Let's pray together.
Father, we thank you that as we come here to look at your words,
that we can sing that you are the God who goes before us,
the one who stands behind, the one that is by our side.
And so, Father, we pray that you will open your words to us,
that we might hear what you would have us hear from it.
We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.
In our office, we have a tradition, which I think is really very good,
of us all going out on the last Friday of the month for lunch together.
I think it's really good and healthy for the team,
particularly for the directors socialising with us mere mortals.
There is, however, one thing that makes it difficult.
In a relatively small company, we have two vegans.
Now, one of them is quite pragmatic,
and will quietly find something suitable to eat without making a fuss.
The other one, however, you can guarantee,
if you're sitting near to him,
he will take it as an opportunity to try and persuade you
that he's right,
that you're wrong,
and that ultimately,
everyone will be vegan in the future,
and why are we not just getting on with the agenda?
But that's the same with all of us.
People go on and on about the things they care about.
Whether it's Nicola Sturgeon,
who can't help turning every subject
into an excuse
to promote Scottish independence,
or whether it's the guy at work
who's always going on about the quality of the ingredients
he uses in his pop-up pizza business,
or John Piper,
always returning to his catchphrase of
God is most glorified in us
when we are most satisfied in him,
or Tom Wright talking about life after life after death,
or our own Ali Jay,
who unfortunately isn't here tonight,
talking about the persecuted church in China,
or Michael Ponton
on our complete inability
to comprehend the wonder of our salvation.
The things we care about
are the things that we keep coming back to
again and again.
And so it is with the Psalms.
Many of the Psalms begin with a call to worship.
On a quick scan through,
I found 24 of them
starting with an explicit command
to praise God
in the first verse.
That's ignoring any others
that get to it later on
or are not quite so explicit.
Among all the wide-ranging subjects
and emotions
the Psalms cover,
almost one in six of them
begin in this way.
Psalm 66,
shout for joy to God,
all the earth.
Psalm 95,
come,
let us sing for joy to the Lord,
let us shout aloud
to the rock of our salvation.
Psalm 103,
praise the Lord,
O my soul,
all my inmost being,
praise his holy name.
Psalm 136,
give thanks to the Lord,
for he is good,
his love endures forever.
Psalm 149,
sing to the Lord a new song,
and so on,
on and on.
And so obviously,
to the Psalmists,
this was an important subject,
such an important subject
that they didn't think,
yeah,
I've written a song about that,
I can move on to something else now.
They keep coming back to it
again and again.
Why?
I think the answer,
shocking as it may sound,
is this,
praise doesn't come naturally.
Praise is something
that we find
really difficult.
Although,
it's the primary thing
that we were made for.
As the Catechism says,
man's chief end
is to glorify God,
yet,
in our fallen state,
this side of eternity,
praise is something
we struggle with.
Sometimes,
yes,
it naturally,
spontaneously pours out.
Sometimes,
a glimpse of God's goodness,
his glory,
his majesty,
is seen,
and we respond spontaneously.
It may be in nature,
as we've sung about,
whether something spectacular,
or just a sunny day,
rare as those are.
It may be the actions
of a fellow human,
of another bearer
of God's image.
It may be something
in our circumstances,
a new job,
the birth of a child,
or something trivial,
like a lovely meal.
It may be some piece
of art,
music,
literature,
or in my case,
architecture.
Something that just,
our heart catches on
to a glimpse
of God's glory.
And then,
sings my soul,
my saviour,
God,
to thee.
And those times
are wonderful,
whether they're days,
months,
or just minutes.
But often,
it's hard.
We forget
how good God is.
We forget
all we know
about him.
We forget
all he has done
for us.
And we have
difficulty seeing him.
For now,
we see only
a reflection
as in a mirror.
the transient,
superficial things
of this world
seem to have
so much more substance.
They cloud our eyes.
They distract
our attention.
They capture
our affections.
And also,
worse than that,
there is still
that rebellious element
in our hearts
that doesn't want
to acknowledge
that we are not
the greatest.
That he
is worthy
of all praise
and not us.
And so,
the psalmist,
knowing both
how important it is
and how difficult
we find it,
repeatedly
return to the subject,
writing psalm
after psalm,
reminding us
to praise.
In fact,
they know
the struggle
themselves.
And so,
for instance,
David in Psalm 103
addresses the psalm
to his own soul.
He's talking
to himself.
And he's exhorting
himself to praise
because he knows
exactly
how easily
he forgets.
Praise the Lord,
O my soul,
all my inmost being,
praise his holy name,
praise the Lord,
O my soul,
and forget not
all his benefits.
I know,
even as I was
writing this,
how much
I was struggling
to focus,
to concentrate,
to be excited
by something
as important
as this.
To be honest,
I feel a bit
of an imposter
standing up here
telling you
to praise God
when,
really,
I'm not feeling it.
Not for any
particular reason,
just,
I'm not.
But that's
exactly
the point
of these psalms.
That's exactly
who they're
written to.
We don't need
something telling
us to praise God
when we feel
like it.
We do it,
naturally.
We need something
to tell us to praise
God when we don't.
As one song
says,
it doesn't depend
on the circumstance,
the strength
of my arm
or my voice.
It doesn't depend
on the way
I feel
for I've
made up my mind
and I'm going
to rejoice.
And so,
in general,
we see all
these psalms
follow a similar
structure.
They start
with an exhortation
to praise
and then they
continue
by telling us
why.
By setting out
some of the
things that we
should praise
God for.
For his character,
for his deeds.
And this psalm
is exactly
the same.
We see the
first three
verses
exhort us
to praise
God.
The next
16,
4 to
19
tell us
why.
And then
the final
three tell us
how we should
respond to
this.
And so,
our psalm
here starts
with a call
to sing
for joy
to the
Lord.
Or as some
other translations
put it,
shout,
rejoice,
exult.
Which of
those is more
accurate?
I don't know,
but they
pretty much
get the same
concept.
That we
have to bring
praise
joyfully
to God.
But we
see that it's
a call
to you
righteous,
to those
who seek
to follow
God.
Not to
those who
are perfect,
but to
those who
recognize
their weakness
and look
to God
for his
righteousness,
the righteousness
that comes
by faith.
It's
pointless
as being
in open
rebellion
against God
and singing
to him.
As
Salty,
the singing
song book
in the
Kids Praise
album that
some of
you may
remember
from your
childhood
says,
you can
sing
Christian
songs
till you're
blue in
the face,
but if
it's not
from the
heart,
it's not
praise.
But we
see also
that for
those following
God,
it's not
just possible,
but it's
fitting.
It's the
right and
proper thing
for them
to do.
It's not
just an
optional extra
for those
who like
that sort
of thing.
it's the
proper
response
of those
who are
the
righteous.
I don't
know if
there's any
particular
significance
in the
instruments
mentioned
in verse
two.
The
harp
and the
ten-stringed
lyre.
Maybe
one's a
simple folk
instrument
and one's
a more
complex
professional
instrument.
Maybe
one's a
strummed
rhythm
instrument
one's
more of
the
melodic
lead.
I don't
know,
but whatever
they are,
we're called
to use
everything we
have at
our disposal
to praise
God.
But then
verse three
tells us
three important
things about
our praise.
It should
be new,
it should
be skilful,
and it
should be
loud.
We are to
sing a new
song.
I did
wonder about
just telling
the band
that tonight
we were
singing songs
that to be
written for
tonight we
would sing
them once
and never
sing them
again,
but maybe
not.
But the
important thing
here is we're
not to be just
going through
the motions,
but we're to
have something
fresh to sing
about,
something about
what we have
learnt from
God, what we
have learnt
about God.
We should
not be just
repeating what
was once
meaningful to
us, but is
now routine.
There is
nothing wrong
with old
songs.
Many of them
are wonderful.
I love them.
I love the
deep poetry
of the words,
the anthemic
tunes, how
they speak of
great truths,
songs, but
why are we
singing them?
Are we
singing them
for yesterday's
reasons or
for today's?
Are we
singing them
to recapture
what we
felt sometime
in the past
or are we
using them
to express
the reality
of today?
But then
we're to
play skillfully.
Praising
God is
something that
we have to
do to the
best of our
ability,
however much
or little
that is.
We
shouldn't be
half-heartedly
just trying to
get away with
the bare
minimum.
Yeah, that
will do for
God.
We should be
bringing God
the first
fruits, the
best that
we have.
Here we
have a band
of skilled
musicians who
put a lot
of work into
helping us in
our worship,
and we often
take them for
granted.
We only comment
when they don't
do things quite
the way we'd
like them to
do.
But it's
right that
we should
put that
much focus
on it,
because it
is important.
Our worship
is for God,
and therefore
it matters.
But our
worship's not
just to be
skillful.
We're called
to give
loud,
joyful
shouts.
It's to be
passionate and
energetic.
it's all
too easy
to have
music
that's
skillful.
It's
perfect,
smooth,
polished,
but dead.
This is
something I
struggle with.
There is
a lot of
music that
I love to
listen to,
particularly
Renaissance
choral music,
music written
for the
worship of
God,
that's so
often performed
beautifully,
with exquisite
skill,
and lacking
any passion.
With no
sense that
the people
singing it
have any
idea what
they're singing
about.
And then
there's much
of modern
worship music
that,
quite frankly,
I don't
really like.
Often,
and I'm
sure I
sound like a
real old
fogey here,
it sounds
like noise.
But,
it's a
joyful noise
to the
Lord.
I know
what I
like,
but I
know what
should
better
worship.
And so,
why does
the psalmist
call us to
bring this
new,
skillful,
loud,
joyful song
of praise?
He gives
us the
reason in
verses 4
and 5.
In fact,
I think
most of
the rest
of the
psalm
is just
examples
of this
first reason.
The reason
is this.
He is
faithful.
He is
just.
He is
loving.
He is
righteous.
His words
are true.
He is a
good,
good God.
And
everything he
has made
is filled
with his
goodness
and love.
This is
the primary
reason that
God is
worthy of
all our
praise.
Not
because of
anything he
has done,
but because
of who he
is,
because of
his character.
But we
see that
character
displayed in
everything that
he does.
We see that
character displayed
in our
experience as
we follow
him.
both as
individuals
and as
a church.
As a
church,
see,
we're
celebrating
50 years
of God's
faithfulness.
As
individuals,
whether we've
been following
him for
80,
90 years
or a
day.
As we
sang this
morning,
through many
dangers,
toils and
snares,
I have
already
come.
Tis grace
has brought
me safe,
thus far,
and grace
will lead
me home.
And so
we can see
his faithfulness,
love,
beauty,
in so many
things.
But the
psalmist wants
us to think
of two
particular
examples.
disciples.
The first
of these
is given
in verses
6 to
9.
And it's
the same
reason that
Peter brought
to us
from Psalm
19 a
couple of
weeks ago.
we see
here that
we should
praise God
because he
is the
creator.
And
emphasis
here is
that he
created
by his
word.
He has
the power
and authority
to speak
a universe
into existence.
How crazy
is that?
And it's
repeated four
times.
By the
word of
the Lord
were the
heavens made.
A starry
host by
the breath
of his
mouth.
Verse
9.
For he
spoke and
it came
to be.
He
commanded
and it
stood
firm.
We see
here an
amazing,
awesome,
powerful God
that can
just speak
and
the
universe
becomes.
Now,
I know
in a
church like
this there
will be
many
different
and
probably
strongly
held
opinions
on
the
details
of
when
and
how,
of
how
literally,
how
poetically
we should
take the
first
chapters
of
Genesis.
And I
think these
are
very
important
questions
that
actually
display
quite a
lot of
things of
what we
think about
God.
But the
main focus
here is
that it
did not
happen as
a result
of some
impersonal
force or
some random
chance,
but at the
divine command
of God
and that
it displays
the character
and nature
of God.
When we're
interacting with
non-Christians
around us,
sometimes,
it may be
appropriate
to get
into some
of these
details,
as long
as we
keep the
emphasis
not on
the when
or how
question,
but on
the who
question.
What matters
is not
that they
agree with
us
about the
details,
but that they
come to
acknowledge the
one who
called the
whole universe
into being.
I know I
have been
involved in
plenty
pointless
discussions
that got
caught up
in scientific
details,
that probably
both sides of
the conversation
really were out
of our depths
and didn't
know what
we were
talking about,
and yet,
they completely
missed the
point.
They got
caught up in
the details
of creation
and missed
the creator.
And, but
then verse
eight tells
us that
when we
recognize him,
there is
only one
appropriate
response.
Let all
the earth
fear the
Lord.
Let all
the people
of the
world
revere
him.
The only
suitable
response
is reverent
fear and
worship of
our awesome
creator.
when we
recognize
that all
the glories
of the
world
around us,
not just
the nice,
romantic,
picturesque
parts of
creation,
but every
part of
it,
the air
we breathe,
our bodies,
the very
solidity of
objects,
the fact
that there
is a
sheer
existence
of anything,
that all
of that
comes from
him,
then we
must worship
him.
And so
then the
psalmist
continues
on to
the second
example of
how God's
character is
displayed,
when we
see that
God is
not just
creator,
but he
is in
control.
See this
in verses,
where are we,
verses 10
10 to
19,
basically,
it's all
on this
subject,
because God
is not an
absentee
landlord.
God is
not the
watchmaker
who created
a wonderful
watch,
wound it
up,
and left
it to run
on its
own.
God is
involved
with his
creation.
He's not
just standing
back and
looking on
disinterestedly.
And so
in verses
10 to
12,
we're told
that his
plans will
be fulfilled.
It's sheer
arrogance to
accept that
God is the
almighty
creator,
and then
think that we
can just go
ahead and make
our own
plans,
in spite of
him, in
spite of
what he
says.
Here
specifically
talks about
the futility
of nations
making
godless
plans.
Psalm 2
says,
why do
the nations
conspire,
and the
peoples plot
in vain?
The kings
of the earth
rise up,
the rulers
band together
against the
Lord and
against his
anointed,
saying,
let us
break their
chains and
throw off
their shackles.
The one
enthroned in
heaven
laughs.
the Lord
scoffs at
them.
God's
plans,
God's
purposes
will be
fulfilled,
and those
who try and
stand in
his way
will be
pushed
aside.
But if
there is a
warning to
those nations
who would
try and
stand against
God,
the reverse
is also
true.
in verse
12 we
read of
the blessing
to the
nation whose
God is
the Lord,
the people
he chose
for his
inheritance.
In the
context of
the Psalms,
the nation
in question
is Israel.
But there
are many
nations since
then who
have claimed
this position
for themselves.
Britain
certainly
thought,
it had
that
position.
And many
in the
USA today
would claim
it.
If you do
an image
search for
the nation
whose God
is the
Lord,
basically
almost
everything
that's
returned
is an
American
flag
with this
verse
emblazoned
across it.
One article
I read
states,
Psalm 33
verse 12
may be the
most
misappropriated
verse in
the entire
Bible.
Question that
because there
are many
others that
probably could
compete for
that title,
but it
continues,
there is no
such thing
as a Christian
nation.
There is not
now,
nor has there
ever been,
a nation on
earth that
collectively
bowed its
knee to the
lordship of
Jesus Christ.
Satan,
who insisted
that Christ
might bow
the knee to
him,
is the
present ruler
of this
world.
And so,
if there is
no such
thing as a
Christian nation,
who is this
I'm talking
about?
I think 1 Peter
would bring
some light
on this,
when it
says,
you are a
chosen people,
a royal
priesthood,
a holy
nation,
God's
special
possession,
that you
may declare
the praises
of him
who called
you out of
darkness
into his
wonderful light.
Once you
were not a
people,
but now you
are the
people of
God.
Once you
had not
received
mercy,
but now
you have
received
mercy.
And further
down in
Psalm 2
that we
read earlier,
addressing
God's
chosen king,
I will
make the
nations
your
inheritance,
the ends
of the
earth your
possession.
No longer
is this
blessing,
this promise,
this inheritance
attached just
to one
earthly nation,
but to a
kingdom which
includes all
from every
language and
tribe and
people and
nation who
acknowledge that
Jesus is
Lord.
And as such,
just as the
blessing is
attached to
individuals,
so too is the
warning.
As James would
write,
now listen,
you who say
today or
tomorrow,
we'll go to
this or that
city,
spend a year
there,
carry on
business and
make money.
Why?
You do not
even know
what will
happen tomorrow.
What is
your life?
You're a
mist that
appears for
a little
while and
then vanishes.
Instead,
you ought to
say,
if it is the
Lord's will,
we will live
and do this
or that.
Just to get
this clear,
this does not
mean suffixing
our announcements
with DV or
God willing
and continuing
to make all
our plans
ignoring God.
It means
recognizing that
God's ways
are not our
ways,
that he is
the one that
is in control.
Not that we
shouldn't make
plans,
but that we
should be
seeking to
make them
according to
what we know
of God's
will,
and fully
accepting that
God may turn
around and
say,
no,
that's not
what I've
planned for
you.
I've got
another plan.
You thought
this was good?
You thought
this was the
life you
wanted?
I have other
plans,
better plans.
You may not
like the sound
of them,
but trust me.
And so
carrying on
in verses
13 to 17
and verses
18 to 19,
we get two
contrasting
pictures.
Both of
them speak
of God
watching.
In verse
13,
we read,
from heaven
the Lord
looks down
and sees
all mankind.
From his
dwelling place
he watches
all who
live on
earth.
But in
verse 18,
we read,
the eyes
of the
Lord are
on those
who fear
him,
on those
whose hope
is in
his unfailing
love.
In the
first passage,
God is
watching all
of mankind.
He sees,
he knows
everything that
goes on.
Nothing can
be hidden
from him.
He knows
their hearts.
He knows
the depths
of their
hearts,
because he
made them.
as Psalm
103 says,
he knows
how we
are formed.
He remembers
we are
dust.
But in
the second
passage,
God is
watching those
who fear
him.
And we
see here
that there's
a huge
difference.
He looks
down on
mankind
and sees
the futility
of the things
they trust in
to save
them.
Verse 16,
no king
is saved
by the
size of
his army.
No warrior
escapes by
his great
strength.
A horse
is a vain
hope for
deliverance.
Despite all
its great
strength,
it cannot
save.
And
even
today,
we see
rulers
hoping to
be saved
by their
military
might.
we
recently
saw
images
of
North
Korea
parading
their
armies,
their
weapons
for all
the world
to see.
We also
saw
America
firing off
dozens of
missiles at
Syria
and dropping
the
quite arrogantly
named
mother of
all bombs
in
Afghanistan.
And while
we may
take a
certain
amount of
comfort in
our nation's
army,
I doubt
that that
really is
what most
of us are
trusting in
for our
security.
But we
may be
trusting in
equally
futile
things.
Are we
trusting in
our income,
our pension,
our family,
our friends,
our health?
are we
trusting in
our own
ability to
cope with
whatever life
throws at
us?
Are we
just gritting
our teeth
and singing
into the
storm,
I will
survive?
None of
these things
are secure.
All of
them are
good,
or maybe
good,
but none
can be
relied upon.
But for
those who
fear him,
for those
who trust
him,
for those
whose hope
is in
unfailing
love of
the Lord,
everything
is different.
Because we
read in
verse 18
and 19,
the eyes
of the
Lord are
on those
who fear
him,
on those
whose hope
is in
his unfailing
love to
deliver them
from death
and keep
them alive
in famine.
Because they
are not
trusting in
what they
have.
They are
not trusting
in their
own might.
They are
trusting in
God.
They are
trusting in
something,
in someone
that is
secure,
that can
be trusted,
that is
reliable.
One who
Psalm 62
would tell
us is
loving and
is strong.
One who
wants to
save us
from whatever
comes our
way,
but is not
just willing,
but is
able,
is powerful
to save us
completely,
is able to
take us
through the
storms of
life,
whatever they
might throw
at us,
and to
take us
safely home.
I seem
to be
quoting a
lot of
old hymns
for a
psalm that
talks about
singing a
new song,
but as we
often sing,
here I
raise my
Ebenezer,
here by
thy great
help I've
come,
and I
hope by
thy good
pleasure
safely to
arrive at
home.
we know
he is
trustworthy,
and therefore
we trust
him.
And then
in the
final few
verses,
we get
three ways
of how we
should
respond.
How we
should
respond to
this display
of God's
character,
both in
his works
of creation
and in
his ongoing
control and
care for
it.
Firstly,
in verse
20,
we wait
and hope
for the
Lord.
He is our
help and
our shield.
We wait.
We trust
him.
We rely
on him.
We put
our hope
on him.
We know
he is
faithful,
and therefore
we commit
our lives,
our plans,
our hopes,
our futures
to him.
And then
verse 21,
in him
our hearts
rejoice,
for we
trust in
his holy
name.
Because we
trust in
him,
we rejoice.
We have
learned to
know the
wonder of
his character,
and therefore
we rejoice.
And then
finally,
verse 22,
may your
unfailing
love rest
upon us,
O Lord,
even as we
put our
hope in
you.
We pray
to him.
Because we
have trusted
him,
because we
have put our
hope in
him,
we pray that
his unfailing
love will be
with us.
We wait
on him.
We sing our
praise to
him, and
while we
wait,
we ask
that he
will act
in accordance
with the
character that
he's revealed
to us.
Not that he
could ever
be unfaithful
to his
character,
but by
doing so,
we show
our dependence
on him.
We ask him
to act,
and we trust
him to do
so, not
because of
what we
want, but
because of
who he
is.
will we
listen to
the
exhortation
of the
psalmist?
Will we
be those,
the
righteous,
who trust
and wait
on the
Lord,
and worship
him afresh,
with skill
and with
passion,
whether we
feel like
it or
not,
but because
he is
worthy
to be
praised.
Thank you.