Great Expectations For The New Year

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Great Expectations For The New Year

Contributed by Kelvin Parks on Jan 15, 2009 (message contributor)

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Scripture: Psalms 30:1-5

Denomination: Baptist

Summary: So, we need to look back over our life (PAST) – then we need to sing and give thanks (PRESENT, appreciation) - then we need to trust GOD for the results, (FUTURE, expectation)

GREAT EXPECTATIONS FOR THE NEW YEAR

PSALMS 30:1-5

Preached on 31 December 2008

at Shiloh Baptist Church

Waukegan, IL

Rev. Kelvin L. Parks

Psalms 30:1-5

[v.1] I will extol thee, O Lord; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.

[v.2] O Lord my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.

[v.3] O Lord, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.

[v.4] Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

[v.5] For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

Subject: GREAT EXPECTATIONS FOR THE NEW YEAR

I recently read about an article that listed the five most popular resolutions made every New Year. Fifth on the list was to take up a new hobby, the fourth was to make more money, the third most popular resolution was to improve relationships; the second was to stop smoking; and the most popular New Year’s resolution ... you guess it to lose weight.

Well, this reminds me of a story about a woman who walked into her master bathroom and saw her husband standing on the scale weighing himself, sucking in his stomach. The women thought to herself, “If he thinks that sucking in his stomach is going to make him weight less, then he is dumber than I first believed.” So she sarcastically said to him, Honey, Bunny sucking in your stomach is not going to help.” He said sure it will ... that is the only way that I can see the numbers.

Let us look at our text [v.1] We see here David giving us three examples of how we can have GREAT EXPECTATIONS FOR THE NEW YEAR

#1. The first thing that we need to do is Look Back Over Your Life

Let us examine our text ... [v.1] I will extol thee, O LORD

Extol means to lift up, to glorify on purpose. It is an “intensive” or “intentional” action.

David in saying, I will extol THEE, O LORD ... in other words, I’m gonna praise YOU on purpose.

Why ... (v.1) thou hast lifted me up, (v.2) thou has healed me, (v.3) thou hast saved my soul. So, we see here David saying, I will extol THEE, O LORD, I will praise YOU on purpose ... others may forget YOU, others may murmur against YOU; others may despise YOU, ... but I’m gonna intensively and intentionally praise YOUR Name.

It is as if David is saying ... I do not need a pep talk from a preacher ... I do not need to be fired up. David is saying I’m gonna praise you on purpose, because when I look back over my life ... and I think things over, I remember how you

- lifted me from the pit of hell

- lifted me from the ditch of sin

- lifted me from a bed of sickness and pain

- lifted me a bondage of doubt and fear

And ... for that I will extol THEE O, LORD because when I think of YOUR Goodness ... I have no choice but to praise YOUR NAME

G. S. Bowes asked the question of his congregation back in 1863, what is praise? The answer he said was the rent that we owed GOD. Bowes concluded that larger your house the greater the rent should be... in other words, the more you get the more your praise.

Well let me help you ... you see some of us have gotten trip up in our pursuit of prosperity, that we have forgot from whence God has brought us from. Well, that is what happened to David in (vv. 6-10) when he said, “And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved.”

You see ... the pride of prosperity had caused him to forget his need to trust in the LORD and caused him to boast in a spirit of self-confidence and self-sufficiency.

Well, so this doesn’t happen to any of us ... allow me to help you take a stroll back down memory lane to remember HIS goodness so that you too can praise Him

Well ...

- Remember when you were flat broke and didn’t know where the next meal was going to come from?

- Remember when you didn’t have two dimes to rub together. To buy your family a loaf of bread.

- Remember when you were lying on your back in that hospital room sick and didn’t think that you would ever get well.

- Remember when all you had to eat was a syrup sandwich; ketchup sandwich; mayonnaise sandwich; or two pieces of bead together (wish sandwich, I wish I had some meat)

But look at GOD ... He has taken us from Vienna sausages to pork chops, from pork chops to steaks, from steaks to fillet mignon, cus cus, frog roué ... and all HE ask is that we give HIM some praise.

#2. The second thing we need to do to have GREAT EXPECTATIONS FOR THE NEW YEAR is we need to Sing and give Thanks (Appreciation)

Walk with me [v.4]

Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

So, we need to look back over our life ... (PAST) – now we need to sing and give thanks (PRESENT)

Notice that in [v.4] we have two commands to Praise GOD. Sing and Give Thanks

Well, contrary to popular belief, these commands are not options. The mood or tense of both words (sing and give thanks) is imperative, which simply identifies these words as an order or a command. To make it simple, this verse is simply a call to all ... to show an appreciation for what GOD has done for you.

David says ... Sing unto the LORD, O ye Saints of HIS, and give thanks at the remembrance of HIS Holiness.

Notice that David did not say let all the people with melodious voices sing. In other words, he did not say everyone that can sing, sing. David say Sing O ye Saints of HIS.

Well ... I do not know what you came to do tonight ... but if you ever forget your purpose, all you need to do is come right here in (v.4) and obey these two commands to sing and give thanks.

#3. The third and final thing we need to do to have GREAT EXPECTATIONS FOR THE NEW YEAR is we need to TRUST GOD FOR THE RESULTS

So, we need to look back over our life (PAST) – then we need to sing and give thanks (PRESENT, appreciation) - then we need to trust GOD for the results, (FUTURE, expectation)

Walk with me ... [v.5]

For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

Watch this ... I don’t want you to miss this, we see here 3 reasons why we can trust GOD for the results.

#1 : Gods anger is only for a moment

Psalm 103:8-12

[v.8] The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.

[v.9] He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger forever.

[v.10] He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities.

[v.11] For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;

[v.12] As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

And I can’t think of a better reason to extol HIM. I can’t; think of better reason to sing and give thanks, because GOD has every right to be angry with me, old wretched man that I am.

Yet, Psalms 103:10 reminds us that

He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities.

... and for that we ought to say thank you

#2 ... The second reason we should trust GOD for the result is also found (v.5) in HIS favor is life

Now, this phrase may also be translated HIS favor is for a lifetime.

Well... some folk say that favor ain’t fair. I simply say ... don’t get mad at me because I receive excessive kindness, partiality, and preferential treatment from my Heavenly Father.

I mean ... come on, what do you expect a Father to do, (1) give me a stone when I’m hungry; (2) give me snake instead of a fish; or give me a scorpion instead of an egg.

Well, Jesus said in Luke 11:13

Well, if ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Heavenly FATHER give ...

You see ... we need to trust GOD for the results. WHY ... because (1) in HIS favor is LIFE, (2) external life through HIS SON JESUS who died on Calvary to save you and me.

#3. The third reason we need to trust GOD for the results is that Joy is on the way

[v.5] "... weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

Well before we get to the joy ... let us spend a few minutes on the weeping. Why, because we have to go through the weeping to before we can get to the joy. Oh yes ... weeping and joy go hand and hand, you cannot get to one without going through the other.

Notice David said [v.5] "... weeping may endure for a night, in other words, count on it

- weeping, it is gonna happen

- Weeping, no getting around it

- Weeping, no getting under it

- Weeping, face it ... it is gonna happen

- In this life, you will have tribulations

Well, you ask me how I know ... well, it right here in our text [v.5] "... weeping may endure for a night

BUT... what I like best about this scripture [v.5] is the fact that right behind the word night is a comma instead of a period. repeat

Which simply means that the story does not end here, you see, the comma leaves room for GREAT EXPECTATIONS

Listen as the saga continues ... but JOY “oh JOY” come in the morning which simply means yes (1) you are going to cry sometimes, (2) you are going to have hills to climb; (3) you are gonna have some lonely nights.

BUT JOY, OH Joy... cometh in the morning

I want to let somebody know that your help is on the way. JOY “Oh JOY” cometh in the morning

I stop by to tell somebody ... I know you may have heavy heart in 2008; you been through

- Situation after situation

- Circumstance after circumstance

- Dilemma after dilemma

- Hurt after hurt and

- Pain after pain

But I need to tell somebody ... HOLD ON ... don’t give up, don’t throw in the towel; don’t surrender ... just HOLD ON (X3).

I don’t care if you have to use strain every muscle in your body or use every ounce of your strength ... just HOLD ON ... keep the faith, help is on the way.

There is a GREAT EXPECTATION called JOY ... “OH JOY” cometh in the morning

But before it comes, I need for 2 or 3 people, who ain’t ashamed to stand on your feet, lift up your hands, and thank HIM for what HE has done for you

Thank HIM for seeing you through 365 days and 365 nights. Come on ... and thank HIM for making a way out of no way.

Thank HIM for what HE has done; HE is DOING and what HE is going to do in our lives

SHOUT ... Shiloh shout let everybody in Waukegan know about the change in your life

SHOUT ... Shiloh shout let everybody in Zion know about what the LORD is doing over here at 800 S. Geneses Street.

SHOUT ... Shiloh Shout and let everybody in Racine know that we have moved from

- Mourning to dancing

- Sackcloth to gladness

- Silence to praise

Oh yeah, weeping may endure for a night but JOY “OH JOY” cometh in the morning.

I need about 2 or 3 people who ain’t ashamed to give GOD some praise to come down here and EXTOL HIM

I need 2 or 3 people who ain’t ashamed to come down here and praise GOD on purpose

Why because JOY “OH JOY” cometh in the morning.

I need 2 or 3 people to sing and give thanks ... why, because his anger is for a moment

I need 2 or 3 people to come down here and praise HIM WHY because his favor is for a lifetime

O give thanks unto the LORD for HE is good for HIS mercy endureth forever

SHOUT ... Shiloh shout

Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom HE hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy.

SHOUT ... Shiloh shout

Oh that men would praise the LORD for HIS goodness, and for HIS wonderful works to the children of men

SHOUT ... Shiloh shout

There is a GREAT EXPECTATION COMING

Well, how do I know, because it right here in my text ... Weeping may endure for a night but JOY (X3) GOD’S Great Joy, Sweet, Beautiful, Soul Saving JOY ... cometh in the morning.