Sermon Tone Analysis

Start with a call of praise from tonight’s Psalm

Psalm 103:1–2 (KJV 1900)

1 Bless the Lord, O my soul: And all that is within me, bless his holy name.

2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all his benefits:

He exhorts himself with his whole being to bless

He exhorts himself not to forget the benefits

Introduction

Story / Tool Belt Sermon

Psalm of Grace Shown - “admiring gratitude shines through every line of this hymn to the God of all grace.”

Background of theme found in Exodus

The children of Israel had committed idolatry at Mount Sinai, just having been given The Ten Commandments.

God has told Moses that He's going to destroy them all.

Moses the mediator has interceded for them and prayed that God would not destroy them.

God has in fact responded to the prayer of Moses, but then in response to the prayer of Moses, God says ‘I'm going to reveal myself in a special way to you.’

Exodus 34:3 And no man shall come up with thee, neither let any man be seen throughout all the mount; neither let the flocks nor herds feed before that mount.

Exodus 34:5–7 (KJV 1900)

5 And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord.

6 And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,

7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

The reason God forgives is because He is compassionate and gracious.

Moses did not have to talk God into taking this position.

The reason that God forgives in response to Moses’ prayer is to teach the people of God that they need a mediator interceding for them.

He flows from who God is, not as a reaction to our persuasion.

Exodus 33:19 (KJV 1900)

19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.

Psalm 103 (KJV 1900)

A Psalm of David.

1 Bless the Lord, O my soul: And all that is within me, bless his holy name.

2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all his benefits:

3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; Who healeth all thy diseases;

4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; So that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

6 The Lord executeth righteousness And judgment for all that are oppressed.

7 He made known his ways unto Moses, His acts unto the children of Israel.

8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.

9 He will not always chide: Neither will he keep his anger for ever.

10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, So great is his mercy toward them that fear him.

12 As far as the east is from the west, So far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

13 Like as a father pitieth his children, So the Lord pitieth them that fear him.

14 For he knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust.

15 As for man, his days are as grass: As a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.

16 For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; And the place thereof shall know it no more.

17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, And his righteousness unto children’s children;

18 To such as keep his covenant, And to those that remember his commandments to do them.

19 The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; And his kingdom ruleth over all.

20 Bless the Lord, ye his angels, That excel in strength, that do his commandments, Hearkening unto the voice of his word.

21 Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts; Ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.

22 Bless the Lord, all his works In all places of his dominion: Bless the Lord, O my soul.

Wayward family; gentle, compassionate, forgiving Father.

Who was oppressed?

The children of Israel.

How did they get there?

The had sinned their way into that captivity.

Greatest picture of redemption in the Old Testament, the exodus, and he thanks God for taking care of the oppression of His people.

This is an act of tremendous grace, that God would reveal himself to His people.

Psalm 103:7 He made known his ways unto Moses, His acts unto the children of Israel.

What are the ways made known to Moses and to us?

1.

The reluctance of His anger

8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.

9 He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.

What a description?

Let us consider how wonderful that it is that this is our God!

God is not like man.

Rather than looking for reasons to be angry with You, He's looking for excuses to be gracious to you.

Stephanie sends me quotes all day “Let their storm meet our calm.”

2. The generosity of His mercy

10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

Could you imagine someone fully knowing everything about you?

If they did you would only be able to request grace.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle — creator and author of Sherlock Holmes series — sent a telegram to 12 men “…of great virtue and respected in society.”

The telegram read “Flee!

All has been discovered.”

Within 24 hours, the story goes, all 12 had fled the country.

It is oft quoted as an example of the shame of a guilty conscience.

3. The magnitude of God's love

11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.

Farther then you could reach with your arms.

No one else can make this claim.

God wants us to know the love He has for us.

Have you meditated on the magnitude of God's love today?

John 17:23–26 (KJV 1900)

23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.

26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

4. The comprehensiveness of His forgiveness.

12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

You can go so far north you are going south.

But you can always go east or west.

They are not touching.

The comprehensiveness of God's forgiveness should lead us to come to the Lord's Table (Sunday) with gratitude in our hearts.

5.

The tenderness of His compassion.

13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.

Christ came to earth to put on our feelings as well as our flesh.

Jesus knows all about our sorrows.

Jesus didn’t just perform compassionate acts; he felt compassion.

On the crowds.

Matthew 9:36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.

On individuals.