Praise to the Lord, the Almighty

Catherine Winkworth, Joachim Neander, Straisund Gesangbuch

 

Praise to the Lord

The Almighty, the King of creation

O my soul, praise Him

For He is your health and salvation

All you who hear, now to His temple draw near

Praise Him in glad adoration

 

Praise to the Lord

Who o’er all things so wondrously reigneth

Shelters you under His wings

Yea, so gently sustaineth

Have you not seen how your desires have been

Granted in what He ordaineth

 

Praise to the Lord

Who does prosper your work and defend you

Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend you

Ponder anew what the Almighty can do

If with His love He befriend you

 

Praise to the Lord

O let all that is in me adore Him

All that has life and breath

Come now with praises before Him

Let the amen sound from His people again

Gladly for’ere we adore Him

 

 

 

Call to Worship

Psalm 48

 

Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God!

 

His holy mountain, where He reigns as the great King, is the joy of all the earth!

 

The kings of the earth assembled in rebellion against God.  But when they saw His mighty power, they trembled and fled.

 

God will establish His people in His city forever.

 

We meditate on your unfailing love!  Your praise reaches to the ends of the earth, and your right hand is filled with righteousness.

 

God is our God for ever and ever.  He will be our guide even to the end.

 

 

 

Crown Him With Many Crowns

Matthew Bridges, Godfrey Thring, George Elvey

 

Crown Him with many crowns

The Lamb upon His throne

Hark! How the heavenly anthem drowns 

All music but its own

Awake, my soul and sing

Of Him who died for thee

And hail Him as thy matchless King 

Through all eternity

 

Crown Him the Lord of love

Behold His hands and side

Those wounds, yet visible above

In beauty glorified

No angel in the sky 

Can fully bear that sight

But downward bends His burning eye 

At mysteries so bright

 

Crown Him the Lord of life

Who triumphed o'er the grave

Who rose victorious in the strife 

For those He came to save

His glories now we sing

Who died, and rose on high 

Who died eternal life to bring

And lives that death may die

 

Crown Him the Lord of Heaven

Enthroned in worlds above

Crown Him the King to whom is given

The wondrous name of Love

Crown Him with many crowns 

As thrones before Him fall

Crown Him, ye kings, with many crowns 

For He is King of all

 

 

 

Prayer

 

We praise and thank you, O Lord, that you have fed us with your Word.

 

God of compassion, we remember before you the poor and the afflicted, the sick and the dying, prisoners and all who are lonely, the victims of war, injustice, and inhumanity, and all others who are suffering.

 

O Lord of providence, who holds the destiny of the nations in your hand, we pray for our country.  Inspire the hearts and minds of President Trump, and our other leaders, that they, together with all our nation, may first seek your kingdom and righteousness, so that we might experience order, liberty, and peace.

 

O God the Creator, we pray for all nations and peoples.  Take away the mistrust and lack of understanding that divide your creatures.  Increase in us the recognition that we are all your children, created in your image.

 

O Savior God, look upon us - your church - in our struggle upon the earth.  Have mercy on our weakness, bring to an end our unhappy divisions, and calm our fears.  Look also upon the ministry of your church. Increase our courage, strengthen our faith, and inspire our witness to all people, even to the ends of the earth.

 

Author of grace and God of love, send your Holy Spirit’s blessing to your children.  Keep our hearts and thoughts in Jesus Christ, your Son, our only Savior.

 

In His name we pray.


Amen.

 

 

 

How Deep the Father's Love for Us

Stuart Townend

 

How deep the Father’s love for us

How vast beyond all measure

That He should give His only Son

To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss

The Father turns His face away

As wounds which mar the Chosen One

Bring many sons to glory

 

Behold the man upon a cross

My sin upon His shoulders

Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice

Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there

Until it was accomplished

His dying breath has brought me life

I know that it is finished

 

I will not boast in anything

No gifts, no power, no wisdom

But I will boast in Jesus Christ

His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward

I cannot give an answer

But this I know with all my heart

His wounds have paid my ransom

 

 

 

Catechism

New City Catechism - Question 6

 

How can we glorify God?

 

We glorify God by enjoying him, loving him, trusting him, and by obeying his will, commands, and law.

 

 

 

Be Thou My Vision

Mary E. Byrne, Eleanor H. Hull

 

Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart

Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art

Thou my best thought, by day or by night

Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light

 

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word

I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord

Thou my great Father, and I Thy true son

Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one

 

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise

Thou my inheritance, now and always

Thou and Thou only, first in my heart

High King of glory, my treasure Thou art

 

High King of heaven, my victory won,

May I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heaven’s sun

Heart of my own heart, whatever befall

Still be my vision, O Ruler of all

 

 

 

Scripture Reading

Psalm 23

 

1    The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2        He makes me lie down in green pastures.

    He leads me beside still waters.

3        He restores my soul.

    He leads me in paths of righteousness

        for his name's sake.

 

4    Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

        I will fear no evil,

    for you are with me;

        your rod and your staff,

        they comfort me.

 

5    You prepare a table before me

        in the presence of my enemies;

    you anoint my head with oil;

        my cup overflows.

6    Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

        all the days of my life,

    and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord

        forever.

 

 

 

Sermon

 

When you think about God, what comes to mind?  When you try to create a mental picture of who He is, and what He does, what is it that you see?

 

Some of us see an old guy, with a long white beard.  Sitting on a cloud in the sky.  At least, that accounts for the top 10 hits if you do a Google image search.

 

Some of us see a strong, mighty warrior.  Clad in armor.  Leading his people, as they march out to battle.

 

Some of us see a cosmic police officer.  Looking down, blowing his whistle at every infraction that he sees.  Handing out spiritual speeding tickets.

 

Some of us see a peer.  And equal.  A buddy.  A guy that we can call on when we feel like we need him.  And who we can ignore, when we don’t need him.  We’re happy to interact with him.  But on our terms - not His.

 

Some of us see “love”.  Not really anything more definitive than “love”.  We basically assume that God affirms anything that I think is “loving”.  And that there is no way that God would ever do anything that I don’t think is “loving”.  Because God is “love”.

 

For our purposes today, I’d like for us to consider one particular way of thinking about God.  And understanding who He is, and what He does.  It is a way that God has chosen to describe Himself over and over again in the Bible.  Namely - that of a shepherd.

 

In Psalm 23:1, David says:

 

    The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

 

David understands God to be his shepherd.  Which implies that he sees himself as a sheep.  He looks to God.  He depends on God.  He needs God to take care of him.  And God does just that.  God is actively involved in looking after David.  Caring for David.  Making sure that David has everything that he needs.

 

Bad shepherds take advantage of their sheep.  They hurt their sheep.  They kill and eat their sheep.  They let their sheep get injured, and limp around, without helping them at all.  They let their sheep wander off, to be attacked by wild animals.  (You can read more about bad shepherds in Ezekiel 34.)

 

Good shepherds take care of their sheep.  His sheep know him.  They recognize the sound of his voice.  And they follow him.  Because he dwells among them.  And, he will do whatever it takes to make sure that they are okay.  Even if it involves sacrifice.  Even if it means laying down his life.  And, ultimately, he brings his sheep home to safety.  (You can read more about good shepherds in John 10.)

 

David says that he is a sheep.  And that God is his shepherd.  And make no mistake - God is a good shepherd.

 

Listen to what else he does (23:2-3):

 

He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters.

 

Green pastures.  Full of grass, where the sheep can have their fill of food.  And still waters.  So that they don’t have to worry about getting thirsty, or suffering from dehydration.  Everything that they would ever need.

 

And look specifically at the verb that David chooses in 23:2.  He makes me lie down.  At first glance, it sounds a little rough.  A little heavy-handed.  It almost makes God sound like a bully, who forces his will on people who are smaller and weaker than him.  It’s not very encouraging to think of God making us do anything - is it?

 

It might be.  Especially when we consider how good God is.  And how much he knows (and cares) about what we need.  And, frankly, how little we ourselves know about what we actually need.  God knows that we need to lie down in green pastures.  And yet, we are constantly distracted and tempted by cliffs, and dangerous terrain.

 

Imagine a parent and their young child.  Now - whether you read all the books about infant care and child psychology, or whether you learn it by experience of raising a little baby - the conclusion is the same.  Babies need sleep.  They need a lot of it.  Upwards of 20 hours a day, depending on how old they are.

 

And yet, ironically, it seems as if babies hate to sleep!  They fight it with all their being!  More often than not, if you put them down to rest, they will kick and scream and get all worked up.  Because they don’t want to sleep.  They need to sleep.  But they don’t want to sleep.

 

Enter the loving parent.  They knows that their baby needs to sleep.  They knows that their baby doesn’t want to sleep.  And frankly, they know that if their baby is left to his own devices, he won’t get any sleep.  (At least not very much sleep.  And not good, deep sleep.)  So, what do they do?  They make their child lie down.

 

They swaddle him, and wraps him in tight blankets, to make him feel warm, and safe, and secure.  They rock him in their arms.  They sing him a lullaby.  They put a pacifier in his mouth.  And then, they gently put him down to rest.  A good parent makes their child lie down to rest.

 

Not because they are mean.  Not because they are bullies.  Not because they have a malicious intentions to force their will on their son.  They make their baby lie down because they know that He needs it.  They know that it is good for him.

 

That’s what David means when he says that God makes him lie down in green pastures.  God is his loving father.  His loving shepherd.  He knows what is good for him.  And he is strong, and bold, and firm, to make sure that David gets what he needs.

 

And that is exactly what God does for us.

 

23:3:

 

He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

 

It’s not just that God takes care of David.  It’s not just that he gives him food (green pastures) and drink (still waters).  It’s not just that God restores David’s soul, and helps him to feel content, and full, and well.

 

After having done all of that, God leads David.  He leads him forward, into the place where God has called him to be.

 

God has prepared good works in advance, for David to walk in (Ephesians 2:10).  He has a kingdom, that he intends for David to rule over.  He intends to use David to establish his kingdom, and make sure that all of his people - from the least to the greatest - are cared for.

 

Have you ever considered the reality that God has prepared good works for you to walk in?  And that he is, as we speak, actively leading you into those paths of righteousness?  He has blazed the trail for us.  And he is pointing the way down it.  All we have to do is follow.

 

And specifically, we follow God in down the path of righteousness for his name’s sake.  God calls us to live godly lives, and make good decisions, and to love our neighbors, and to be humble - not so that we can be celebrated for how good we are.  Not so that we can become famous.  He does it so that He will become famous.  So that God’s name will be heralded to the ends of the earth.

 

God is concerned about His name.  And He calls us, as his people, to be righteous, for the sake of His name.

 

Now, to this point, this sounds all well and good.  God is a shepherd.  I am his sheep.  He feeds me, and gives me everything I need (even before I know that I need it).  And he leads me where to go.  This all sounds awesome, right?

 

It is, until we consider that, sometimes, God leads us to places that we wouldn’t have gone otherwise.  He leads us into suffering, and pain, and hardship.

 

23:4:

 

4    Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

        I will fear no evil,

    for you are with me;

        your rod and your staff,

        they comfort me.

 

The valley….of the shadow….of death.  This language is not intended to communicate pleasantness, or happiness.  It is meant to communicate pain.  Sorrow.  Suffering.  Death.  The very things that we are instinctively terrified of.  And try to avoid.

 

And yet, David says that he is not afraid of them.  Or, rather, He will choose not to fear them.  Not because they are not scary, in and of themselves.  Rather, David chooses not to fear the valley of the shadow of death because God is with him.  He can walk through the worst places in this world, because His shepherd is with him.

 

And, because his shepherd is carrying a rod, and a staff.  The rod would be used to swing and hit - to chase away intruders and threats.  And the staff was long, and had a hook on the end of it.  It was used to grab a sheep that was wandering off, and pull it back into the fold.

 

Basically, David is saying that he okay, even in the most dangerous of places.  Even in the most difficult seasons of life.  Because God - his shepherd - is with him.  And he has full confidence that God will ward off any enemies or threats that are lurking in the darkness.  And he has full confidence that if he ever wanders off, God will grab him, and pull him back into the fold where he belongs.

 

And that is comforting.

 

23:5:

 

    You prepare a table before me

        in the presence of my enemies;

    you anoint my head with oil;

        my cup overflows.

 

Now, David changes the illustration.  Before, in 23:4, he was getting by.  Plugging along through the Valley of the shadow of death.  Step by step.  Little by little.  Just putting one foot in front of the other, trying to survive.

 

But now, he is no longer just eking by.  Now, he is victorious.  So much so that he is not concerned about his enemies at all.  They are surrounding him, looking on with intent to harm.  And yet, David knows that they pose no threat at all.  Because God is with him.  And God is protecting him.  And God is taking care of him.  He is so utterly unconcerned that he is able to sit down, and relax, right in front of them, and eat a large dinner, without a care in the world.

 

As Christians, there are seasons when it feels like we are just getting by.  Just grinding it out, trying to make it through the day, and that’s all we can hope for.  And yet, the reality is that God intends for us to enjoy an abundant life.  He intends for us to have victory over sin.  And to glorify Him with what we say, and do, and think, and feel.

 

And then, finally, 23:6:

 

6    Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

        all the days of my life,

    and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord

        forever.

 

Not only is God David’s shepherd in the here and now.  Taking care of him.  Providing for his needs.  Leading him into the life that He has called David to live.  Fending off enemies, and blessing him abundantly.  God is not merely doing all of those things during this life, here in this world.  God will continue to do all of those things for ever and ever - on into eternity.

 

We need not fear death.  We need not fear what happens after death.  Because we know that God’s goodness is not just for the here and now.  It is for eternity.  We know that God’s mercy is not just for the here and now.  It is for eternity.  And we know that we will dwell with God, in His perfect kingdom, under His perfect, benevolent rule, for ever and ever and ever.  Because Jesus - our Great Shepherd - laid his life down for us, so that we can be reconciled to God through His death and resurrection.

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

We thank you that you are our good shepherd.  That you take care of us.  That you provide for us.  And you plan out a life of righteousness for us to walk in.  And you are with us, even through the deepest valleys of life.  And we thank you that, because of Christ, you will never let us go, for the rest of eternity.  We love you, and we trust you.

 

Amen.

 

 

 

Grace Greater Than All Our Sin

Daniel B. Towner, Julia H. Johnston

 

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord

Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt

Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured

There where the blood of the Lamb was spilt

 

Chorus:

Grace, grace, God’s grace

Grace that will pardon and cleanse within

Grace, grace, God’s grace

Grace that is greater than all our sin

 

Sin and despair, like the sea waves cold

Threaten the soul with infinite loss

Grace that is greater, yes, grace untold

Points to the refuge, the mighty cross

 

Chorus

 

Dark is the stain that we cannot hide

What can avail to wash it away

Look! There is flowing a crimson tide

Whiter than snow you may be today

 

Chorus

 

Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace

Freely bestowed on all who believe

You that are longing to see His face

Will you this moment His grace receive?

 

Chorus

 

 

 

Benediction

1 Peter 5:7-11

 

Cast all your anxieties on God, because he cares for you.

 

And the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

 

 To him be the dominion forever and ever. 

 

Amen.

 

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