-Sung Psalm- 72-----Sermon outline-----The rule - reign of God arrives in the Person of King Jesus-----1- Preaching the Kingdom of God----2- Power of the Kingdom Demonstrated----3- Praying in the Kingdom in a -wilderness- place

-Sung Psalm- 135-----I said last week that there are some Psalms that serve as cornerstones - songs that summarize a whole section of the Psalter.----Psalm 135 is also such a song- It's a lot like Psalm 118 - and just as Psalm 118 summed up the first part of Book 5, so now Psalm 135 sets up the last part of Book 5.----I've already preached through the -innards- of Book 5. I usually cover a whole Psalm in one sermon - but for Psalm 119 it took eleven sermons- Psalm 119 has 22 stanzas - each stanza has 8 verses - and in each stanza, every verse begins with the same letter of the Hebrew alphabet.----I have also preached through the Songs of Ascents -Psalms 120-134-. These are pilgrim songs - songs to be sung by those who are on the journey to Zion. Many of the same themes circle round in these Psalms- pilgrims and exiles longing for Jerusalem - longing for deliverance - longing for the day to come when God will make all things right.----Psalm 135 then brings us back to the themes that we have seen in part 1 of Book 5 - reminding us of the LORD's mighty deeds of creation - and his mighty deeds of new creation - the redemption from Egypt and the Conquest.

The central message of 2 Peter is a contrast between true teaching and false teaching - the apostles and prophets on the one hand, and false prophets and teachers on the other.----Last week we heard Peter's introduction, where he explained how sound doctrine relates to godly living.----We saw that Peter grounds this exhortation in a reminder of the gospel - the good news of Jesus - that -our God and Savior, Jesus Christ, came in the flesh so that by his divine power he might grant us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of desire.-----God became all that we are by nature, so that we might become all that he is by grace.----And then Peter encouraged us to furnish our faith with all the things that faith needs to flourish- Virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, piety, brotherly affection, love - these are not optional add-ons that you opt out of if you don't feel like it- These are the way into the everlasting kingdom of Jesus.----Because it is only if we pursue these things that there will be furnished to us -an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.-----Now in the central part of Peter's letter, he contrasts the true apostles and prophets with false teachers - pointing out that false doctrine results in false practice as well.

-Sung Psalm- 118-----There are some Psalms that serve as cornerstones - songs that summarize a whole section of the Psalter.----Psalm 118 is such a song. Psalms 111-117 are the -hallelujah- songs - The first three all begin with -allelujah- - Praise the LORD- The last three all end with -hallelujah- - Praise the LORD- -indeed, Psalms 113 and 117 both begin and end with hallelujah------Psalm 118 has lots of connections to Psalms 111-117- The threefold pattern that we saw in Psalm 115 - Israel, the house of Aaron, and those who fear the LORD. -His steadfast love endures forever- -from Psalm 117-. In the midst of distress, calling on the name of the LORD -from Psalm 116-. The LORD as my helper -from Psalm 115-. The nations surrounded me -echoes of Psalm 114-.----But there are other motifs that go further back. The opening line of Psalm 118 is borrowed from Psalm 107 -the first song in book 5-.-- --Psalm 107 had encouraged us to -consider the steadfast love of the LORD.- And over these last dozen Psalms, that is precisely what we have been done.----Psalm 118 functions as the cornerstone - wrapping up this first part of Book 5 of the Psalter.----If you look at what comes next, Psalm 119 - with its magnificent prayer of thanks and praise to the God who speaks- And then Psalms 120-134 - the songs of ascents - pilgrim songs for those who on the journey to Zion. Psalm 118 provides a cornerstone - a foundation stone - that sums up the first part of book 5, and prepares you for what comes next.

There's a striking statement in verse 4- we become partakers of the divine nature.----This is at the heart of Peter's teaching here in 2 Peter, so let's get straight to it-----How can we - who are sinful - and for that matter - how can we - who are creatures - partake of the divine nature-----It's a very simple concept - though one that takes a lifetime to understand- - and will only be fully understood at the resurrection at the final day-----But here it is- God is one. We will never participate in his essence. We will never become the being that is the Triune God.----But Peter does not say that we will become the being of God. Rather, he says that we become partakers of the divine nature. We are granted communion with the divine nature. We share in his energies - his divine power - referred to in verse 3.----Think of how Athanasius put it- God became man, so that man might become God.----Because in the incarnation God joined himself to man.----Jesus is fully God and fully man in one person.----We call that the hypostatic union - God and man united in one person -in Jesus-. But there is also a mystical union between Christ and his bride, the church.----We are united to Christ - he lives in us - his Spirit has united us to himself - really and personally - so that we become partakers of the divine nature----No, we will never become one person with him. We will always remain distinct entities. But, in the incarnation, God became all that we are by nature, so that we might become all that he is by grace.

-We apologize for the echoey sound of this recording.------Sung Psalm- 116-----We sing Psalm 117 more often than any other Psalm- After all, Psalm 117 is a short and simple doxology - which is where we sang it a few moments ago------Praise the LORD, all nations--- Extol him, all peoples---For great is his steadfast love toward us,-- and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.--Praise the LORD------Psalm 117 provides a short, sweet, and to the point song of praise, calling the nations to extol him for his great steadfast love and faithfulness to us.----Because God is faithful to Israel - because he shows covenant love and mercy to his people - therefore all people should praise him-----It might seem odd that all nations should praise the LORD because he is faithful to Israel - but when you remember that God had promised to Abraham, -the Land and the Seed and the blessing to the nations- - then you realize that yes, all nations should rejoice that God is faithful to Israel - because that faithfulness is what will - in the end - bring salvation to the ends of the earth-----And we see this beautifully stated in our main Psalm for the day, Psalm 116.

-We apologize for the echoey sound on this recording.'-----Sung Psalm- 115-----Some ancient manuscripts put Psalms 114-115 together as one song. It makes no sense in terms of theme or poetry. The only reason why it may have been done is because all the other songs from 111-118 either begin or end with -Hallelujah- - Praise the LORD- Since Psalm 114 does not have a -Hallelujah- it just got added to Psalm 115-----As far as I can tell, there is only one useful thing that came about from that muddle- During the Middle Ages, much of the church was using the blended Psalm 114-115, and after the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 -the perfect year for it 14-15-- King Henry V ordered that Psalm 114 -including Psalm 115- be sung - and that when they came to the line -Not to us, O LORD-, all the army should kneel-----It is a good reminder to us that the Psalms used to be sung on important occasions. Indeed, the Psalms used to be sung on pretty much all occasions-

-We apologize for the echoey sound in this recording.------Sung PsalmL 113-----Psalms 113-118 are sometimes called the -Egyptian Hallel- because these six Psalms were sung together at Passover, remembering God's mighty deeds in salvation.----But if you think about what we have seen so far in Book 5 of the Psalter, it makes perfect sense that the Jews would do this - because Psalms 111 and 112 told them to-----Psalm 111 opens -Praise the LORD- I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation.- So how do you praise the LORD in the midst of the congregation- Well, you could do worse than sing Psalms of praise------Psalms 111-113 all begin with the line -Praise the LORD.- Psalms 115-117 all end with the line -Praise the LORD.-----And in the middle is Psalm 114 - the one song in this section that explicitly talks about the Exodus.

-We apologize for the echoey quality of the recording for this and the next several sermons.------Sung Psalm- 111-----Psalm 112 is linked to Psalm 111 by the use of the same acrostic structure - the same opening line -Praise the LORD- - and by using a number of the same words and themes as Psalm 111.----An acrostic poem - as we saw last week, uses an alphabetical structure for the poem. Each line of the Psalm begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.----There are 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet - but there are 23 lines in Psalm 111.----The one line in Psalm 111 -and Psalm 112, for that matter- that doesn't fit the acrostic is the opening line- -Praise the LORD------This has the effect of linking these two alphabetical poems - Both are designed to praise the LORD. Psalm 111 praises the LORD for his mighty deeds, while Psalm 112 praises the LORD for the Blessed Man.----Our Shorter Catechism says that the scriptures principally teach -what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man.- Psalm 111 focused on the first part. Psalm 112 focuses on the second.----But Psalm 112 says that the blessed man will look and act like God. The one who fears the LORD -v1- prospers -v3- is righteous -v3, 6, 9-, is generous and just -5, 9-, is renowned -6 - cf. 111-4-, firm and steady -v7-8-, has no fear -7-8-, is honored -v9 - 111-3-. Like the LORD in 111-4, the blessed man is -gracious and merciful- -112-4-.----Both God and the blessed man share -an identity marked by righteousness, grace, mercy, renown, and power.- -Brown, 98- And everything starts with the fear of the LORD.

-Sung Psalm- 111-----And last week, we saw how Psalm 110 echoes Psalm 2,-- so perhaps it's no accident that Psalms 111-112 continue to echo themes from Book 1.----In Book 1, Psalms 9 and 10 form an acrostic poem, where each line begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.----Psalms 111-112 are also acrostic poems.----There are 8 acrostic poems in the Psalter - Psalms 9-10 form a single acrostic. Likewise Psalms 25, 34, 37, 111, 112, 119, and 145 are all acrostics. -Other acrostics in the Bible include the description of the Proverbs 31 woman, and each of the first four chapters of Lamentations-.----There are 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet - but there are 23 lines in Psalm 111.----The one line in Psalm 111 -and Psalm 112, for that matter- that doesn't fit the acrostic is the opening line- -Praise the LORD------This has the effect of linking these two alphabetical poems - Both are designed to praise the LORD. Psalm 111 praises the LORD for his mighty deeds, while Psalm 112 praises the LORD for the Blessed Man.----Why is it important that this is an acrostic poem- Many have pointed out that an acrostic poem has a certain comprehensiveness. It covers the whole alphabet, so we have our subject --rom A to Z.- But even more importantly, there is an aural function to the acrostic.----It's not just a visual thing. There is a sequence of sounds that moves through the poem.