There the ships move along, And Leviathan, which You have formed to sport in it.”

You see the glory of God’s creation reiterated here again in Psalm 104.

And then on the 6th day God created man and then God commanded man to eat of all the produce which He had provided on the earth.

(1:29-31) “Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food”; and it was so. God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.”

And in Psalms 104:27-28 we read:
“They all wait for You To give them their food in due season. You give to them, they gather it up; You open Your hand, they are satisfied with good.”

So the connection is obvious.

We have David here basically opening his bible to Genesis 1,
Going through the creation account
And then taking a moment to reflect
On the glory of each day of creation.

And in response to the greatness of creation
David is again commanding his soul to bless God.

But what you also notice in Psalms 104
Is that David doesn’t just marvel at the EXISTENCE OF creation,
But David also marvels as the SUSTENANCE OF creation.

It’s not just that God created the world, but also that God sustains it.

When you look at verses 10-12 we see David focus in on the fact that God also cares for His creation.

(10-12) “He sends forth springs in the valleys; They flow between the mountains; They give drink to every beast of the field; The wild donkeys quench their thirst. Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell; They lift up their voices among the branches.”

There is a meticulous care which God gives
To make sure He provides for creation.

In verse 14, “He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, and vegetation for the labor of man, so that he may bring forth food from the earth”

I’m reminded of the movie “Shenandoah” with Jimmy Stewart.
Him sitting at the table with his family and offering the prayer before the food.

“Lord, we cleared this land, we plowed it, sowed it, and harvested. We cooked the harvest. It wouldn’t be here, we wouldn’t be eating it, if we hadn’t done it all ourselves. We worked dog bone hard for every crumb and morsel but we thank you just the same anyway Lord for this food we’re about to eat Amen.”

What Jimmy Stewart’s character failed to acknowledge
Is that one pretty important part of the process
Which is that the seed he planted GREW.

• Anyone who farms knows the work behind clearing, plowing, planting, and harvesting.
• Anyone who cooks knows the labor behind taking raw ingredients and fashioning a meal.

But it is not as though man does it all without the help of God.

“He causes the grass to grow…and vegetation for the labor of man, so that he may bring forth food from the earth.”

And the next time you seek to question that reality,
• Then go clear yourself a patch of land, plow it,
• And plant in there a quarter (so that you can grow a money tree)
• And let me know how the harvest works.

• Same amount of work…
• Same amount of effort…
• But without the provision of God there is no harvest, I don’t care how hard you work.

And that is what David also realizes in this Psalm.
It’s not just that God created all things,
But it’s also that God cares for His creation.

He made it and He cares for it.

In fact, look at verses 27-28
“They all wait for You To give them their food in due season. You give to them, they gather it up; You open Your hand, they are satisfied with good.”

And we think of passages like:
Matthew 6:26 “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?”

And this is the focus of David’s song here.

On one hand he is reading Genesis 1 and David marvels at the beauty and majesty and greatness of creation.
• He sees the mountains…
• He sees the mighty ocean…
• He sees the birds in the sky…
• He ponders the creatures in the sea…
• He watches the sun rise every morning…
• He sees all the vegetation…

On the other hand David also marvels because God cares for His creation.

He didn’t make it and then walk off and leave it.
God continues to care for it.

So the Psalm is Psalm of praise for God as Creator and Sustainer.

The overwhelming mood of the Psalm
Is to praise God with your soul for satisfying us
And meeting all our needs.

James 1:17 “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”

Based on that reality we have no problem
Making the application that Jesus made.

Matthew 6:25-33 “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? “And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? “And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ “For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

God’s unfailing care should inspire peace and faith
And a focus on His kingdom.

But overall what we find in the Psalm is that
DAVID IS SATISFIED WITH ALL THAT GOD HAS DONE.

In this way, tonight’s Psalm is a very fitting balance
To the discussion we had this morning surrounding Ecclesiastes 1:1-11

This morning we looked at what we called “The Circle of Life” and the writer of Ecclesiastes saw it as a futile and even depressing circle of vanity.

And we certainly still hold to that.
If you’re hope is to find your fulfillment in this life then it will greatly disappoint you.
It is all meaningless!

However when we come to Psalms 104 we are again presented with “The Circle of Life” only this time with a much different perspective.

Look at “The Circle of Life” here.
(27-30) “They all wait for You To give them their food in due season. You give to them, they gather it up; You open Your hand, they are satisfied with good. You hide Your face, they are dismayed; You take away their spirit, they expire And return to their dust. You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; And You renew the face of the ground.”

That’s the same circle isn’t it?
Ecclesiastes 1:3-7 “What advantage does man have in all his work Which he does under the sun? A generation goes and a generation comes, But the earth remains forever. Also, the sun rises and the sun sets; And hastening to its place it rises there again. Blowing toward the south, Then turning toward the north, The wind continues swirling along; And on its circular courses the wind returns. All the rivers flow into the sea, Yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, There they flow again.”

• The writer of Ecclesiastes looked at it from the perspective of trying to find
satisfaction in this life and he said it was vanity and meaningless.

• But David looks at that circle, not seeking to find fulfillment in this life, but
rather seeking fulfillment in the Creator of this life and David’s perspective is much different.

This Psalm makes a great balance for us.

We might say that
There is no satisfaction in this life if this life is all you seek,
But there is tremendous satisfaction
In seeking the God who gives this life.

Psalms 84:11 “For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”

The key for understanding the Psalm comes in the final stanza.
(34b) “As for me, I shall be glad in the LORD.”

There it is…
• Not, I shall build bigger barns and store up the world…
• Not, I shall hoard my wealth and live life to the full…
• Not, I shall explore how to enjoy ever worldly pleasure…

As the writer of Ecclesiastes will show you, those are POINTLESS quests.

But if your quest is merely to be satisfied with the God of creation,
Then you are the path to fulfillment.

That is really the heartbeat of Psalms 104.

Now, we’ve already looked all over and through it tonight in the introduction,
But let me go ahead and outline it just so you can get a sense of the flow.

There are 2 main points here in this Psalm.
#1 THE GREATNESS GOD DISPLAYS
Psalms 104:1-30

Again, it is merely David taking a look at
THE MAGNIFICENT GREATNESS OF GOD’S CREATION.

Now, we can break that down a little bit further too to help you follow it.

David breaks down for us God’s greatness.
1) HIS CREATIVE POWER (1-9)

You pick up on the recurring statements.
• (3) “He lays…”
• (3) “He makes…”
• (4) “He makes…”
• (5) “He established…”
• (6) “You covered…”
• (8) “You established…”
• (9) “You set…”

Everything you see in this created world is that which God did.
Man created nothing.

• Sure, man designs and builds and man rearranges, but only God creates.

• We may use the land, we may use the sea, we may use the resources under the ground, we may use the wind, but only God created those things.

• Who else can make a sky?
• Who else can create a planet?
• Who else can restrain the ocean?

It is the sheer creative power of God that has captivated David.

“Oh Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder, consider all the worlds Thy hands have made. I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, Thy power throughout the universe displayed. When through the woods and forest glades I wander, And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees; When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur, and hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze. Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee; How great Thou Art!”

Laura Story wrote the song Indescribable:
“From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea Creation’s revealing Your majesty From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring Every creature unique in the song that it sings…Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow. Who imagined the sun and gives source to its light Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night, None can fathom
Indescribable, uncontainable, You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name You are amazing God All powerful, untameable, Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim You are amazing God You are amazing God.”

That is David here.
(5) “He established the earth upon its foundations, So that it will not totter forever and ever.”

What a statement!
Who else can do that?

Job 26:7 “He stretches out the north over empty space And hangs the earth on nothing.”

God simply told it to stay there, and it does.

It is sheer creative power and David is blown away.

That is part of God’s greatness.
2) HIS CARE FOR CREATION (10-23)

This is that sustenance we talked about.

In verses 10-13 God provides water

• “He sends for springs in the valleys…”
• “They give drink to every beast of the field…”

This earth has existed for thousands of years
And still has not run out of water.

This past summer our family went to Yellowstone National Park,
• If you’ve been there you know that in the northern parts there is a massive lake that feeds some of the biggest and most glorious mountain rivers you’ll ever see.
• We came down into Jackson Hole and rafted there on the river that in places is hundreds of feet deep.

Where does all that water come from?
Snow, rain, underground springs; and yet they never cease to flow?
It’s incredible.

Many of you have been with us to Africa
• And stood at viewing point to watch Victoria Falls.
• The sheer amount of water barreling over that cliff every second is beyond comprehension.

And yet it continues to flow.
God gives that.

In verses 14-18 God provides vegetation

• “He causes the grass to grow…”
• “He causes…vegetation for the labor of man…”

It’s a remarkable miracle that a farmer can take a seed,
Bury it in the ground,
And it will reproduce into a plant bearing fruit.

Science can tell you how it happens, but only God can cause it to happen.

And just like the earth has never run out of water,
It has also never run out of food.

• How much food does it take to feed a Bison herd for a year?
• How much food does a school of wales need?

God cares for His creation.

In verses 19-23 God provides day and night

God appoints the day and God appoints the darkness.
• Some creatures live by day and others live by night.
• Some labor in the morning and some labor in the evening.
• But all “seek their food from God”

Isn’t it amazing how this earth turns over from day to night?
• During the day man would run free and work free and live off the earth.
• At night man goes to bed, and God appoints the wild beasts to wake up and live off of the same earth.

They operate in a designed cycle and God in His wisdom designed it all.

So you see the greatness of God in His creative power and in His care for creation.
3) HIS CREATIVITY (24-26)

David boasts, “O Lord, how many are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all; The earth is full of Your possessions.”

In the past month our backyard has been invaded with chickens.
I’ve never owned chickens before, but I have marveled at them.

I have marveled at God’s creativity while watching them.
• The God of the universe designed a bird that will stay in your yard,
• Follow you around,
• Give you an egg nearly every day,
• And then you can eat it. (Not Abigail’s but other chickens)
• They walk around on two legs, they put themselves up at night, they are remarkable animals.

But what animal isn’t?
• The cow produces milk and meat.
• The horse is so beautiful and majestic and powerful and useful for work and transportation.

God is so creative.

Go to a zoo sometime and marvel at the imagination of God.
• Who could have thought up the giraffe?
• Who could have invented the rhino?

He is remarkable.
He is so great.

4) HIS CONTROL OVER CREATION (27-30)

David recognizes that God also controls their boundary
And the days of their habitation.

He sits in absolute sovereignty over the world He created.

Acts 17:26 “and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation,”

And all of this speaks to His greatness.
David is just blown away at the Greatness
God Displays through His creation.

Stop and see His work.

The earth is indeed filled with the glory of the LORD, can you see it?

Well that is the bulk of the Psalm.
David simply wants you to marvel at God as Creator.

But then we come to the SECOND POINT
And this is where the true APPLICATION comes in.

The Greatness God Displays
#2 THE GLADNESS GOD DESERVES
Psalms 104:31-35

Look at verse 31.
“Let the glory of the LORD endure forever; Let the LORD be glad in His works.”

• Do you understand that statement?
• Do you see David’s point?

We often think of the point of the first 30 verses of this Psalm.
• We often think of how glad we should be in God’s creation.
• We often think of how we should recognize God’s greatness in creation.

But here David announces that God desires the same.
God desires to enjoy His creation.
God desires to “be glad in His works”

It brings to mind that hymn:
“I am satisfied, I am satisfied, I am satisfied with Jesus. But the question comes to me when I think of Calvary, is my Master satisfied with me?”

What a tragedy to think that the God of creation
Would find no pleasure in the world He created.

Think back to Genesis 6
Genesis 6:5-6 “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.”

What a horrible reality.

Think back to Psalms 95
Psalms 95:8-10 “Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, As in the day of Massah in the wilderness, “When your fathers tested Me, They tried Me, though they had seen My work. “For forty years I loathed that generation, And said they are a people who err in their heart, And they do not know My ways.”

What a tragedy
That God would demonstrate such power and provision for creation
Only to have it bring Him no satisfaction.

And certainly it is awful for those who disappoint God
For He has great POWER TO PUNISH those who do so.

(32) “He looks at the earth, and it trembles; He touches the mountains, and they smoke.”

You certainly don’t want to grieve your Maker.
And David understands that.

So look at DAVID’S CONVICTION.
Look at DAVID’S DECISION. (33-34)

(33-34) “I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. Let my meditation be pleasing to Him; As for me, I shall be glad in the LORD.”

As one who is created by God,
David is going to make sure that God finds gladness in him.

1 Corinthians 8:6 “yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.”

David understands that.
He is created for God.

Acts 17:26-27 “and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;”

We were created to seek and to find God.
David most certainly will.

David’s ambition is to be a part of God’s creation that God can rejoice in.

When we talk about the satisfaction of creation,
We are NOT primarily talking about our satisfaction with creation,
We are talking about God’s satisfaction with creation.

What a great goal.
• There are plenty of humans who grieve God.
• Be a human who delights Him.

Be like Abraham
Hebrews 11:13-16 “All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.”

And incidentally, this is also where we bring the gospel in.
• For it is only when we are “in Christ” and are clothed in His righteousness that we can truly become pleasing to the Father.
• Christ was “My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”
• So in order to be a part of creation that brings God pleasure we run to Christ.

For the alternative is gloomy.
(35) “Let sinners be consumed from the earth And let the wicked be no more. Bless the LORD, O my soul. Praise the LORD!”

This would be those whom God created
Who still refuse to “honor Him as God or give thanks”.

They abide under God’s wrath
And one day will be totally removed from the earth.

And based on that truth it only reaffirms David’s conviction.
“Bless the LORD, O my soul.”

We might say, “BE A BLESSING TO GOD O MY SOUL!”

That is truly a great ambition.
• It is easy for us to marvel at all the glories of creation.
• It is easy for us to marvel at the great care God gives.
• It is easy for us to marvel at God’s great creativity.
• It is easy for us to marvel at God’s sovereign control.

When we stop and think about it,
We are easily satisfied with all that God has created.

The question of Psalms 104 is
Whether God is able to be satisfied in His creation.

Whether God is able to be glad in me whom He has created.

David was determined to make sure He was.
“I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. Let my meditation be pleasing to Him; As for me, I shall be glad in the LORD.”

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The Circle of Life
Ecclesiastes 1:1-11
April 25, 2021

I’ve certainly never been one to want to include movie clips in a sermon, but if I was ever going to do it, I would have started this one with that opening clip from the Lion King with the singing of “The Circle of Life”

For that’s exactly what the book of Ecclesiastes calls our attention to
And certainly is highlighted in the first 11 verses of the book.

That everything about our existence
Flows in this endless and unchanging circle.

The difference between Disney and the book of Ecclesiastes
Is where Disney sought to celebrate this great circle of life
The book of Ecclesiastes laments it.

(2) “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.”

It is no doubt the redundant cry of the book.
• Over 20 times the book contains the word “vanity” or “vanities”
• 11 times we read the word “futility”
• 9 times we read the phrase “striving after wind”

The Hebrew word translated “vanity” here is HEBEL (hev-el)
It means “vapor” or “breath”

And the preacher uses it 30 times in the book
As his best descriptive word about life on this planet.

And so you are already making one reference in your mind
To the New Testament writers and their usage of such theology.

James 4:13-14 “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.”

James took that straight from the Preacher in Ecclesiastes.
• James learned from the Preacher that it is utter foolishness to bank on
certainty in this life, it’s just a vapor; it’s just a breath.

That is the horse that the Preacher will ride throughout this book.

And because he goes there so often,
It has led many to make some FAULTY ASSUMPTIONS about the book.

When I was a teenager my pastor said that “Ecclesiastes was the only book in the Bible written from the perspective of a non-believer.” He said that “Solomon wrote it late in life after the consequences of all his sin had made him bitter.”

He was not alone in that assessment. Indeed some through the years have made such an interpretation and then questioned if Solomon was even saved at all.

“How could a saved man write such a book?” they would say.

But I would state it just the opposite.
• How could a saved man not write such a book?
• It is certainly not something a lost man would write!

In fact, it might surprise you to know
That much of Jesus’ preaching can be found in truths
That were also echoed by the Preacher here in Ecclesiastes.

When Jesus asks the question:
Matthew 16:26 “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”

That is exactly the point the Preacher makes in Ecclesiastes.

When Jesus warns:
Matthew 6:34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

That is the exact perspective of the Preacher here.

• When Jesus laments a farmer who stored up treasure on earth but was
not rich toward God…
• When Jesus tells of a rich man who enjoyed all his good things in this
life, and now get torment in the afterlife…
• When Jesus warns of the judgment of God on those who choose this life
instead of the next…

All of those realities are the very point of the Preacher here in Ecclesiastes.

The apostles certainly followed suit.
I already read you James’ warning that our life is a vapor,

But that wasn’t all James had to say.
James 5:1 “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you.”

That is the very warning of the Preacher here
To the man who pours all of his effort into this life.

Listen to John:
1 John 2:17 “The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.”

That is exactly the warning of the Preacher.

When the writer of Hebrews reminds:
Hebrews 13:14 “For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.”

One might wonder if he just finished reading Ecclesiastes.

When the apostle Paul tells Timothy:
1 Timothy 6:17 “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.”

Paul is merely echoing the truths taught by the Preacher in this book.

The point is that the book of Ecclesiastes
Is NOT a book written from the perspective of a non-believer.

• Ecclesiastes is a book from an extremely mature Christian perspective.
• Ecclesiastes is written by a man who has crucified the world to himself.
• Ecclesiastes is written by a man whose treasure is not in this world.
• Ecclesiastes is written by a man who lives in light of eternity not here.

And it is a necessary message for the world.

In fact, this may surprise you a little,
But when you read Ecclesiastes you are not getting a first-hand account,
You are getting a second-hand account.

What do I mean?
• Ecclesiastes is written by an unknown man, we simply call him “The Author”
• But only about 7 verses in the book are original to him.

The rest of the book is the author quoting “The Preacher”.

This becomes evident especially at the end of the book when we read:
Ecclesiastes 12:9-10 “In addition to being a wise man, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge; and he pondered, searched out and arranged many proverbs. The Preacher sought to find delightful words and to write words of truth correctly.”

When you read those verses it becomes evident that
The Preacher didn’t write the book.

Instead the author is summarizing for you
All that he learned from the Preacher.

The author of Ecclesiastes thought this message was of such importance
That he took the time to compile all that he taught and preserve it for us.

THIS BOOK HAS SUCH AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE.
• What is the message?
• Why did the author write down for us the message of the Preacher?

It’s very simple.
TO KEEP YOU FROM WASTING YOUR LIFE.

AND I CAN’T STRESS ENOUGH
How relevant such a message is for our culture today.

We live in a nation that wastes everything.
• We waste food…
• We waste time…
• We waste money…
• We often waste relationships…

Sometimes this is done out of laziness or apathy,
But most of the time it is done out of misdirection.
We run after and pursue the wrong things.

• Kids waste their supper because they want the treat…
• We waste time when we engage in non-profitable engagements…
• We waste money buying what we don’t need…
• We waste relationships when we throw away one because another looks better…

But our world is filled with people
Who don’t just waste and afternoon, or a paycheck,
But who literally waste their entire lives.

I shared with you a couple of weeks ago about the John Piper sermon that inspired my generation.
• Where John Piper told the story he read in Readers Digest about a couple who spent their retirement in Florida collecting shells.
• Piper said, “That’s a tragedy. That’s a tragedy.”
• And he spoke of how pathetic it would be some day when that couple stands before God and says, “Look Lord, my shell collection!”
• To which Piper pleaded, “Don’t waste your life.”

It is such an important point of contemplation.
• What are you pursuing?
• What are you seeking?
• What are you accomplishing?

And 100 million years from now will it even matter what you did?

This book is the warning of the Preacher not to waste your life.

Yet is often rejected or overlooked because our culture expects positivity.
We certainly value optimism over pessimism or realism.

• If you approach someone and say, “How’s it going?”
• You expect them to say, “It’s good”
• If they say, “Life is terrible!” something in you wants to get away.

That’s how this book feels when you read it.

But to shy away from this book would be a massive mistake.
• This book is evangelistic – it awakens the lost to death and judgment.
• This book is sanctifying – it helps you crucify the world to yourself.

It is so valuable!
It will help you let go of the world
That makes this book A GUIDE to show you how to live this futile life.

One thing no one can argue with is that
The book of Ecclesiastes IS BRUTALLY HONEST.
• There is no flattery here.
• There is no fairy tale.
• There is no Hallmark ending.

The Preacher will tell you to take off your rose-colored glasses and take a long hard look at this world.
• Do you see the pain?
• Do you see the suffering?
• Do you see the injustice?
• Do you see the untimely death?
• Do you see the random nature of it all?
• Do you see the futility?

The Preacher isn’t going to sugar-coat this life for you.
He is no motivational speaker.
He is pure unadulterated reality.

And he does so because it is his objective
To get you to quit seeking satisfaction in this world.

In 1965 that great theologian Mick Jagger wrote his masterpiece to sum up this life; and he sang, “I just can’t get no satisfaction.”

And have we ever seen it!
• How much money will finally satisfy?
• How many cars will finally make you happy?
• How many super bowls do you need to win?
• How much land do you need to own?

• What is that one purchase that will finally satisfy the craving of you heart?
• What earthly relationship has finally given you everlasting contentment?
• What award finally left you feeling like all the work was worth it?

You know the answer: NOTHING

Do you know why?

BECAUSE GOD HAS FIXED IT TO MAKE SURE
THAT YOU NEVER FIND SATISFACTION WITH THIS LIFE.

To best understand the book of Ecclesiastes
ONE MUST FIRST TURN TO THE BEGINNING OF THE BIBLE.

• If you’ll remember, God created man in a paradise of a garden.
• He gave man everything he could ever ask for or desire.
• But when that man sinned against God we found that God, from that day forward, would refuse to allow this world to ever satisfy man again.

Genesis 3:17-19 “Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it All the days of your life. “Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field; By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return.”

God decreed that this world would be the adversary of man,
Not the helper of man.

If man was going to get any benefit from this earth,
It would be only by sheer force, labor, and determination.
• This world would not easily yield up satisfaction and fulfillment.
• This world would fight him.

AND THAT HAS BEEN SO TRUE.

But not only did God curse this world, He also condemned it.
• In Genesis 6 God flooded it.
• Next time God will burn it.

2 Peter 3:7 “But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.”

And this world, which man so desperately seeks will one day be totally destroyed.
Revelation 21:1 “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.”

That is the same thing Isaiah told us:
Isaiah 24:20 “The earth reels to and fro like a drunkard And it totters like a shack, For its transgression is heavy upon it, And it will fall, never to rise again.”

That is the same thing John told us:
1 John 2:15-17 “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.”

This world will not last.
This world is passing away.
And so God has determined that man
Will never get the satisfaction he craves from this world.

And the Preacher in Ecclesiastes knows that.
And he redundantly preaches it at you.

This book seems depressing,
But it is only depressing if you are holding out hope
That this life will give you the fulfillment and satisfaction you seek.

The Preacher is out to crust that futile hope.

And that also then makes the book of Ecclesiastes
THE PERFECT PRIMER FOR THE GOSPEL.

There is no life to be found in the distractions of this world.

However, there was One who came into this broken world,
And He came with the promise of satisfaction and fulfillment.

John 1:1-4 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.”

When Jesus stepped into this world “life” came with Him.

And the promises of Jesus are extremely clear.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

John 4:13-14 “Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”

John 5:24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.”

John 6:35 “Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.”

John 7:37-38 “Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'”

John 8:12 “Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”

John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

John 11:25-26 “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”

John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

It was the continual cry.
Life; true life; fulfilling life; satisfying life; eternal life;
Is NOT found in this world,
IT IS ONLY FOUND IN CHRIST.

If you will accept the message of the Preacher in Ecclesiastes
Then you’ll be ready to run to Christ.
• As a lost man you’ll see that only Jesus offers eternal life.
• And even as a saved man you’ll see that it is time to let go of this world.

But if you ignore the Preacher here
And are bent on squeezing joy and satisfaction out of this life
Then Jesus has nothing for you.

For it is only when you lose this life that you gain the next one.
• It is only when you forsake this world that you gain the next.
• It is only when you give all that you have that you obtain the treasure.

And so with that in mind, I can’t think of a more relevant and appropriate book for study than this book of Ecclesiastes.

It is written to open your eyes and crush your worldliness.
• Because it is something that must be crushed.
• Because until your love of the world is crushed you’ll never have love for God.

Jesus was very clear.
Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

This world must go.
The Preacher in Ecclesiastes will help you with that.

Now, that DOESN’T MEAN it’s all doom and gloom.
It’s not all about misery and despair.

The preacher is quite honest about what things you should find joy in.
• Things like a hard days work…
• Things like a good meal…
• Things like the company of your wife…

God has given us pleasures to enjoy and you should enjoy them,
But you should also know that
While those simple pleasure are a gift from God
THEY ARE NOT the goal of your life.

Your goal is for eternity.
That is what you are working for.

And ultimately that is where this book ends.
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 “The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.”

That is the point, and the Preacher is going to drive it home for us.

Well, there’s your LENGTHY introduction to the book.
There’s your “Bird’s Eye View”

With the little time we have left let’s start taking a look
At this message of “the Preacher” which the author has recorded for us.

These first 11 verses which we look at this morning
We have basically the summary of the author.

If he were to summarize for you the message of the Preacher,
It would be found in these first 11 verses.

And it all centers around this question:
(3) “What advantage does man have in all his work which he does under the sun?”

The word “advantage” there is YITH-RONE in the Hebrew.
It is a word only used in the book of Ecclesiastes
And it is used in this book 10 times.

Sometimes translated “advantage”
Sometimes translated “profit”
Sometimes translated “excel”

It is the foundational question of life.
• What are you really gaining for all your labor?
• What are you really gaining from all your effort?

• You get up in the morning…
• You go to work…
• You come home from work, you clean the house…
• You cook a meal…
• You mow the grass…

What are you gaining in all of that?
What advantage is there to all the work you do in this life?

Well the eye-opening answer to the question is actually stated in verse 2.
“Vanity of vanities,” Says the Preacher, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.”

• It’s breath!
• It’s a vapor!
• It’s smoke!

There is no advantage; there is no profit.

And of course the perspective here is an eternal one.
• Surely we might find an advantage to cleaning your house.
• The benefit is you get to live in a clean house.

But if you spend your whole life cleaning house,
And your only achievement is a “clean house award”
And then someday you die, and here is what you learn.

A clean house had no bearing on whether or not you go to heaven.

You see there the frustration of the older brother in that Prodigal story.
Luke 15:29-30 “But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends; but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’

You see the frustration of those who worked longest in the vineyard only to see those who were hired late get the same pay.
Matthew 20:10-12 “When those hired first came, they thought that they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius. “When they received it, they grumbled at the landowner, saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day.’

So what’s the point of all my labor?
There is some temporal benefit,
But what a miserable thing to make your life’s purpose.

BUT THAT IS THE WORLD IN WHICH WE LIVE.

Look at verses 4-11.
(4) “A generation goes and a generation comes, But the earth remains forever.”

I’ve been reading a book called “The Empire Of The Summer Moon”
• It’s all about the Comanche Nation.
• It’s really interesting because their battles happened all over right here where
we live.

Do you understand that?
• There was a time when the Comanche was virtually unchallenged.
• This was his land and he did whatever he wanted here.

If you go to the theme park in Arlington
• You’ll see the “Six Flags over Texas”
• And remember that there was a time when the land where you sit today
• Was Spain, or France, or Mexico, or just Texas, or the Confederacy, or the
United States.

There was a person who lived on your land before you lived there.
There will be a person who lives on your land after you are gone.

All that work you put into it, someday it will be for someone else.

Psalms 49:10-12 “For he sees that even wise men die; The stupid and the senseless alike perish And leave their wealth to others. Their inner thought is that their houses are forever And their dwelling places to all generations; They have called their lands after their own names. But man in his pomp will not endure; He is like the beasts that perish.”

Do you see the foolishness in making that the purpose of your life?

(5-7) “Also, the sun rises and the sun sets; And hastening to its place it rises there again. Blowing toward the south, Then turning toward the north, The wind continues swirling along; And on its circular courses the wind returns. All the rivers flow into the sea, Yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, There they flow again.”

Do you see the futile circle of creation?
It just keeps going on and nothing ever changes.
• The sun never gets to quit rising…
• The rivers never get to quit flowing…
• The wind never gets to quit blowing…
• Their job is never finished.

They are the old “Dunkin Donuts” guy
Saying, “Time to make the donuts”

IT NEVER ENDS AND NEVER RESTS.

(8a) “All things are wearisome; Man is not able to tell it.”

That is to say that life is exhausting.
Man can’t even express how exhausting.

There is a CERTAIN DISCONTENTMENT that goes along with it.
(8b)“The eye is not satisfied with seeing, Nor is the ear filled with hearing.”

• You may reach a time where circumstances force you to be content without
seeing or hearing,
• But no one ever reaches a point where they just say, “Well, I am satisfied. I
don’t need to see anything else.”

The simple point is that there is a “Never Enough” mentality
That permeates our thinking and our world.

Humanity is always searching for more.

And the problem is that in their search,
They never find what they are looking for.

They just can’t get no satisfaction.

(9-11) “That which has been is that which will be, And that which has been done is that which will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which one might say, “See this, it is new”? Already it has existed for ages Which were before us. There is no remembrance of earlier things; And also of the later things which will occur, There will be for them no remembrance Among those who will come later still.”

What a passage!
It pictures a man who is ON A QUEST
To find that new thing that will finally satisfy his life.

And we think about the industrial revolution that occurred here,
And all the inventions that were supposed to make life so much better.

And the question is, “Did they?”

Think about all the innovation and technology and advances…

Now I know, there have been some good inventions.
• I like indoor plumbing…
• I like air conditioning…
• Automatic windshield wipers are great…

But think about it, has any of it brought fulfillment to life?
Has any of those things caused you to say,
“Well now I don’t need or want anything else.”

NO, NOT AT ALL.

And many of the advancements one could argue have only made things worse.
Many of these new technologies are only destroying society, not satisfying it.

AND THAT IS THE PREACHER’S POINT.

You have man on this massive quest to find satisfaction in this life, BUT HE CAN’T. There is no satisfaction.

It’s all just one big circle.

Can I put it to you like this?

You are on a hamster wheel.
• And there are people who are just running and running and running;
• Turning that wheel nonstop, until one day they die,
• They fall out of the wheel,
• And without missing a beat another hamster jumps right in and takes over.

And someone might approach that hamster and say,
“Hey, come over here to the edge of the cage for a second.”

But that hamster yells, “Can’t, gotta keep this wheel moving!”

Can you see, that is life?

• What is your hamster wheel?
• What is it that you are seeking and pursuing?
• What is it that will finally bring you satisfaction?

YOU’LL NEVER FIND IT IN THIS WORLD.
“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.”

You were not created to find satisfaction here.
• This world is cursed.
• This world is fallen.
• This world is passing away.

And what a tragedy to spend this whole life
Seeking what you will never find.

• So that at the end you can show God your shell collection…
• Or at the end you can leave a spotless house…
• Or at the end you can say you ran a successful little league…

Do you see it?
Do you understand?

How frustrated and angry people become
Because they work their whole lives for that which doesn’t satisfy.

I’ve seen it and you’ve seen it.
• That retirement party for the man or woman who gave 50 years to the
company.
• The entire celebration can be completed in about an hour
• With one store bought cake and maybe an engraved watch.
• And tomorrow the business will go on without them.

If your life is wrapped up in that,
What a lonely and frustrating thing you have to look forward to.

And that goes for everything.
What award is ever enough?
What recognition will ever make all the hours truly worth it?

• Cook the meal, they’ll be hungry in a few hours.
• Clean the floor, they’ll mess it right up again.
• Wash the clothes, the hamper will be full in 2 days.
• Mow the grass, it will be uneven in the morning.
• Prepare the baseball field and the t-ballers will absolutely tear it to pieces!

I’m not saying you shouldn’t serve or work or volunteer.

But the point is that in all your labor this life
Will never produce for you the satisfaction you long for.

AND if you are bent on running this race for some piece of earthly satisfaction then you are going to end up gravely disappointed.

But there is One who called you to forsake this life.
• One who told fishermen to start fishing for men.
• One who told an adulteress to be a true worshiper.
• One who told a tax collector to leave his wealth and find true life.
• One who tells you to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Him.

There is life available.
True, fulfilling, satisfying, abundant, eternal life…

John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

But you won’t have it until you quit trying to find it in this world.

Our goal during this study is
• To get you to take off your rose colored glasses
• And see how futile this world really is,
• And then it is to get you to forsake this world
• And find life in Jesus Christ alone.

There’s so much more to say, but we’ll have to go there next time.

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The Ascension of Jesus
Luke 24:50-53
April 18, 2021

This morning we come to the conclusion of the Gospel of Luke.

Luke, who set out to record an accurate historical account
Of all that Jesus did for the benefit of the most excellent Theophilus.

Luke 1:1-4 “Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.”

And now, having carried us through
• The birth of Jesus
• The ministry of Jesus
• The miracles of Jesus
• The death of Jesus
• And the resurrection of Jesus,
• Luke now concludes his gospel with THE ASCENSION OF JESUS.

Luke reveals
The One who came from heaven as the One now returning there.

Only Luke is afforded the privilege
Of recording for us the ascension of Jesus, and he records it twice.

He records it here and again in his sequel known as the book of Acts.

And so THIS MORNING we bring our study of Luke’s gospel to a close
With the remarkable ascension of Jesus.

In many ways we might discuss the ascension
Like we discussed THE BURIAL of Jesus.

Like the burial, the ascension is one of those realities
That can at times be a bit overlooked.

It is not often referred to as a part of the gospel message,
And yet, as with everything Jesus did, it is CERTAINLY IMPORTANT.

AND THIS MORNING WE WANT TO EXAMINE IT.

To get us started, I will simply say this to you.

The ascension is all about the exalted Christ
And our worship of Him.

In many ways the ascension is actually
THE FITTING CONCLUSION TO THE INCARNATION.

• In the incarnation God became man and dwelled among us, in the ascension man who is also God ascends to dwell in heaven.
• In the incarnation Jesus was humbled, in the ascension He is exalted.
• In the incarnation Jesus came to serve, in the ascension He goes to reign.

It is the fitting and closing chapter to the earthly ministry of Jesus.

The One who came to identify with us
And suffer and ultimately die on the cross
Is now raised and returns to the glory of Heaven
Where He belongs.

Jesus finally begins to receive the glory He deserves.

This morning as we study the text,
1. We are going to EXAMINE what Luke says about it,
2. But we are also going to take a moment and EXPLORE some of the glorious realities regarding His ascension and why it is important to you and me.

So let’s look at our text this morning.
#1 THE ASCENSION
Luke 24:50-51

It is really a simple and straightforward announcement.

It actually comes to us with a great deal of UNDERSTATEMENT,
As do many of the things accomplished by Jesus.

Here we have Jesus literally begin to rise up in the air until He disappears in the clouds, but Luke doesn’t really seek to build it up.

He just mentions it almost like this is normal behavior.
And it is anything but.

• Aside from Jesus we only know of 2 in the history of the world.
• God took Enoch and Elijah ascended.
• Both of those, by the way, were prefigures to the ascension of Jesus.
• And one day all those alive during the rapture will also ascend to meet Christ
in the air.
• In that way the ascension of Christ is a sort of first fruit.

It is anything but routine.
It is anything but normal.
And Luke just sort of casually mentions it.

What I want to do first this morning is
Just give you some THEOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS to the ascension.

I want you to understand WHAT it means
And WHAT it teaches you and WHY it is important.

So for a few minutes this morning,
Let’s just talk about the ascension is important.

1) THE ASCENSION CERTIFIES HIS MINISTRY

More specifically Jesus Himself said that
The ascension would serve as a sort of proof
That He really did come from heaven as the Savior of the world.

TURN TO: JOHN 6

• John 6 of course begins with the feeding of the 5,000
• It was such an astounding event that people wanted to make Jesus King right then and there.
• Jesus however alluded them.
• That night He walked on water to the other side of the sea.
• The next morning the crowd searched for Him and found Him.

Jesus knew why they wanted Him.
(6:25-26) “When they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You get here?” Jesus answered them and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.”

Jesus knew what they wanted.
• They weren’t looking for a Savior.
• They weren’t looking for a Messiah.
• They were looking for another meal.

And Jesus sought to turn their focus
Away from physical things to spiritual things.

(6:32-33) “Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. “For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.”

Jesus wanted them to understand that the real blessing of God
Is not that physical life could be supernaturally supplied
But that spiritual life could be supernaturally supplied.

People seek bread to sustain physical life.
Jesus spoke of a bread that gives spiritual life.

And of course they totally miss the point,
So Jesus finally has to speak frankly to them.

(6:35) “Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.”

And not just the bread which gives spiritual life,
But specifically the bread which God sent from heaven.

(6:38) “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”

The Jews did not like this insulation at all.
(6:41) “Therefore the Jews were grumbling about Him, because He said, “I am the bread that came down out of heaven.”

So Jesus affirms it again.
(6:50-51) “This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. “I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.”

There it is again.
Jesus reminds that He in fact came from heaven
As spiritual nourishment from God
That He might give life to the world.

(And from there He also spoke about the necessity of eating this bread.)

But the debate culminates in unbelief.
(6:60-62) “Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this said, “This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?” But Jesus, conscious that His disciples grumbled at this, said to them, “Does this cause you to stumble? “What then if you see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before?”

OK, SO THERE YOU HAVE YOUR FIRST POINT.

We have people here who doubt the entire purpose and mission of Jesus.
• They doubt that He came from heaven
• They doubt that He was sent from God
• They doubt that He can give spiritual life
• They reject the necessity of eating His sacrifice

And the proof Jesus offers is nothing less than His ascension.
He says, “What then if you see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before?”

And so we understand then that even Jesus recognized that
His ascension would be a sort of affirmation of His entire ministry.

One of the reasons we know He came from God is because
When His ministry was finished He returned to God.

The ascension actually certifies His entire earthly ministry.

JESUS WAS FROM GOD.

There’s more that we learn from the ascension.
2) THE ASCENSION CONFIRMS HIS REIGN

That is to say that “The ascension is nothing less than
Jesus ascending to sit at God’s right hand to reign over the universe.”

Psalms 110:1 “The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”

This was a prophecy of David regarding Christ.
• That God would exalt Him to His own right hand
• And would grant Him sovereign authority to bring all His enemies under His control.

We remember what Paul said:
1 Corinthians 15:22-25 “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.”

Paul says that Christ must reign until He conquers all of His enemies.
He must reign until every enemy is destroyed.

Well how do we know that Jesus is doing that?

TURN TO: ACTS 2

• Acts 2 is of course the story of the birth of the church.
• It is Pentecost
• It is when the Holy Spirit came to believers.
• And you remember the sermon Peter preached as he answered those who supposed they were all drunk.
• Peter reminded that Christ had been crucified and was raised.

But remember what else Peter had to say:
(2:32-36) “This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. “Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. “For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: ‘THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, “SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET.”‘ “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ — this Jesus whom you crucified.”

Peter saw the coming of the Holy Spirit as evidence
That Christ was now seated at God’s right hand
And that He was now reigning over the world.

Jesus was now “both Lord and Christ”

This may seem like a strange reality to you
(Given the upside down nature of our world today,)
But rest assured that Christ is reigning over everything.

He was yesterday, He is today, and He will continue tomorrow
The work of bringing His enemies into submission to His Lordship.

• On one hand He is saving His enemies and changing their hearts to be His children as they confess Him as Lord.
• For others He is merely allowing them to store up wrath for the day of wrath and judgment.

According to the time God has chosen,
Christ will return and gather all His redeemed to Himself
And then crush all His enemies.

And His current heavenly reign will then become a visible reign on earth.

But we do not wait for Him to reign,
He reigns now, and His ascension actually showed us that.

He ascended to the Father that He might sit at the Father’s right hand.

It Certifies His Ministry, It Confirms His Reign
3) THE ASCENSION COMMENCES HIS ROLE AS PRIEST

On one hand Christ sits at the Father’s right hand
To rule and to reign over the universe.

But there is another very important work
That Christ also does there at the right hand of the Father.

He sits there to intercede on behalf of believers.

The favorite text of the writer of Hebrews is:
Psalms 110:4 “The LORD has sworn and will not change His mind, “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.”

• He spends 7 chapters with that one main theme in view
• That Christ has ascended to the Father
• Where He has taken His seat as a priest for us forever in the presence of God.

TURN TO: HEBREWS 1

(1:1-3) “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,”

Jesus ascended and “sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high”

This was to begin His role as our High Priest.
Part of His coming to earth was to suffer as we suffer
To become sympathetic and merciful to our struggle.

(2:17) “Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.”

He certainly did that in His incarnation.

However, a priest doesn’t stay with the people.
A priest must present Himself before God on behalf of the people.

And this Jesus did by means of His ascension.

(4:14) “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.”

The writer of Hebrews says that Jesus “passed through the heavens”

That is to say, He didn’t just go into some tent,
He actually ascended directly to the very presence of God.

(9:24) “For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;”

You see it again.
• Jesus did not figuratively do anything.
• He actually ascended to the Father.
• He stepped into the actually Holy of Holies.

(6:19-20) “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”

We sing, “When darkness seems to hide His face, I rest on His unchanging grace; In every high and stormy gale, my anchor holds within the veil.”

Christ is in the very presence of God.
He ascended to where God dwells.

And here in God’s presence Christ intercedes for believers.

(7:25) “Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”

You see then why His ascension is so important.
He actually went to God.
And He actually intercedes for us.

It is the very essence of our security.
Romans 8:34 “who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.”

Jesus now takes your needs directly to the Father.
His ascension made this possible.

It Certifies His Ministry, It Confirms His Reign, It Commences His Role as Priest
4) THE ASCENSION CLARIFIES HIS RETURN

TURN TO: ACTS 1

Luke begins his second account the way he ended his first;
With the ascension of Jesus.

• Here we have the disciples asking if the kingdom is coming now
• And of course Jesus gives that famous missionary mandate again that we have often read.

(1:8) “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

And then Luke reveals again the ascension of Jesus.
This account is a little more detailed, but still doesn’t seem to have the extravagance we might expect from such a remarkable occurrence.

(1:9-10) “And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them.”

• So the disciples are somewhat blown away.
• They just keep staring.
• And while they are staring, two angels show up.

And I want you to notice what they say.

(1:11) “They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”

These angels reveal to the disciples that the ascension
Is in some ways a foretelling of the 2nd Coming.

It gives us insight regarding the return of Christ.
• He’s not going to enter through the womb next time.
• He’s not going to just suddenly appear in the room.
• He’s not going to rise up out of the sea.

His 2nd Coming is NOT a spiritual reality that cannot be seen.

The second coming of Jesus
Will be a physical return in a physical body
Just as His ascension was a physical ascension in a physical body

The only difference is the direction.

During His ascension He left earth to ascend into the clouds.
At His 2nd coming He will descend from the clouds to the earth.

Revelation 1:7 “BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.”

We now anticipate an actually bodily return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
This was made clear at His ascension.

One more thing I would add to what we learn from the ascension.
5) THE ASCENSION CREATES OUR EXPECTATION

By this I mean that what Jesus did here tells us what we can expect.

Here we have Jesus.
We know He died, we know He was buried, we know He was raised.

Jesus DID NOT go to heaven in the same way
We commonly talk about people going to heaven today.

Today we see a believer die and we bury their body in the ground, but we believe that their soul is currently in heaven with Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:8 “we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.”

But don’t let this verse fool you into thinking that
In heaven all we will be is some sort of spirit with no body.

NOT AT ALL.
• Christ will return and then all the dead in Christ will rise in new bodies.
• Those who are alive will be instantly changed into their new bodies.

And in a body, just as Christ did,
We will ascend to heaven to dwell with God.

There was a bodily resurrection for Christ and there will be one for us.
There was a bodily ascension for Christ and there will be one for us.

You will remember that the Corinthians were totally confused by such a reality and so Paul straightened them out.

1 Corinthians 15:42-53 “So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So also it is written, “The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven. As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly. Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly. Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.”

On earth God has given us a body that is fit for earth.
It is a body that even Christ took up when He came to earth.

But this body is not fit for heaven.
It is too limited.
• This body is perishable and who wants to get old in heaven?
• This body is dishonorable and who wants dishonor in heaven?
• This body is weak and cannot perform spiritual duties.
• This body is natural and cannot keep up with spiritual desires.

This body has no place in heaven.

So just as Christ was raised in a new body
And in that new body ascended to heaven,
So we also will receive a new body
And in that new body we will ascend to heaven.

The ascension is the picture of that.
IT CREATES OUR EXPECTATION.

We expect to go just as Christ did.

Hopefully that helps you understand why the ascension is important.

So when Luke tells you “He parted from them and was carried up into heaven” you now know why.

THAT IS THE ASCENSION.

There is one more point to be made in our text this morning.
#2 THE RESPONSE
Luke 24:52-53

I think this is very important to see.

Jesus just left.

Now let me remind you of
The immediate response when He told them He was leaving.

John 13:33 “Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’”

They were so distraught Jesus actually said:
John 14:1 “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.”

John 16:6 “But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.”

The disciples were extremely sorrowful
At Jesus’ announcement that He was leaving.

But He promised them:
John 15:11 “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.”

John 16:20-22 “Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy. “Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world. “Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.”

When He told them He was leaving they were a wreck.
• They were filled with sorrow
• They were filled with anxiety
• They were filled with grief

Jesus said, “I know you are sad now, but trust Me, you are going to rejoice about this and no one will take away your joy.”

Well, here we are some 40 days later,
Jesus just left and look at the disciples.

(52-53) “And they, after worshiping Him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising God.”

We see words like:
• “worshiping”
• “great joy”
• “praising God”

WHY?

And I remind you, it’s NOT because they have the Holy Spirit.
• He is not yet here.
• He is coming in a few days.

They are still not yet to leave Jerusalem
Or begin their apostolic ministry where they preach Christ to the world.

So why are they all so happy and joyful now?

It all stems back to what we read earlier in Luke’s gospel.
Luke 24:45 “Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,”

That is the only difference.
• In the upper room they did not fully understand why Jesus came.
• In the upper room they did not fully understand why Jesus was going to die.
• In the upper room they did not fully understand the resurrection.
• In the upper room they did not fully understand why Jesus must leave.

They didn’t understand those things
Because they didn’t understand the scriptures.

But now they do.
• Now they know why He came to earth and suffered.
• Now they know why He died on the cross.
• Now they know why He was buried.
• Now they know why God raised Him from the dead.
• And now they know why He is ascending to the Father.

Jesus is going to reign!
Jesus is going to intercede!

AND THAT PRODUCES WORSHIP, JOY, AND PRAISE!

1. Jesus has finished His work!
2. Jesus has completely saved them!
3. Jesus will now go and keep them saved!
4. Jesus will now begin the task of putting His enemies under His feet!

His ascension is not a sad thing, it is a glorious thing!

His ministry is not over.
His earthly ministry is over, but His heavenly ministry is just beginning.

AND THEY ARE OVERWHELMED WITH JOY.

Incidentally you should be too!

• The fact that Jesus didn’t just disappear…
• The fact that He didn’t die again at a ripe old age…
• The fact that Jesus bodily ascended into heaven is a great event!

He has now taken His seat and has begun to reign.
He has now taken His seat and is interceding for you.

Next on His agenda will be to return
And call you to your ascension as well.

This is a great event!

And so you see why they “were continually in the temple praising God.”

• They WEREN’T preaching yet.
• They WEREN’T testifying yet.
• That is coming.

First, they are merely praising.
Jesus has saved them!

Last Sunday night we studied the 103rd Psalm.
I must say, it has left quite a mark on me.

All week I’ve had those opening verses on my mind.
Psalms 103:1-5 “Bless the LORD, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits; Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases; Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; Who satisfies your years with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.”

• David called his soul to awaken from slumber,
• To start chronicling the great benefits of God
• And for his soul to respond accordingly with blessing for God.

That is what the disciples are doing.

They are now able to fully comprehend all that Christ did,
And their soul is rightly motivated to bless God.

“worshiping” here is PROSKYNEO
It literally means “to kiss”
• (like a dog licking its master’s hand)
• (like Psalms 2 telling us to “kiss the son”)
• (what Judas did in mockery in the garden)

The disciples are now bowing low to the exalted Christ and reigning Lord.

“praising” here is EULOGEO

It’s where we get our word “eulogy” which means “to speak well of someone.”

The disciples now fully comprehend their salvation
And so they take every opportunity they can
To go to that temple and bless God.

I love that Luke’s gospel ends with this verse.

I contend that this should be
The response of every believer after a study like this.

Now that have had the privilege of being guided by the Holy Spirit
Through a nearly 4 year look at the person and work of Jesus.

We should also be ready to spend as much time as we can praising God.

Now up next for the disciples is mission work.
The Holy Spirit will arrive in just under 2 weeks and the preaching will begin.

But it is interesting to me that
Before they were ever preachers of the gospel
They were lovers of the gospel.

Are you?
It’s hard to be motivated to proclaim a message you don’t love.
The disciples loved it.
They loved it so much they could rejoice even when Jesus left.
• They loved what He had done for them, which His ascension certified.
• They loved what He was now doing for them, which His ascension commenced
• They loved what He would do in the future, which His ascension clarified.

And they blessed God for it.

That is a fitting way to end the study of Luke’s gospel.
With you and I blessing God for all that He has done
Through the person and work of Christ.

And with an eager eye to go forth and proclaim it to the world.

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2023 SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT RULES

We wish to STRESS that this tournament is purely for recreation and enjoyment.  It was established to help raise money for the summer camps that the children and youth of First Baptist Church will be attending.  These rules are given only to preserve a fair, even, timely, and fun experience for all participants.  We appreciate you helping us keep it that way.

FIELDING

• NEW RULE FROM 2022: Each team shall field 6 men and 4 women. (5 & 4 will be allowed, but you cannot field with less than 4 women.)
• There are no stipulations as to what positions your team members can play.
• We also keep rosters “open” throughout the weekend.

 

BATTING

• NEW RULE FROM 2022: The batting order can fit your team’s needs based on personal with the following rule.
• You may bat everyone on your team as “extra hitters” if you choose to do so, even if they do not play the field
• You may bat up to 2 men back to back, but never 3 in a row. If you have a limited number of girls and want to bat 2-1-2-1-2-1 male to female that is fine.  If you have plenty of girls and want to keep a 1 to 1 alternation that is fine too.  You may also orchestrate a unique order so long as there are never more than 2 men batting back to back.  For example M-M-F-M-F-M would be allowed.
• Each batter will come to the plate with a count of 1-1 (1 ball, 1 strike).
• If a male batter has a female in the lineup behind him and earns a walk, he will automatically take 2^nd The female batter who follows will have the choice of automatically taking first base, or batting.  A male batter who has another male batter behind him only earns first base.
• If a female batter earns a walk, she will automatically take 1^st base, and the following male batter must bat.
• We have a very short field, so there will be a Homerun Limit of 1 per game (all additional homeruns post as outs)
• 2019 RULE CHANGE: All men/boys are required to use an ASA certified & stamped wooden softball bat. There are no bat restrictions for woman/girls.  We will be using a “Gold Dot” softball this year.  Two-piece wooden bats will NOT be allowed.  No ½ composite, no corndog style.  A 100% wooden bat only for men.
• The Home Run limit will be lifted for the 7^th
• Pinch runners are allowed under the following stipulations. No player currently in the batting order or field may pinch run, only a player from the bench.  The player who gets pinch run for must exit the game for at least 6 outs in the field and 1 at bat (1 time through the entire batting order).  We don’t allow courtesy runners.  I mean seriously, the fact that we’re all old and slow is part of the competition!

 

GAME LENGTH

• We will play a 7 run rule with runs accumulating each inning. For example if Team A only scores 3 runs in the first inning, they can still score 11 runs in the second inning, bringing their total to 14.
• Game length will be 1 hr. 15 min. or 7 innings. No new innings can be started after 70 min.
• All teams must be ready to play at their scheduled start time. If one team is missing players and cannot start on time, that team will automatically be the “visiting” team, will forfeit their first at bat, and the game clock will begin on schedule, with play starting when players arrive, and ending on schedule.
• If both teams are tied going into the last inning (of regulation or time limit) AND both have reached the maximum runs scored, the run rule will be removed for the final inning in order to establish a clear winner. If both teams are tied going into the last inning and have not reached the maximum runs scored limit, the game will end in a tie with the tie being broken in the following manner. The team scoring the most 1^st inning runs wins, if still tied, it will move to the 2^nd, then 3^rd  If a tie still remains the winning team will be decided by coin toss.
• Tie breakers for pool play are determined by head to head outcomes. If this still results in a 3 team tie in the pool, the tie breaker is determined by points.  The team which allowed the fewest points during their pool games will be awarded 1^st place in the pool.  The team which allowed the second fewest points will be awarded second place in the pool. If there is a tie on defensive points allowed, then we will move to offensive points.  With the team scoring the most offensive points winning.  If there is still a tie the Smashers are out and the other team advances.  Just kidding, there will be a coin toss. PLEASE NOTE THAT ONCE THE POOL PLAY IS FINISHED AND THE 4 BEST TEAMS ADVANCE, IT TURNS INTO A SINGLE ELIMINATION  (Think playoffs). 

 

COURTESY RULES

• This is a fun and family friendly atmosphere, so we ask all players and spectators to follow these guidelines. Blatant offenses are grounds to be removed from the park and/or tournament with a forfeiture of all fees paid.
• All umpires will be on a volunteer basis and will do the best they can, please do not harass them. (After each game the winning team is required to supply 2 umpires for the next game and the losing team is required to supply two score keepers.  1 for the book, 1 for the scoreboard.)
• This will be an alcohol free event
• PROFANITY WHILE PLAYING OR WATCHING WILL NOT BE TOLERATED This is a church hosted tournament
• In the event that weather cancels games, the first course of action will be to skip games 13-15 and simply let the 1^st place teams from each pool play 1 championship game. The second course of action will be to reschedule the tournament for a later date.

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Bless The Lord, O My Soul
Psalms 103
April 11, 2021

Tonight we come to the Psalm that has likely inspired more hymns and Christian songs than any other (with the exception or perhaps Psalms 23)

As John MacArthur put it, this Psalm is “Pure Praise”

You note first of all the bookends of the Psalm.
It begins and ends the exact same way.
“Bless the LORD, O my soul,”

And with that we take note of the INWARD FOCUS of the Psalmist.

He doesn’t say, “Bless the LORD, O my mouth”

He is speaking of an internal reality.
“Bless the LORD, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name.”

Not “all that is from me”, but “all that is within me”

There is a notable inward focus.
And of course you know that true praise; pure praise must begin here.

A person may sing in hypocrisy when their soul does not agree,
But when the soul seeks to bless the Lord,
The lips will automatically follow.

 Worship of God begins in the heart, and then it moves to the lips.
• For Jesus taught us that “out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks”

 David will not be like the heathen of Romans 1 who does “not honor [God] as God or give thanks”.
• He will not tolerate a stagnant soul or a distant mind.

 David would not be like 9 of the 10 lepers who upon finding cleansing from the Lord saw no need to come back and offer Him thanks.
• He would not fail to give God the blessing He deserves.

 We are mindful of Mary, breaking her vile and anointing Jesus’ feet all while carnal men scold her for the waste.
• Mary performed on that day the better gift.

 We think of Mary and Martha. Martha serving, but Mary seated at Jesus’ feet blessing Him, having taken the better part.

 We think of the woman at the Pharisees house, ignoring the scorn and wetting Jesus’ feet with her tears and wiping them with her hair while the Pharisee had neglected it all.

 We can hear Jesus speak to the woman at the well and tell her that the Father seeks those who “worship Him in spirit and in truth”.

 We remember the rebuke Jesus offered to the Pharisees because they “honor [God] with their lips but their hearts are far from Him”.

And there are many other examples that we might call our attention to tonight, but what you are reminded of is that
God seeks people who worship Him from the heart.

If the soul cares not to bless God
Then the words of the song are an empty performance.

Psalms 103 grasps that.

Psalms 103 is pure praise.
• There are no requests, no laments, no complaints
• There is no context or circumstances
• There is no danger, no victory, no pain, no confusion
• Just praise.

It is the heart of a believer who is called (above all else) to bless God.

And the Psalmist literally commands his own soul to “Hop to it”.

Notice his Personal Command.
“Bless the LORD, O my soul,”

He makes his soul do it.
He grabs the reigns and spurs his soul to do what it must.

Lack of emotion is no excuse for failing to bless God.
• “not feeling like it” is the epitome of immaturity.

Anyone who has matured into becoming an adult
Knows that life is full of obligations that you must perform
Whether you feel like it or not.

And I can assure you that none of your worldly obligations that you force yourself to accomplish are as important as this one.

Emotion is a great benefit to worship,
But emotion should never be allowed to drive the car.

Job comes to mind who had lost everything:
Job 1:21 “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.”

The Psalmist simply tells his soul, “Do it!”

But even if the command seems difficult, there is A BLUEPRINT for prodding the soul into worship.

And that is found in verse 2
“Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits.”

I should remind you tonight that forgetting God’s benefits is a sin.

All throughout the Old Testament we see “hands-on” reminders
So that the people did not forget.

The most notable for me is Joshua’s rock pile.
• After the children of Israel crossed the Jordan on dry land,
• Joshua told them to gather 12 stones from the dry riverbed
• And pile them up on the shore.

Joshua 4:21-24 “He said to the sons of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’ then you shall inform your children, saying, ‘Israel crossed this Jordan on dry ground.’ “For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed, just as the LORD your God had done to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed; that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, so that you may fear the LORD your God forever.”

Forgetting is a sin.
Those who have received the benefits of God must not forget them.

Deuteronomy 5:15 “You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to observe the sabbath day.”

Deuteronomy 8:2 “You shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.”

Deuteronomy 15:15 “You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you; therefore I command you this today.”

And yet perhaps the wildest period in the history of Israel
Was all brought on by forgetfulness.

Judges 2:10-12 “All that generation also were gathered to their fathers; and there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel. Then the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals, and they forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed themselves down to them; thus they provoked the LORD to anger.”

Forgetting is a sin.
The Psalmist said, “forget none of His benefits”

Peggy would sing, “Count your blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.”

Get a pen and paper if you have to.
Contemplate them.

This is the secret to driving an apathetic soul to worship.
Look at what God has done and let that
Lead your soul into gratitude and blessing.

One other thing we would notice before we start working our way through this Psalm and that is the SELECT AUDIENCE.

Notice who the recipients of God’s many benefits are.

• (11) “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.”

• (13) “Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.”

• (17) “But the lovingkindness of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him,”

• (18) “To those who keep His covenant and remember His precepts to do them.”

This song is NOT FOR the unredeemed
Who abide in death, darkness, and ignorance.

This song is for those who have believed Him.
• Who have received His grace
• Who are seated at His table
• Who rest in His peace
• Who eat His manna
• Who drink water from His rock
• Who are redeemed

These are the most obligated to bless Him.

And if you find yourself stagnant in that command,
This Psalm will help you overcome your apathy.

It drives focus into your soul, reminding it to bless God.
(And why your lips should follow suit)

Let’s break this Psalm down into 4 points.
#1 DESCRIPTION OF GOD’S BENEFITS
Psalms 103:1-5

David was clear in his command to tell his soul
That it was time to bless God.

David commanded his soul

And David told his soul to “forget none of His benefits.”

And then comes the checklist where David begins.
• As David seeks to motivate his soul to blessing he starts here in his contemplation of God.

(3-5) “Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases; Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; Who satisfies your years with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.”

That is quite a tremendous list.
It is a reminder of the great benefits of God.

“who pardons all your iniquities”
• What if He didn’t?
• What if only pardoned most of your iniquities?
• What if pardoned none of your iniquities?

But God forgives them all.
• Every sin committed…
• Every hiccup of the heart…
• Every slipup of the will…
• Every blasphemous thought…
• Every immoral deed…

• No matter how big…
• No matter how gross…
• No matter how long you lived in it…

He forgives them all.

Think for a moment about that sin you committed that almost no one else knows about.
• Think about how embarrassing it would tonight is you were exposed here
before everyone.
• Think about then how terrible it would be for God to give you the punishment
you deserve for such a sin.

And then when you think about how He has forgiven you,
See if your soul is not a little more motivated to bless God.

“who heals all your diseases;”

The reference cannot be to physical healing here.
Why?
• Because clearly God does not.
• We live in bodies that are literally dying.
• Sooner or later this body gives it up, and instead of healing we get death.

But David clearly says “all your diseases”
It must be the spiritual sicknesses of sin that Isaiah speaks of.

It reminds us of Jesus statement, “It is not the healthy who need a physician, but the sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Jesus was clearly speaking there of sin as a sickness
(not sickness as a sin)

There is not a spiritual infirmity that God does not heal.

That means it’s not just that God forgives your sin,
But He also cures your evil flesh of the propensity to do it.
• Has not God changed your mind about sin?
• Has not God began His sanctifying work on you?
• Are you not recovering from your sinful ways?

We certainly praise Him for forgiving us of our sins,
But perhaps even more for saving us from them.

“Who redeems your life from the pit”
• Is it not a blessing that God has pulled you out of your filth?
• Is it not a blessing to note that He has redeemed your life?

We sing that song “O Lord My Rock And My Redeemer”

I love that 3rd verse:
“O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer, Gracious Savior of my ruined life
My guilt and cross laid on Your shoulders, In my place You suffered bled and died
You rose, the grave and death are conquered, You broke my bonds of sin and shame
O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer, May all my days bring glory to Your Name”
https://sovereigngracemusic.org/music/songs/o-lord-rock-redeemer/

• My life was ruined.
• I had ruined it.
• I had wasted the purpose for which I was created.

Have you ever broken the blade on your pocketknife?
• Every time I see one I ask, “Screwdriver or crowbar?”
• That’s typically how they are broken.

I was like that.
Created for one purpose,
But ruined by giving myself to the wrong purpose.
And yet, the Lord redeemed me.

Is your soul not moved to gratitude and blessing for such a deliverance?

“Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion”

It is the garland on your head.
• God calls you “His people”
• God made a covenant with you and put a ring on your finger.

And this while you were the vilest of prostitutes.
He chose you and redeemed you and married you and He is washing you.

Is there no gratitude for this?

“Who satisfies your years with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.”

Life is hard, and there is no denying that.
But how much harder would it be if God were not for you?
• What if “every good and perfect gift” did not come down from the Father of
lights?
• What if God did not “supply all your needs according to His glorious
riches in Christ Jesus”?

Can you not see the benefits that you live in every single day?

TURN TO: Ephesians 1
Do we need another lesson on the benefits of being “in Him”?

And notice how Paul begins there in verse 3
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Will your soul not bless God?
• Then remember His benefits.
• Read this list
• (Read Ephesians 1:3-14) (and you know it doesn’t actually stop there)

Can your soul not bless?
Can your soul not rejoice?

Just stop and ponder the overwhelming benefits
You have received, are receiving, and will receive from God.
It will cure a stagnant soul.

Description of God’s benefits
#2 DEGREE OF GOD’S MERCY
Psalms 103:6-14

The Psalmist begins with a sort of “flashback” scene.
He goes back to a day so awful it should make Israel sick.

It is the day of the golden calf.
(6-8) “The LORD performs righteous deeds And judgments for all who are oppressed. He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel. The LORD is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.”

• Remember when God delivered them from Egypt with a mighty hand?
• Remember when God led them to Sinai?
• Remember when they returned the favor by building a golden calf?
• Remember when God thought to destroy them?
• Remember when He did not?

In fact it was God who introduced Himself this way to Moses:
Exodus 34:6-7 “Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.”

(similar to what we read here in verse 8)

It was an unthinkable act of Mercy to forgive those people.

It is mercy like we cannot fathom,
And yet that is who God is and who God has been toward us.

(9-10) “He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.”

Even before the great flood, God looked at a totally wicked world and still said:
Genesis 6:3 “Then the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.”

And after the flood God promised again:
Genesis 8:20-21 “Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. The LORD smelled the soothing aroma; and the LORD said to Himself, “I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done.”

Genesis 9:8-17 “Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying, “Now behold, I Myself do establish My covenant with you, and with your descendants after you; and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you; of all that comes out of the ark, even every beast of the earth. “I establish My covenant with you; and all flesh shall never again be cut off by the water of the flood, neither shall there again be a flood to destroy the earth.” God said, “This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all successive generations; I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth. “It shall come about, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow will be seen in the cloud, and I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again shall the water become a flood to destroy all flesh. “When the bow is in the cloud, then I will look upon it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” And God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

That is always fascinating to me.
If God had not made that promise, every time it rained all of humanity would be filled with fear.
• And yet God gave up His ace in the hole.
• He promised that He will never do that again.
• He does not treat man like man deserves.

He causes “His sun to rise” on the just and the unjust.
He “sends rain” on the righteous and wicked alike.

(10) “He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.”

And this has been His track record.
• He told Adam and Eve that the when they touched that tree or ate that fruit they would die.
• And Adam did die but not for 100’s of years.

I’ve often told people that
The reason our doctrine on God is often so wrong
Is because our doctrine of man is equally wrong.

We think too highly of man and therefore we think way too lowly of God.

But if we were to see our sin for what it is
Then God’s mercy would shine ever brighter.

And if you want to seek to grasp the DEGREE of His mercy,
Listen to these next few verses.

(11-13) “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.”

• How high exactly are the heavens above the earth?
• How far exactly is the east from the west?
• How much compassion does a father have on his children?

In the same way God’s mercy cannot be calculated.

I also love the song “Lord Have Mercy”
“O God, we come before Your throne And in our weakness we confess
We go astray and sin each day We cast ourselves upon Your grace
O Lord, have mercy on us Sinners in need of grace
Forgive us our transgressions
And lead us in Your righteous ways
God, lead us in Your righteous ways

The blood You shed has paid our debts Jesus, You’ve washed our sins away
We trust Your grace, believe by faith In You we have all righteousness
O Lord, You’ve shown us mercy Sinners are washed as saints
You’ve shown Your loving-kindness
Sons of disgrace are righteous made
Sons of disgrace are righteous made
https://sovereigngracemusic.org/music/songs/lord-have-mercy/

Can you ponder that?
That on the cross Jesus atoned for all the sin of all the elect for all time?

What mercy is that?
How much mercy does that take?

Do you understand that of all the things God does
He doesn’t do anything more than He forgives?

It is His most used declaration.

(14) “For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust.”

• He knows us
• He knows everything about us
• He knows our desires
• He knows our lusts
• He knows our weaknesses
• He knows our propensities

We are so predictable and so faithfully sinful
And yet He continues to be merciful to us.

Can your soul not bless Him for that?

We remember that woman who was washing Jesus’ feet.
Luke 7:44-47 “Turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. “You gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet. “You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume. “For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.”

The fact is that you have been forgiven much,
But a failure to grasp that produces a soul that doesn’t bless God.

So contemplate the degree of God’s mercy toward you.

Description of God’s Benefits Degree of God’s mercy
#3 DURATION OF GOD’S LOYALTY
Psalms 103:15-18

Here the Psalmist begins again talking about man.

(15-16) “As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. When the wind has passed over it, it is no more, And its place acknowledges it no longer.”

• We think of the transient nature of man.
• We are temporary.
• James said we are “like a vapor”.

How insignificant must we appear to an eternal God?

Think about it.
• We came from dirt…
• We are a dime a dozen…
• We sin against Him continually…

And even when we are redeemed and confess Him as Lord,
It only lasts about a snap of the fingers.

What sort of benefit does God ever really receive from us?

Even after we’re saved, we’re like that friend who volunteers to help,
But who can only stay a few minutes.

THE POINT IS, our loyalty to God isn’t worth much.
• Even if we spent every moment of our entire existence in faithful service to
God, it just isn’t that long in the scope of eternity.

David said “When the wind has passed over it, it is no more, And its place acknowledges it no longer.”

Our loyalty just isn’t worth much.

But God on the other hand…

(17-18) “But the lovingkindness of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children’s children, To those who keep His covenant And remember His precepts to do them.”

What is David’s point?

God’s loyalty to you is going to last way longer
Than your loyalty to Him.

We often put it in our minds
That we have this long strenuous life of service to God.

I remember Jacob:
Genesis 47:8-9 “Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How many years have you lived?” So Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The years of my sojourning are one hundred and thirty; few and unpleasant have been the years of my life, nor have they attained the years that my fathers lived during the days of their sojourning.”

I think we can agree that most of Jacob’s hardship
Was brought on by his own decisions.

None the less, Jacob had a hard life on this earth.
• Threatened by his brother…
• Estranged from his parents…
• Deceived by his father-in-law…
• Betrayed by his sons…
• Forced to die in a foreign land…

It must have seemed like serving the Lord was a painful and difficult task.

And yet, anyone reading Jacob’s story
Knows without a doubt that it would have been way harder
For God to be loyal to Jacob than for Jacob to be loyal to God.

And that is true in your life too…
• How hard is your life of service to God?
• How costly is your loyalty?

Well I promise you there isn’t a second of any day during your existence
Where it is harder for you to be loyal to God
Than it is for God to be loyal to you.

And yet He never fails.

“the lovingkindess of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him,”
• He passes it on to their children.
• He keeps His promises to them…forever.

• Do you suppose that you deserve such loyalty?
• Do you suppose that you have never acted like Gomer and deserved to be sent away?
• Do you suppose yourself to have only been a faithful bride to Christ?

And yet, He has not sent you away.
He has kept His covenant.
He has maintained His loyalty.

Can your soul not bless your husband for that?

Description of God’s benefits Degree of God’s mercy Duration of God’s loyalty
#4 DOMINION OF GOD’S REIGN
Psalms 103:19-22

And just in case looking inwardly at all that God has done for you
Has not yet motivated you to bless Him.

Then lift up your eyes outwardly and see those who are blessing God.

(19-21) “The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all. Bless the LORD, you His angels, Mighty in strength, who perform His word, Obeying the voice of His word! Bless the LORD, all you His hosts, You who serve Him, doing His will.”

Do you know who is blessing God?
• The angels
• The heavenly host
• They are blessing Him continually.

Have we not read about those 4 living creatures before the throne of God who “day and night do not cease to say, “HOLY, HOLY, HOLY, IS THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND IS AND IS TO COME.”?

Can we really recognize that
The celestial beings see fit to bless God continually
And then think that we have no need of it?

Can we really think the angels are obliged to bless God
But we don’t need to?

It is no wonder David closes the way he began,
And this time includes all of creation.

(22) “Bless the LORD, all you works of His, In all places of His dominion; Bless the LORD, O my soul!”

We are all the beneficiaries of a wonderful God.
Bless Him!

So here’s your application
1. Grab your soul and recite to it the benefits of God until your soul cries back in gratitude and blessing for God.
2. Count your blessings until your heart is overflowing with a good theme.
3. Remember His benefits and respond to Him accordingly.

God most certainly deserves it.

And then when your soul is overwhelmed with joy,
Open your mouth and sing to the Lord.

That is the worship God is looking for and the worship He deserves.