“Perpetual Praise” Psalm 146:1-10 Bible Study 07/30/17

This psalm is the first of five psalms of praise which bring the Psalms to a close. Each of these psalms begins and ends with “Praise the LORD” (Hallelujah). Fittingly, Psalm 146 and the psalms which follow it express the ultimate outcome for those who trust in the LORD. Their “story” will end in unbroken praise and delight.

I. Commitment to Praise (1-2)

-corporate and individual
-the “ring of resolve”: beyond the mood of the moment

II. Caution about Praise (3-4)

-prohibition: “Put not your trust…”
-understanding of “princes”
-perspective: inability and temporality
-whether revered or reviled: man…earth (Gen. 3:19)

III. Contrast Related to Praise (5-9)

-help…Jacob
-hope…LORD God
-eleven verbs
-five-fold repetition of LORD
-connection to Isa. 61/Luke 4

IV. Continuation of Praise (10)

-how the “story” ends
-not an empty-headed hallelujah

V. So What?

-Because the LORD alone is your sure help and hope, commit yourself to His perpetual praise.
-Let your praise be word-driven rather than mood-driven.
-Avoid the dishonor and devastation of misplaced trust.
-“My days of praise shall ne’er be past, while life, and thought, and being last, or immortality endures.” (Watts)

The incident is book-ended by the healing of the Gerasene demoniac occurring before and Jesus raising Jairus’ daughter from the dead afterward.

The woman’s ailment caused her to be unclean under the law, adding further to her misery.

Verses 25-27 contain seven Greek participles, describing the history of her condition.

Obviously, she had heard of Jesus and believed what she had heard. She thought that all she had to do was to just touch the hem of His garment.

In verse 31, the Greek for touch is hapto. The word has migrated into English as haptic, as relating to the employment of touch. And, in the Greek text of Mark, the verb, touch, is in the feminine case, indicating that Jesus knew a woman had touched Him. In fact, Jesus, as God, knew all about it well before the incident occurred.

In verse 34, Jesus informs the woman that it was her faith responsible for her healing; her action of touching Him was merely the evidence of her faith.
The Greek verb, translated as “healed” here, is also translated elsewhere as “saved.”

“God Revealed” Psalm 19:1-14 Bible Study 07/16/17

This morning we will turn our attention to Psalm 19 and its poetic and powerful testimony to the reality of God’s revelation. We will be reminded that He has revealed Himself through both the skies and the Scriptures. His revelation of Himself should be a source of preoccupation for us.

I. God’s Revelation through the Skies (1-6)

-declaring and proclaiming glory
-pointers to the living God
-the poetic and the theological (Rom. 1:18-20, Acts 14:14-18; 17:24-30)
-the “gushing” speech of nonverbal communication
-beaming bridegroom and conquering champion

II. God’s Revelation through the Scriptures (7-11)

-use of Hebrew poetic parallelism/repetition
-revelation term, descriptive adjective, distinct impact
-desirability: gold…much gold…much fine gold
-trajectory: reality, life, wisdom, contentment (Deut. 32:46-47)

III. Our Response to God’s Revelation (12-14)

-conviction of sin
-cry for forgiveness
-commitment to holiness: mind and mouth
-rock and redeemer (Heb. 1:1-4)

IV. So What?

-Summary: words of the heavens in our sight, words of God for our instruction, our words in God’s sight (C. Blaising)
-Because God communicates His surpassing worth through His works and words, value Him supremely.
-“Because the Bible is the word of God, it has effects on us that are better than the effects of anything else we can read, study, watch or listen to.” (Piper)
-“Sing them over again to me, Wonderful words of life, Let me more of their beauty see, Wonderful words of life…” (P. Bliss)

“Worship and Warning” Psalm 95:1-11 Bible Study 07/09/17

This morning our study of Psalm 95 will challenge us regarding the principle of God-centered worship. This psalm is an introductory psalm to a series of psalms devoted to the theme of worship (Psalms 95-100). Although Psalm 95 has no superscription or prescribed historical setting, it serves as a timeless reminder for believers to focus the attention of their minds and the affection of their hearts on the living God.

I. Hasten to Worship (1-5)

-methodology: focused, corporate and vocal
-reasons for worship: greatness, reality, sovereign hands

II. Heed the Call to Reverent Worship (6-7a)

-from animated speech to speechless prostration
-our Maker and our God
-His shepherding hand

III. Heed the Warning Related to Worship (7b-11)

-Today…
-do not harden your hearts
-Meribah and Massah (Ex. 17:1-7; Num. 20:1-13)

IV. So What?

-Knowing that you are prone to wander, prioritize worship in order to persevere in obedience.
-“Come Thou fount of every blessing, Tune my heart to sing Thy grace. Streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise…” (R. Robinson)
-Haphazard worship contributes to a hardened heart.
-Biblical worship is always rooted in biblical revelation.

“Sacred Passion” Psalm 84:1-12 Bible Study 07/02/17

This morning we turn our attention to Psalm 84 and the psalmist’s intense longing for the presence of God. While we are unsure of the writer’s exact circumstances at the time of the composition of the psalm, we can be sure of the intense use of poetical Hebrew language to express the inestimable and incomparable value of fellowship with the living God.

I. Background/Context

-Gittith
-sons of Korah
-significance of “blessed”

II. Longing for God (1-4)

-intense longing
-not architecture but presence
-satisfaction in the living God
-blessed rest

III. Journeying with God (5-8)

-blessed seeking/pilgrimage
-expectation of Baca
-strength to strength

IV. Delighting in God (9-12)

-a king and a King
-the infinitely better status
-no good thing withheld
-sun and shield
-blessed trust

V. So What?

-View your pilgrimage through this life as an ongoing opportunity to respond to the living God with delighted trust.
-Magnify your pilgrim status.
-Rejoice in the fact that “God does not waste our experiences.”
-Ponder the current level of your passion for the presence of God.
-“The least degree of fellowship with God has delights superior to the greatest measure of earthly joys.” (Maclaren)
-Reflect on 2 Peter 3:8 and Romans 8:32!

“Thanks for a Reason” Psalm 138:1-8 Bible Study 06/25/17

This morning we will examine the first of eight Psalms of David which are found in the latter part of the Psalter. Psalm 138 is an excellent example of praise offered up to God that is supported by accompanying and specific reasons.

I. Resolve and Reflection (1-3)

-action, object, scope and reasons

II. World Brought to Worship (4-6)

-kings thank and sing
-regard for the lowly

III. Completion of Mercies Begun (7-8)

-plans thwarted
-plotters judged
-promise fulfilled

IV. So What?

-Because His mercy endures and His glory is infinite, praise the LORD and proclaim the conquest and completion of His promises.
-“Heal me of my damnable self-sufficiency.” (T. Keller)
-“A line of praises is worth a leaf of praying.” (J. Livingstone)
-“Were our hearts as they ought to be when we read the word, we would tremble at that more than any manifestation of God since the world began in all His works.” (J. Burroughs)

Guest Speaker: Daniel Dickard

“The Lord is my Shepherd” – Psalm 23

I. “The” signifies the exclusivity of the Lord.

II. “Is my shepherd” indicates that the Lord is present with us
and is our personal shepherd. We rest in the person of God.

III. “I shall not want” signifies that God is in control.

IV. “quiet waters” (A sheep cannot drink from rushing water.)

V. “He restores my soul” – rest is not just of the body but of the soul.

VI. “guides in the paths of righteousness” – paths signifies the ways God
requires us to go.

VII. “the shadow of death” reminds us that God is with us even in the inevitability
of death.

VIII. “rod and staff” signifies the Lord’s protection.

IX. “prepares a table” signifies the Lord’s forethought.

X. “dwell in the House of the Lord forever” – the promise of eternal life in the
presence of the Lord for the believer.

Guest Speaker: David Norman

“Remembering Who We Are” – Psalm 78:1-39

I. Every generation has a responsibility to remember and
teach the things God has done (vv. 1-4)

II. Remembering God’s works leads to obedience to God’s Word. (vv. 5-8)

III. Forgetting God’s Works leads to defiance. (vv. 9-37)

IV. Remembering God’s character gives us hope. (vv. 38-39)

“The Blessed Man” Psalm 1 Bible Study 06/04/17

This morning we begin a thirteen week survey of the Psalms. The “worship manual” and “hymnbook of the Hebrews” has been a source of comfort, correction, conviction and challenge for believers of every generation.

I. Overview

-Psalmoi (LXX): poem to be sung to stringed instrument
-Historical Significance
-Dating: latest 2500 years ago/ earliest 3500 years ago
-informing the intellect, arousing the emotions, directing the will, stimulating the imagination
-Interpretive Challenges: chronological, cultural and theological
-Pervasive principle of repetition
-Connection to Christ: Luke 24:44
-Three Assertions: reality, reign and response

II. Designated “Books”

-1-41
-42-72
-73-89
-90-106
-107-150

III. Genre Classification

-Hymns
-Lament
-Thanksgiving Psalms
-Psalms of Confidence
-Psalms of Remembrance
-Wisdom Psalms
-Kingship Psalms

IV. Psalm 1: The Blessed Man

-Because your eternal destiny is at stake, nothing matters more than a right relationship with God.

1. Consider the direction of the righteous man (1-2)
-negative assessment and use of parallelism
-positive assessment-delight in “torah”

2. Consider the description of the righteous man (3-4)
-planted tree
-fruit in season
-does not wither
-contrasted with the wicked: “Not so the wicked.”

3. Consider the destiny of the righteous man (5-6)
-contrasted with the wicked
-“for the LORD knows…”
-contrast: “blessed” and “perish”

V. So What?

-Affirm the enormous value of biblical meditation.
-Recognize the absolute necessity for scriptural saturation.
-Appreciate the profound connection between the Psalms and Christ.
-Consider Psalm 119:9-16 this week.