Sermon for 5/20/2007
Psalm 117
Introduction:
A. G. Rogers said, “There are short hymns and long hymns, short prayers and long prayers, short speeches and long speeches, short sermons and long sermons, but short is better.”
B. Today I have decided to preach from the shortest chapter in the Bible. Can anyone tell me without looking in the bulletin, what is the shortest chapter in the Bible? What is shortest verse?
C. Do we know where the middle of the Bible is? Psalm 118. Do we know what the longest chapter is in the Bible? Psalm 119.
D. Read Psalm 117, shortest chapter in the Bible.
E. These two verses contain the answer to some of life’s biggest questions. Really simple concepts but so valuable.
Thesis: This shortest chapter in the Bible gives us the “Who, What, and Why” of life.
For instances:
I. Who? Two who’s are talked about here.
A. The Lord, God.
1. Who is this Psalm about? Vs. 1- Lord, Him. Vs 2- His, Lord mentioned 2.
2. The most important being in the universe, on this world, in our lives should not be us. The universe does not revolve around you, us. The Bible makes it clear.
3. First verse of the Bible says what (Genesis 1:1) In the Beginning God.
4. The Bible does not debate on the existence of God, the Bible reveals God.
5. It is mentioned twice in the book of Psalms (53:1) The fool says in his heart, "There is no God."
6. The Bible makes it clear that the most important being is God. We are God’s creation but God is the center of the universe.
7. How many people get this backwards?
8. That is not how a Christian should be. Jesus said in (Mat 22:37 NIV) “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’(Mat 22:38 NIV) This is the first and greatest commandment.
9. Even in the church people are concerned with what they want, their ideas of how things should be done, their needs. This even creeps into the music of the church; I want my style of music, no thought of how this will touch others, no thought of evangelism, no thought of what God thinks about the music.
10. At the beginning of the year I preached a sermon entitled, “It’s all about me.” We have a video clip here that talks about this from a musical perspective. It’s from Sermon Spice. Play clip.
B. Human beings.
1. Who is this Psalm written to? Who is the Bible written for? Human beings.
2. The Bible is written for everyone. Look at vs. 1, all nations, all peoples.
3. Great immigration debate going on. I don’t have any answers, but I do know that they are here. We need to be teaching them in some way.
4. We send money to missionaries. Why do we do this?
5. What about the handicapped? They are human beings. At Stella Christian Church preacher said that he baptized a man who was mentally handicapped. Butch Moser told us a story in Sunday school about something similar.
6. In the days of slavery, many churches had balconies that were reserved for slaves. Might have been to keep them in line in some cases, but in other cases because they were considered human beings and as such they needed to hear the gospel.
8. Every nation, every language, every person in all the world is equally loved by the One True God.
II. What?
A. What should the whole world do in response to God and the Bible?
B. Vs. 1 gives us the answer. Praise the Lord!
C. Some people think of praising the Lord just in the context of a worship service. These things are important but what about praising the Lord the rest of the week.
D. Yes, we praise the Lord by reading our Bibles and praying. Other ways?
E. (Col 3:23 NIV) Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men. IN our work
F. In our speech! (Col 3:17) And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
G. In our speech we should be boasting. “If you don’t tute your own horn, no one else will.” When we boast about ourselves it is offensive (or it used to be), boasting about someone else is noble.
H. Praise is a good thing. Some companies are hiring people to teach executives and management to give more genuine praise to their employees. People like to be praised. Good parents deserve the praise of their children. Good teachers deserve the praise of their students. Good employers deserve the praise of employees.
I. However, there is only One who deserves the praise of every living being on the planet. (2 Cor 10:17 NIV) But, "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."
J. (James 1:17 NIV) Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
III. Why?
A. Why should we boast, praise the Lord? The teenager who said, “What has God ever done for me?”
B. VS. 2 gives us the answer. I don’t know Hebrew and so I don’t know how to translate these words from the original. A commentator named Mollerus says that this verse gives us a summary of the Gospel. Several translations give us several words to think about here.
1. Mighty- For mighty to us has been his kindness
a. Charles Naylor in hymn “O Praise the Lord” based on Psalm 117
b. He is strong and mighty: For He keepeth our steps, that we shall not fall, And delivers His saints from all their temptations
c. (Eph 1:19 NIV) That power is like the working of his mighty strength,(Eph 1:20 NIV) which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms
2. Merciful- His merciful kindness is great towards us
a. Mercy is not getting what we deserve. What do we deserve?
b. (Rom 15:9 NIV) so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy, as it is written: "Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to your name."(Rom 15:10 NIV) Again, it says, "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people."(Rom 15:11 NIV) And again, "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and sing praises to him, all you peoples."
3. Kindness- His merciful kindness is great toward us
a. At the end of WWI, Herbert Hoover, later to become President of the US, led the allied relief efforts in Europe. He kept hundreds of thousands from starving, and a new word entered the Finnish language. In Finland, to “hoover” means “to be kind, to help.”
b. (Titus 3:4 NIV) But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, (Titus 3:5 NIV) he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.
4. For great is his Unfailing and steadfast love toward us
a. Charles Naylor in hymn “O Praise the Lord” based on Psalm 117
b. Praise Him for His love unfailing! He doth tenderly lead in the path of peace, And His Name is a refuge from the oppressor
c. John 3:16
5. Faithfulness- The faithfulness of the Lord endures forever
a. God made a promise to Abraham. He promised him a son, land, and that a great nation would come from his descendants. God kept his promise and all of these things happened. We are children of Abraham, not by birth, but by the faith in a God who keeps his promises. He is faithful and never breaks his promises.
b. (Heb 10:23 NIV) Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
6. Truth- The truth of the Lord endures forever.
a. John Huss said, “Seek the truth, Listen to the truth, Teach the truth, Love the truth, Abide by the truth and defend the truth… Unto death.
b. (John 14:6 NIV) Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
c. (Heb 13:8) Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
d. (2 John 1:2 NIV) because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever.
