Ramsey Creek Baptist Church

Psalm 46 said that Israel’s God is the true and powerful and victorious God. Psalm 47 says that all people witness this and are now called to obey Israel’s King and join in their chorus of enthusiastic praise. The psalmist is driving home this point: the Lord Most High is not a god like those other gods, He is the Great King over ALL THE EARTH, over ALL PEOPLES, over EVERYONE. “The reasons for God’s love are in Him, not in the ones He loves.” – David Guzik [v.6-7] give a specific command about how to celebrate – sing (5 times in 2 verses). Music is not only a means of connecting with and glorifying God, it also connects us to one another. When we sing the same song together, our differences begin to fade. God has “come down” in the form of a servant, taking on human likeness, giving up the glories of heaven, to be the perfect sacrifice for sin. And He has “gone up” in victory by defeating death and the grave, and sits at the

Psalm 98 celebrates God’s incredible interaction with the earth He’s created and demands a response from everything that lives in it. In [v.1-3] strophe #1 gives the grounds for praise. In [v.4-6] strophe #2 describes the method of praise. In [v.7-9] strophe #3 calls all creation to join in the praise. Music is a right response to recognizing who God is and what He has done, but God cares more about what’s in your heart than the particular note that comes from your lips. The whole earth rejoices because God has come to bring the earth from sin and sorrow to salvation and joy. Jesus is the right hand of God, He is the salvation of the Lord, and He is therefore worthy to be praised with every instrument, voice, and song we could muster.

Two major themes in Psalm 106: #1 – God’s people are prone to wander, prone to fail, prone to exchange truth for lies. #2 – God is faithful & kind and treats His people better than they deserve because He keeps His promises. The physical issue for the Israelites was water, but the spiritual issue was faith. The lessons God is teaching us are often spiritual rather than physical. The Israelites' government, lifestyle, worship, and families were to look distinct (set apart) from every other nation. In fact, they were supposed to destroy them completely. God told them to leave no remembrance of other nations' modes of worship or their false gods. Why? Because God’s people represent Him among the nations. [v.45] tells us why God rescues and saves His people, because: “…he remembered his covenant, and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love.” According to their worth? According to their good deeds? No. According to the abundance of His steadfast

Story #6. from Psalm 106 is found in v.28-31– Idol Worship & Plague (see also Numbers 25). Many of the men of Israel “yoked” themselves to another nation who worshipped pagan gods and participated in feasts celebrating them. If we’re not careful, the unchecked desires of the flesh will cause us to exchange the truth of God for a lie, with terrible consequences. This – obviously – did not please the Lord, and it also righteously upset a man named Phinehas. Unlike so many in Israel at the time, Phinehas was passionate about what God was passionate about. By his actions, Phinehas reconciled the people back to God, but only for a time. Jesus reconciles His people back to God, but His reconciliation removes every sin forever.

Ramsey Creek Baptist Church

“Since man ceases not to be sinful, it is a great blessing that Jehovah ceases not to be merciful.” - Spurgeon Psalm 105:5 says, “Remember the wondrous works that he has done…”. Psalm 106:7 says they “did not consider [his] wondrous works; they did not remember the abundance of [his] steadfast love”. Psalm 105 celebrates how God delivered His people, provided for them, and was faithful to them. Psalm 106 remembers the flip side of it, how Israel rebelled, grumbled, & turned away from God. Psalm 105 magnifies God’s goodness. Psalm 106 reveals men’s sinfulness. 1. [v.6-13] – the Red Sea (Exodus 14) For a people who sin continually (“both we and our fathers have sinned…done wickedness…”), praise is a proper response to seeing God’s mercy. - Following God into the unknown is safer than remaining in bondage to comfortable indifference. [v.8] You were made with a singular purpose: to glorify God. 2. [v.14-

Darkness, numbness, even despair accomplished something - it drove the author to prayer. “Evil is transformed to good when it drives us to prayer.” – Charles Spurgeon James says that trials produce steadfastness (patience) and completeness. Scripture says that pain has purpose when it drives us to closer relationship with God (maturity). (James 1:1-3) Psalm 88 shows us that even devoted (mature) Christians experience suffering, despair, & darkness. It helps prepare us for seasons of suffering. Author Sinclair Ferguson has said, “The most sinister thoughts that Satan insinuates into our minds are not enticements to sin, but suspicions about God Himself.” Suffering has a way of distorting the truth about who God is. God intends to increase our faith in the dark times, as well as our love for one another. **see CJ Mahaney's sermon titled Anticipating & Already from the worshipgod conference, 2017 - https://sovereigngracemusic.org/training/resources/anticipating-already/

David wrote Psalm 145 as an acrostic poem to help the people of Israel remember the content easier. The main thrust of the psalm is that the Lord is great and worthy of great praise. The Lord is righteous in all His ways and magnificent in splendor, and yet He opens up His hand to care for every living thing - "kind in all his works". - The Lord is near…to all who call on Him in truth. - He fulfills the desire…of those who fear Him. - He hears their cry & saves them…those who fear Him. - The Lord preserves…all who love Him. God is just as good in His mercy and He is in His justice. "Who God is" motivates us to share Him with others.

Three big things from Psalm 95: 1. Who God is. (Rock, King, Maker, Shepherd, & Judge) 2. Who God is inspires/motivates a reaction from creation. (worship & praise) 3. Who God is leads to something specific. (rest) Hebrews 3-4 help us understand God's rest in Psalm 95. Psalm 95 shows two sides of the same coin. It shows the proper and wrong response to "who God is": praise & worship versus unbelief & disobedience. One leads to God's rest and one does not. The rest of God is only found in a relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ.

Many psalms of Lament from David and others are crying out to God in frustration and distress, lamenting on the seeming success of the wicked and suffering of the righteous. It’s actually one of the more common themes in the book of Psalms. But David doesn’t lament to someone who doesn’t know the Lord – he takes his concerns directly to God Himself. In our own troubles and confusion, may we run to and plead with the One who knows us and loves us. Human existence being just a few short handbreadths, David asks the question that’s on our minds - Where is my hope? Where does my help come from? What am I waiting for? David's answer - "My hope is in YOU". • Even if life is confusing and demanding and frustrating and seems hopeless, hope is rooted in the unchanging God.

Whether we’re building something or protecting something, if the Lord is not driving it, if the Lord is not over it, if the Lord is not in it, we do it in vain. We should be building; we should be watching, but God leads the charge in creating, preserving, and parenting. Our working and watching shouldn’t be driven by anxious toil, but by the love of God. Hard work and rest do not have to be at odds with one another, but become enemies quickly when we approach either without an understanding of the love of God. God is already building and watching our kids because they are His gifts. They are His arrows in our hands, and they go far beyond where parents will go. So we must point our children at things that matter. - The parents' job is to teach and train and disciple their kids to be lovers and livers of the Gospel. 1. We need fathers who protect. 2. We need fathers who prepare. 3. We need fathers who pray. **The song "Psalm 127" is written and preformed by The Corner Room - all rights r

“Who is Doeg and why was him saying that David was in the house of Ahimelech such a big deal?” Doeg didn’t just commit the crime of murdering 85 priests of God and of killing every man, woman, child, and animal in the city of Nod, It sounds like he was even boasting about it. Attempting to impress others at the expense of your integrity will have disastrous results. Christians learn from the judgment of the Lord, and the eradication of wickedness is always a good thing. The faithfulness of a loving God is the Christian’s ultimate hope. The goodness of God is the Christian’s constant celebration. Christians know that the Lord is good & they encourage one another to keep believing.

God’s children are in a constant state of loving and corrective discipline in a process called sanctification. Is it possible that the discipline of the Lord will produce gladness in your life? Psalm 51 settles the nature vs. nurture debate. Sin is wrapped up in our very nature and we can't escape it's effects without the mercy and grace of God. The result of genuine confession and then faithful forgiveness is clear in [v.13-15] – share it. God’s faithful forgiveness leads to excited evangelism. God desires humility and brokenness from His people.

David begins with a question of utmost importance: How can a person be right with God? Who can dwell on His holy hill? Simply put – the person who has integrity. The person with integrity shows it in the things they stand for, in the things they do, and also in the things they say. What we “speak in our heart” is vital to being the kind of person Psalm 15 describes. What comes out of your mouth reveals what’s going on in your heart, & the way you live your life reveals who you’re listening to. You won’t speak truth to others unless you’re speaking it to your own heart first. The person of integrity will be an immovable guest in the house of God forever. This psalm calls us to abandon our own righteousness and cling to Christ.

When questions abound and darkness seems to be pressing in all around , where we turn for answers reveals where our faith is placed. Are we crying out to the right person? Our greatest need isn't a companion to stumble around in the darkness with us, it's someone who has a light to guide us out. Through the darkness, the storms, the sleepless nights, the pressing questions - do we appeal to our own experience? Or do we look to the historical faithfulness of a great and mighty God? Confidence in God is built by being reminded of what He has done and who He is. "When faith has its seven years of famine, history (memory) - like Joseph in Egypt - opens her granaries.” – Charles Spurgeon May the historical faithfulness of our great God be the song that soothes our weary souls in the dark of the night.

Psalm 110 is quoted in the NT more than any other OT passage, almost 30 times. Yahweh was known by the Jews as the eternal God of the universe, the Great I AM. Adonai was the general term for the title “lord”. According to Psalm 110:1, the “Son of David”, “Adonai-Lord”, was alive during David’s own time and was already greater than David. Psalm 77 lists six things that God the Father says He will do for God the Son: 1. The Lord will cause His people to follow Him joyfully. [v.3a] 2. The Lord will revive and refresh Him. [v.3b] 3. The Lord will not change His mind. [v.4] 4. The Lord will totally defeat all who oppose Him. [v.5 & v.6b] 5. The Lord will perfectly judge all who oppose Him. [v.6a] 6. The Lord will exalt Him completely. [v.7] Jesus was more than just the Son of David – in fact, He was even more than the Lord of David. Jesus was and is Lord of all.

God is the main subject of Psalm 139, not David, not you, and not me. *v.1-6 - God is omniscient. The God who knows everything knows you: your actions, your heart/mind, your words, and your future. *v.7-12 - God is omnipresent. God’s presence has been, will be, and is now with His children. At all times and in all places, God is fully present. *v.13-18 - God is omnipotent. From even before conception – not just starting at birth – God is forming & knitting & writing our stories. God is completely sovereign over each one of us. *v.19-24 - a right response to who God is. When we see ourselves in comparison to the greatness of God, our hearts will be moved like David’s – to repentance and worship. Since God is not far from you, the proper response is to seek Him.

If we’re going to tell of the salvation of the Lord, then we must speak of Jesus. And so the thing that we sing about and declare to all the nations is nothing less than the excellent, wonderful, marvelous message of salvation in and through Jesus Christ. If God is great, then He is what we should be most excited about. Worship in Psalm 96 is pictured mainly as us bringing praise and offerings to God. Tim Keller says, “We are called not simply to communicate the Gospel to nonbelievers; we must also intentionally celebrate the Gospel before them.” May we marvel at the Gospel again and again and spread it throughout all the earth.

David's trust was not in himself. He didn’t sleep well because he had the situation under control, but because His Protector did. Salvation belongs to the Lord, but it’s a blessing that He gives to His people. We are the recipients of this mercy, grace, and love, but it’s all about what the Lord has done. David recognized and celebrated the fact that God alone is the one who saves.

What you think when you look up at the sky tells a lot about what you believe about God. According to this psalm, the purpose of nature is clear and specific: to point us to God, not away from Him. The Words of God have an effect on us that is better than the effects of anything else we can watch or read or study or listen to. The things that are most important to so many of us are actually less important than the Word of God. Christian: cherish His Word. In doing so, there is great reward.