Sermon Tone Analysis

Not to us...

In prepping this sermon I came upon a devotion by Sam Storms where he tells the story of William Tell.

William tell is known as a Swiss Legend that has become the face of many revolutions and resistance groups.

If you do not know his story here is a brief overview...

Most likely we would use the natural environment around us… Where the Sun is in the sky?

Wait long enough and notice where the sun sets or rises from?

Legend has it that some time around the year 1307, during a time of unrest between Austria and Switzerland, the austrian bailiff Gessler representing the count of Habsburg, requests that everybody bows his hat on a rod in Altdorf (Uri).

William Tell refuses reverence to the hat and is arrested.

The bailiff forces William Tell to shoot an apple off his sons head with his crossbow.

William Tell hits the apple, but he has prepared a second arrow to shoot the bailiff in case he would have hurt the child.

What about if the sun was not visible because we were in a very dark storm and we are in the middle of the Pacific Ocean? Suppose we knew a general direction that we should go but we were only 2 degrees off??? What would happen?

Depending on the course we set, at 2 degrees off w

William Tell is known for his incredible accuracy and skill with a crossbow.

He is renown because if he had been off in his aim only slightly, the results would have been disastrous.

What is the point?

Sam Storms mentions this story in connection to this Psalm making the analogy between William tell and our worship of God to suggest that, much like Tell, if the arrow of our adoration is even slightly off target, the results can be disastrous.

If our worship is not fixed and focused on the Triune God of Scripture alone, what we are doing is not only foolish, but fatal, not only dumb, but deadly.

Worship can happen at anytime and anyplace, but wherever and whenever it happens, it must not be pointed at whomever, as if that is of less importance.

One thing we must know is that we were created by God to Worship him, and yet we often replace God with idols and aim our worship at other things.

Yet the scriptures are full of commands to adjust our worship and aim it at God alone.

Today we will see this in our text, let’s dive in.

This is not a typo here… the psalmist is intentionally repeating himself to be emphatic about the aim of their worship...

NOT TO US, NOT TO US, But to you name be the glory!

And to say, “not to US” means he is talking to the community of believers as much as the individual.

This is a Psalm of communal confidence in who God is and how we should worship him.

And to start things off we are encouraged not to look to ourselves or to the masses of humanity in all they can muster to present as accomplishments.

Spurgeon said, “No praise is due to man: Have we a being?

“Not unto us” Have we health?

“Not unto us” Have we outward comforts?

“not unto us” Have we friends?

“not unto us” How about the means of Grace?

“not unto us” Saving faith in Christ?

“not unto us” Gifts and graces?

“not unto us” The hope of Glory?

“not unto us” Usefulness to others?

“not unto us”!!!!

This psalms first verse encapsulates the task of all believers, both individually and corporately.

May it be a daily mantra that reminds us what are purpose is for… To give God glory and receive none of it ourselves.

But why does the psalmist say we must give it to God and receive none of it ourselves?

“For the sake of his steadfast love and faithfulness!”

All praise is due unto God because we have his inexhaustible Love and his everlasting faithfulness.

All praise is due unto GOd because we have his LoveFor the sake of his steadfast love and faithfulness!”

His “steadfast love” speaks of his gracious commitment to his people - His “faithfulness” speaks of his commitment to the truth.

So this psalm moves God’s people to trust and worship God alone.

His affection and character of faithfulness results in glory to his name alone!

Praise does not belong to us, but to his name be the Glory!

How often do we like to take credit for when things are going well?

Yet we cry out to the Lord and even get upset when things are not good.

Does it seem like sometimes we like to get all of the credit and none of the blame?

Do we withhold praise from God and yet give it to others or even ourselves?

Perhaps we need a great reminder of who God is and who we are?

Can we say about anyone other than God, that they have steadfast Love and are truly faithful for all of eternity?

When I put it that way, it is awfully hard to even compare.

It is like holding a flashlight up and pretending it is the sun.

You can stare at a flashlight and start to see spots when you blink, but if you stare at the sun you will burn your eyes out and become blind.

One can be impressive but the other is so overwhelming that it will bring you to your knees.

How great is our God!

The psalmist is writing to a people who are feeling like they are being insulted by those who do not believe in God because they cannot see their God.

Moreover, when God’s people are not faithful in giving God praise but taking it for themselves, he is not even to be heard of by those who do not believe in him.

When he says the “nations”, the psalmist is referring to all those that surrounded Israel at different times… Canaan, Babylon, Assyria, Persia, and Egypt.

They saw a temple but see no god… For Israel, the Gentiles saw their reproach when God had forsaken them for a time, and they taunted them by asking, “where is your God?”

is part of what is called the Hallel, which was recited yearly at passover.

They would recite and sing psalms 113-118 and remind themselves of the deliverance they recieved from God.

Yet part of that story was how they were taunted by the nations around them because they saw no god helping them for a season.

Is it so different nowadays?

Doesn’t the world around the Church see the Christian struggle and taunt them by saying “where is your God?”

And just like them that recited this annually, we have the same answer as they did in response to this question.

Look at the next verse...

You mean to tell me, when nations would taunt Israel because they couldn’t see their God, they would respond with this?

What is this?

Look at this verse and think deeply about what it says...

This verse best describes what it means for God to be a sovereign ruler.

This verse declares the personal nature, and unique habitation of the true God who has purposes that can never be thwarted!

Look at it and behold our God as we unpack this verse word by word and thought by thought...

First, our God who is the only God, is “in the heavens”, in other words he is transcendent over all, supreme in majesty, and unparalleled in splendor.

God is in the heavens - where he should be, where he is above the reach of mortal sinners, overhearing the vain clatter of foolish people, and as Spurgeon put it, “looking down with silent scorn on Babel makers”.

God is supreme above all opposing powers, he is the Lord that reigns on high from a lifted throne, where is absolute will and infinite power are superior to any limitations we understand.

Yet that isn’t as beautiful as how we are told of him here… This God is OUR GOD!

He is OUR GOD!

The Psalmist does not say that God is in the heavens and does all that he pleases, he says OUR God is!

The Hebrew word used for “Our” here is in the first person common plural form… meaning he himself and his audience together… Ours… this is our God.

This is the most personal way to know God and address him.

This God is our God, and we are not ashamed to acknowledge him, even though he may not work miracles at the beck and call of any who dare to challenge him.

They once told Jesus to come down off the cross so that they would believe, .

Now, they would have him come down from heaven to convince them.

And listen, even if our God is not seen, or heard, or even worshipped in any visible way, he is none the less real and true!

He is where his adversaries can never be, in the heavens where he stretches out his scepter and rules with boundless power.

Our God is in the heavens, he DOES… all that he pleases...

Our God DOES… unlike any lifeless Idols, that we will talk about in a moment… Our God is active and involved in all that he made.

He is not passive, but he is immediately and intimately active in all of life.

Our God is in the heavens and does ALL that he please...

There is nothing that God fails to accomplish.

Our God is not in the heavens and does SOME of what he pleases.

He is not weak and unable to accomplish his will, nor is his will overruled by his creation.

Whatever he plans, he fulfills, whatever he has decreed, it will come to pass!

No matter how distasteful to his enemies, the Lord will accomplish his good pleasure without difficulty.

When his adversaries raged against him, he still compelled them to carry out his plan.

When a proud Pharoah was most defiant, he was still but a lump of clay on the potters wheel.

Nothing that happens is outside of what he has allowed and purposed for his Glory and our good.

This is no doubt hard to understand.