God Can Be Found
Lessons From The Psalms • Sermon • Submitted
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Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Greetings…
We have starting this new series on the “Lessons From The Psalms.”
My hope is to not only familiarize us better with the psalms but to learn from the powerful lessons therein.
This evening we are going to turn our attention to a very well known psalm, Psalm 19.
This is said to be written by David and within this psalm we are told two different ways “God Can Be Found.”
According to this inspired psalm God can be found in three different ways.
First…
God Is Found In Creation
God Is Found In Creation
The Sky Declares God.
The Sky Declares God.
In Psalm 19:1-4 we read…
Psalm 19:1–4 (ESV)
1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. 2 Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. 4 Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world…
That fact of the matter is, God created the universe.
The bible is clear on this issue that God created the universe in six days.
11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.
6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.
22 It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in; 23 who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness. 24 Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when he blows on them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble.
25 To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One. 26 Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name; by the greatness of his might and because he is strong in power, not one is missing.
In all reality it doesn’t take much paying attention to the sky above to see how amazing and particularly “held together” everything is.
Whether its a clear day or cloudy day, whether it’s daylight or dark, whether its calm or windy…
You can always see God in his creation.
3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4 what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?
Not only does the sky declare God but…
The Sun Declares God.
The Sun Declares God.
Psalm 19:4-6 says…
Psalm 19:4–6 (ESV)
4 …In them he has set a tent for the sun, 5 which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. 6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat.
As awe inspiring as the sky is with all it’s wonder the sun dwarfs it in magnitude.
The psalmist describes the sun a bridegroom bursting for to see his bride or a strong man’s joy busting out at his anticipation of the race.
The suns effects are universal, from one end of heaven to the other nothing is hidden from the sun.
There is a reason God uses the “sun” or “light” as that which represents him, because it is like him.
Like the sun, God can’t wait to live with us forever.
9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
Like the sun, God’s joy busts out when one of his little ones comes to obedience.
7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
Like the sun, nothing is hidden from God.
13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
Summary
Summary
The universe, clearly demonstrates that a creator is responsible for it, and that creator is the Creator, God.
19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
There is no scientific excuse to not believe in God, based on the universe.
We also see this psalm demonstrate that…
God Is Found In Revelation
God Is Found In Revelation
The Virtue Of God’s Word.
The Virtue Of God’s Word.
Psalm 19:7-11 reads…
Psalm 19:7–11 (ESV)
7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; 8 the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; 9 the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. 11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
In here we find seven virtues of God’s word.
It’s perfect: God’s word is complete lacking in nothing that would make it defective or blemished.
25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
It’s sure: God’s word endures all tests and is found trustworthy.
7 The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy;
It’s right: God’s word is just in that it is not unfair.
13 You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven and gave them right rules and true laws, good statutes and commandments,
It’s pure: God’s word is free from any contradictions or fallacies.
6 The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times.
It’s clean: God’s word is free from moral impurity, as it never defiles those that learn from it.
6 Hear, for I will speak noble things, and from my lips will come what is right, 7 for my mouth will utter truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips. 8 All the words of my mouth are righteous; there is nothing twisted or crooked in them.
It’s true: God’s word is dependable as what it says is true and therefore can be counted on.
160 The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.
It’s righteous: God’s word delivers what is just, what should be our custom, our law, and our morality.
144 Your testimonies are righteous forever; give me understanding that I may live.
Thus the Psalmist clearly demonstrates the virtue of God’s revelation to mankind.
He also demonstrates…
The Value Of God’s Word.
The Value Of God’s Word.
We see in Psalm 19:10-11…
10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. 11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
The value in God’s word is that there is nothing else like in all the universe.
There is nothing that is more valuable because it is what guides us to God and explains what it takes to spend eternity with God.
God’s word brings value to our lives by allowing us to live “unashamed lives.”
15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
God’s word brings value to our lives by allowing us to live “fulfilled and complete lives.”
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
God’s word brings value to our lives by allowing us to live peacefully, knowing God’s promise.
13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.
12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
Summary
Summary
The virtue found in God’s revelation to mankind is that which makes it so valuable to us, God’s creation.
God, through his word, tells us how to have the best life here on earth that will lead to the best life in heaven.
That brings us to our psalmist’s last point…
God Is Found In Sanctification
God Is Found In Sanctification
The Influence Of Creation & Revelation.
The Influence Of Creation & Revelation.
The psalmist ends this great psalm with the proper response someone has that has found God through his creation and his revelation.
That response is seeking further “confirmation of God” and “his love” by way of sanctification.
There is no greater demonstration of God in our lives then when we are found “sanctified, justified, and innocent” from our sins.
The proper response is manifested therefore by way of three prayers.
The psalmist first “prays for purification.”
12 Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults.
The reality is there are sins we are going to commit that we don’t even know we have committed.
This is typically done because (1) we don’t know God’s word good enough (Hebrews 5:12-14) or (2) because we did something without even realizing it.
That fact that God has enough mercy and grace to listen to us even when we have hidden sins and forgive us makes us aware of God and his love for us.
The psalmist secondly, “prays for prevention.”
13 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.
God knows we are feeble, at best, in our spiritual lives this side of heaven (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8, 10).
The fact that we can even pray for “prevention” from sin and to not be “led into temptation” (Matthew 6:13) tells us how much God love us.
The psalmist thirdly, “prays for perfection.”
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
No, we cannot be perfect on our own but with God and the blood of Jesus (1 John 1:7) we can live spiritually perfected lives which is why Jesus said in Matthew 5:48…
48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Summary
Summary
Because we know we can go to our father in prayer sanctified and pour out our hearts to him, based on the evidence of his existence through his creation and revelation, we can find our God and his love in our lives.
Conclusion
Conclusion
The creation of the universe and the revelation of God clearly allow us to “find our God.”
And when we find him let us never stop drawing near him in our lives until that time when we can be with him for eternity.
Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.