Blessings the Soul Forgets

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Blessings the Soul Forgets

Introduction:

  1. As people we have a problem that affects every single one of us here this morning

a.       We are forgetful.

b.      Oh we can remember all kinds of things,

                                      i.      Especially those bad things that others have said about us

                                    ii.      Or done to us.

c.       But we tend to forget that which the Lord has done in our lives.

d.      We have a LONG memory when it comes to our hurts, our sorrows and our burdens,

e.       But a very sort memory when it comes to recalling just how good the Lord has been to us.

  1. David also had this problem

a.       In the first 2 verses of Psalm 103, David calls upon his soul to remember what the Lord has done.

b.      He wants to stir up the inner man and get himself excited about what he has

c.       And what the Lord has promised to do for him and in him.

  1. David calls upon his soul to do two things

a.       First, he calls upon his soul to “Praise the Lord!”

                                      i.      The word “Praise/Bless” means “to kneel with the idea of adoration and praise.”

                                    ii.      He knows that God is worthy of all praise we can give to him.

                                  iii.      He wants his soul to be involved in praising the Lord.

b.      Second, he calls upon his soul to “Ponder the Lord!” He doesn’t want his soul to forget all that the Lord has done for it. “Forget not all his benefits–” vs. 2.

                                      i.      Notice all the personal pronouns in the next 3 verses, “6x” He is speaking to his soul with the words “You and Your” or “Thine, Thy, Thee.”

                                    ii.       He wants his soul to remember and contemplate all the “benefits” which the Lord has given.

                                  iii.      The word “benefits” means “dealings.”  It refers to how the Lord treats the soul.

  1. Sometimes the soul forgets just how good God has been and continues to be to His Children!
  2. Is it not true that we allow ourselves to get caught up in the problems and troubles of life and that we often forget where the Lord found us and what He did for us.
  3. Aren’t we guilty of allowing our eyes to wander from the Lord?
  4. Aren’t we guilty of allowing our focus to be man-centered instead of              God-centered?
  5. Far too often, we are guilty of forgetting what God has done in us! 
  6. You see the world around us is in a constant state of decay. 
  7. Some would say that a lack of Gratitude is a “Sign of the Times.”

a.       2 Timothy 3:1-4But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.  People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—” Sounds like today doesn’t it?

b.      The failure to remember to remember and be grateful for good is an indication of the degeneration of human society.

c.       Our text today calls us from our forgetfulness and reminds us to remember the goodness of God.

d.      Sometimes my soul forgets just who God is and what He has done for me.

e.       Sometimes I need a reminder of the benefits I enjoy as a child of God.

In our text (Psalm 103:1-5) I see Five Blessing The Soul Forgets.

Outline:

I         As a sinner he forgives me (vs. 3a)

A      Man’s greatest need makes the top of David’s list!  Sin/Iniquities – Rom 3:23 “All Have Sinned.”

B       We all know what sin is, but it is anything that we do that God does not approve.

1        We usually think of sin as bad things.

2        They are errors in judgment or mistakes that we make.

3        Any thought, word or deed that is contrary to the will of God.

4        They reflect the deliberateness on our part, to act in ways that are contrary to the ways God would have us think, speak and act.

C       I like the response of the little boy when asked by his Sunday school teacher, “What do you have to do if you want God to forgive you for your sins?”  The little boy answered, “Well, first you have to sin!”  While true none of us has to worry about sinning so that God can forgive, we already do that by nature. 

D      Vs. 3a says “Forgives All your (my) sins”

1        He has taken ALL of my sins and put them away from me FOREVER.

2        This made possible by Christ Blood shed on the cross and his resurrection from the grave.

3        ALL – that is Past, Present and Future sins are all taken care of.

E       So does that mean that we are sinless? 

1        Of course not!  I still sin (just ask my wife) but

2        This caries the idea that when God looks at us from His throne he is looking through the blood of Christ which cancels out our sin and God sees us perfect and sinless (because of Christ’s blood).

F        David was a realist, he knew that he had sin in his life and he was reminding himself of how God had forgiven him of those sins.

G      What a blessing to have God forgive me of my sins and pay my debt, which ties in with the 3rd Blessing but first lets look at the 2nd Blessing we tend to Forget.

II      As a sick man He heals me (vs. 3b)

A      It is true.  God does heal us physically and we give God credit for our physical health.

1        But it is important that we remember who David is talking to here, His Soul.

2        So when he says, “Heals all your diseases” he is speaking of diseases of the soul.

a         Our souls are subject to many terrible diseases:  guilt, lust, hate, greed, jealousy, discouragement, depression, anger, fear, doubt, bitterness, immorality, spite and greed, just to name a few. 

b        Just as surely as diseases of the body can take away physical life, the diseases of the souls can deaden us toward the things of God and leave us lifeless and weak.

B       Thank God, he has a remedy for the diseases of the soul! 

C       How could the soul ever forget the tender touch of the “Great Physician” as time and again He has diagnosed, treated and healed the diseases of the soul?

D      When I think of the help and healing I have received, what can I say but, “Bless the Lord, O my soul:  and all that is within me, bless His holy name.”?

E       Now that 3rd Blessing that we tend to forget.

III   As a slave He redeems me (vs. 4a)

A      Every soul that enters this world is a slave to sin…

1        Gal 3:22 “But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin”

2        Every soul is headed to a horrible conclusion as well, Rom 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death.”  Eternal Damnation in Hell.

3        Thank the Lord that he saw our destination and provided redemption for us.

4        He sent his one and only son into this sin depraved world to be offered as the sacrifice for my sin and yours. 

B       It is kinda like this – The Pawn Shop

1        I am not very familiar with the business of Pawn Shops but if my general understanding is correct; if I need money I take something to a pawn shop

2        The owner will examine it and give me a specified amount of cash for the item I am pawning. 

3        He will hold my asset for a specified time during which I may come in and buy it back with interest.

4        If I do not return to buy it back the owner will then put a higher more realistic value on my asset and sell it to someone else.

C       Pawn Shop / My Soul

1        My soul is sitting in a pawn shop (before salvation)

2        I am out in the world trying to work and do the best that I can to be able to buy my soul from the devil

a         I am doing good and trying to live a life where the Good will outweigh the bad in the end and I will “earn” my freedom and make it to heaven.

b        It is impossible to do enough good to make it to heaven on my own.

3        But along came Jesus Christ who paid the ultimate price for my life. 

4        He bought my SOUL with His shed blood on the Cross of Calvary and gave me freedom.

5        So now I am no longer working and trying to earn my salvation I can enjoy my salvation and live a life pleasing to the one who paid the price for my redemption.

D      When I think of the fact that I was one a slave to sin, but now I am free from sin’s bondage, sin’s curse and sin’s penalty, I just have to say, “Bless the Lord, O my soul:  and all that is in me bless his holy name.”

E       Thank God as the song writer said, “Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God; He to rescue me from danger, bought me with His precious blood...”     Vs. 2 – “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

F        How could my soul forget such a blessing?

G      It does, but when it remembers, the problems of life fade into insignificance again and God becomes more glorious than ever!

H      The 4th blessing we tend to forget.

IV   As a son He crowns me (vs. 4b)

A      David says that like a king passing down the power and glory of his kingdom to a beloved son, the people of God are crowned with the blessings of the Lord’s great kingdom.

B       Under the last point we talked about how we are redeemed but here He goes on further.

1        As great and wonderful as redemptions is God takes it to the next level.

2        We are also “crowned” we are heirs to his riches.

3        A child of the king.  On my way to heaven, one of His kids. 

4        How great and wonderful that is

C       “And crowns you with love and compassion,” I actually like the way that KJV translated that better, “crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies”

1        “Lovingkindness” corresponds to what the New Testament calls “grace”.

2        “Tender mercies” carries the idea of “compassion and tender love”.

3        His grace is matchless and marvelous, but His tender mercies are glorious beyond vocabulary’s ability to explain!

a         This also gives the picture of a Loving Touch (we have all felt it) the touch of someone we love, reassuring you that everything is ok. 

b        There is love, peace and safety all bottled up in that touch.

c         But there are times when human touches and words are ineffective.

i          Even in those times we are never beyond the tender touch of God.

ii        I thank God for His tender touch as I pass through this life.

D      When I think of His grace and His goodness towards me, I just have to say, “Bless the Lord, O my soul:  and all that is in me bless His holy name.”

E       This brings us to the 5th and final Blessing we tend to forget.

V      As a saint He satisfies me (vs. 5)

A      As our gracious heavenly Father He “Satisfies your desires with good things”.

B       He does not always give us what we want, but He always gives us what is best, Rom 8:28 “All things work together for the good…”

C       Those who rest in Him and draw their strength from Him will find that they are in a constant state of renewal and that their spiritual stamina will never fail.

D      Those who do not abide in Him will have a difficult time continuing in the race, John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

E       Those who are drawing their life and satisfaction from the Lord will display a youthful spirituality that allows them to soar above the storms and difficulties of life like the mighty Eagle.

F        “So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” (vs. 5b)

G      “Molting Eagle” – This process which I am about to explain was held as scientific fact in some places and in other place called a myth, but for sake of illustration we are going to assume that this is the actual process.

1        This may have been what David was referring to when he said “your youth is renewed like the eagle’s”.

2        As an eagle ages their beaks and talons become encrusted with calcium.

3        Making then duller than they once were.

4        And harder for the eagle to catch and eat its prey.

5        When the eagle enters this period in life, he will descend from soaring in the heights above and find a place in the rocks,

6        There he will pluck/loose many of his feathers and also break off the build up on his beak and talons.

7        At this point the eagle is vulnerable and defenseless.

8        It has been reported that while in this state some people have seen older eagles fly over their heads and drop food to them but, only the eagles that have gone through that process do this, the younger ones don’t help out.

9        During this time many eagles die b/c they cannot feed themselves or escape predators.

10    But during this time a wonderful thing happens to those who survive…

11    The feathers grow back in and its beak and talons grow back in sharp and strong.

12    Then they will once again step out of the rocks, flap its wings and soar in the sky with victory.

H      Many of us can identify with the eagle experiences; we go through the “molting process” from time to time.

I         The answer for both the eagle and the saint is – getting to the Rock!

J         There, we can recover and be strengthened and renewed once again.

K      When I think of how He (God) has repeatedly lifted me from the jagged rocks of affliction and pain and restored me with spiritual strength and victory, all I can say is, “Bless the Lord, O my soul:  and all that is in me bless His holy name.”

Conclusion:

  1. Sometimes the soul forgets the great blessing of the Lord, doesn’t it?
  2. When it does, it is time to get before Him and seek His face and to get reminded of the great things He has done for you.
  3. Have you become so caught up in the burdens and problems of life that you have forgotten His Blessings in your life?
  4. Have you allowed others and their actions to turn your heart away from the Lord and His Blessings in your life?
  5. I wonder how many of us are really in a place where our souls are “blessing” the Lord.
  6. If the Lord and His presence aren’t as real to you as they used to be or as they need to be, you can get help and restoration you need right now. 
  7. Go to Him in prayer and Remember the Blessing that your soul has forgotten!
  8. As a sinner He forgives me, As a sick man He heals me, As a slave He redeems me, As a son He crowns me, and As a saint he satisfies me.

 

Hymn # 55 “Bless His Holy Name”

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