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Psalm 141

A psalm of David.

1 I call to you, Lord, come quickly to me;
    hear me when I call to you.

-          A psalm of David

o   A Psalm is a song

o   God knows man remembers songs

o   He made Psalms (songs) so will memorize the words & remember them

-          David was a man after God’s own heart

o   Yet He sinned with Bathsheba

o   Yet He sinned against Uriah

o   His faith went to great heights and then into the valley of the shadow of death

o   Yet in spite of all this David’s name means “beloved”

o   So too, in spite of all my faults and in inspite of all your faults, God still loves you and call us His “beloved”.

o   It is the same term used by a man and a wife especially when engaged

o   God also calls the church His bride

o   He truly loves you and wants to be with you for all eternity

-          I call to you, Lord, come quickly to me

o   Do you call to God?

§  Like a mom calling her kids at dinner time?

§  Do you expect a reply?

§  Do you expect them to come running (quickly – a quick response)

-          Hear me when I call to you

o   This is another request

o   To hear us; to include His hear and listen with interest & intent

o   Sometimes we are so busy we don’t listen either

§  We are too busy looking at our phones

§  To really listen means to pay attention to what is said and consider its meaning and what action should taken from the heart

§  This requires focus

o   Do you want God focus on what you say & respond?

§  Then ask Him to incline His ear or listen

§  Believe once you ask Him that He will and He is!

-          Have you been praying about something and you are not sure if God heard you?

o   Sometimes we think delays mean no answer

o   Sometimes we think delays means no

o   Do you say a prayer like you order fast food?

§  You say it real quick and expect a real quick answer

§  Or do you say it with reverence, respect, adoration & anticipation

 2 May my prayer be set before you like incense;
    may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.

-          May my prayer be set before you like incense

o   This requires preparation

o   This requires it goes up for some amount of time (it’s not fast)

o   This requires that smells good

§  Full of words spoken with a contrite heart or a heart in submission

-          May the lifting of my hands be like the evening sacrifice

o   Interesting point

o   Do you life your hands to the Lord?

§  When was the last time you did?

o   Are you reaching up toward God with adoration and praise & thanks?

o   If you are not accustomed to lifting hands with thanks & praise why should He listen to your next prayer (you haven’t thanked Him for the last one!)

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Prayer for Protection against the Wicked.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

140 Rescue me, O Lord, from evil men;
 Preserve me from violent men
 2 Who devise evil things in their hearts;
They continually stir up wars.

-          Prayer for protection against the wicked

o   Prayer is the key
o   It’s a powerful weapon (don’t doubt the power of prayer)

-          For the choir director

o   It is meant to be song so you would remember this

-          A Psalm of David

o   David means “beloved”
o   David was a sinner yet beloved by God
o   So are you and I !

-          Rescue me, O Lord, from evil men

o   This is the specific prayer request
o   Rescue me

§  Do you need rescuing today
§  This implies an urgent situation that has already gone bad
§  David needs to be rescued (so do we)

-          Preserve me from violent men

o   There are violent men motivated by evil spirits
o   The prayer is to be preserved (kept alive in good condition)

-          Who devise evil things in their hearts

o   This is deep seated evil because its in their hearts
-          They continually stir up wars

o   Notice the want wars (people killing other people)
o   The devil comes to steal, kill and destroy

 3 They sharpen their tongues as a serpent;
 Poison of a viper is under their lips.  Selah.

-          Forked tongue full of poison (evil words)

4 Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
 Preserve me from violent men
 Who have purposed to trip up my feet.

-          Keep me, preserve me (great thing to pray for) so you don’t get tripped up

5 The proud have hidden a trap for me, and cords;
 They have spread a net by the [d]wayside;
They have set snares for me. Selah.

-          The proud have

o   The devil lays traps to try and catch us and kill us
§  Don’t fall for it – stay on the straight and narrow path (it’s safe)

6 I said to the Lord, “You are my God;
 Give ear, O Lord, to the voice of my supplications.

-          David response is spot on

o   You are my God (confession of relationship & position of ultimate authority)
o   Before you ask God for anything you should always consider these two things

§  Your relations with God
§  God’s power and ultimate authority (your concern is always small in comparison)
-          Give ear, lord, to the voice of my supplications.

o   This is important formula to memorize
§  You confess your relationship to God
You confess God’s power and ultimate authority over everything
You ask God to listen and believe He will bend His hear to you
Notice its supplications (not supplication) = more than one request

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God’s Omnipresence and Omniscience.
For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

139 O Lord, You have searched me and known me.

2 You know [a]when I sit down and [b]when I rise up;
You understand my thought from afar.

3 You [c]scrutinize my path and my lying down,
And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.

4 Even before there is a word on my tongue,
Behold, O Lord, You know it all.

5 You have enclosed me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is too high, I cannot attain to it.

7 Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?

8 If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.

9 If I take the wings of the dawn,
If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,

10 Even there Your hand will lead me,
And Your right hand will lay hold of me.

11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me,
And the light around me will be night,”

12 Even the darkness is not dark to You,
And the night is as bright as the day.
Darkness and light are alike to You.

13 For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.

14 I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.

15 My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;

16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.

17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!

18 If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand.
When I awake, I am still with You.

19 O that You would slay the wicked, O God;
Depart from me, therefore, men of bloodshed.

20 For they speak against You wickedly,
And Your enemies take Your name in vain.

21 Do I not hate those who hate You, O Lord?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?

22 I hate them with the utmost hatred;
They have become my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts;

24 And see if there be any hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.

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Thanksgiving for the Lord’s Favor.

A Psalm of David.

138 I will give You thanks with all my heart;
 I will sing Your praises before the gods.

-        Thanksgiving for the Lords Favor

o   Thanksgiving means to thank God for giving something

o   For the Lord’s Favor

§  What is the Lord’s favor

§  It is unearned, undeserved good will and blessing

§  Are you thankful for it?

-        A Psalm of David

o   David means “beloved”

o   It is a song that all those who are beloved of God should sing & remember

-        I will give You thanks with all my heart

o   WOW – do you give thanks with all your heart!

-        I will sing Your praises before the gods

o   This is little g

o   Who are they

o   They are people with power and position who think or act like their god

o   To sing praises to The God in front of them elevates the One True God to His rightful position above all power and dominion and might

 2 I will bow down toward Your holy temple
 And give thanks to Your name for Your mercy and Your [a]truth;
For You have made Your [b]word great [c]according to all Your name.

-        I will bow down toward Your holy temple

o   To bow down is an act of humility (the oppositive of pride & power)

o   You bow down in reverence, respect and fear (in submission too)

o   Toward Your holy temple (the place God meets with man)

§  A place of worship & praise

-        And give thanks to Your name

o   Notice the main subject “Your name”, the name of Jesus Christ

-        For Your mercy and Your truth

o   Mercy is not getting what we deserve

o   Truth is the word of God (its subject if to have faith in Christ unto salvation)

-        For You have made Your word great according to all Your name

o   Notice its what God did not what man did or does

o   God made His word great

o   God made His name great

o   Because He gave His one and only Son to pay for our sins that we may be forgiven and saved in spite of our sin by believing in the name of Jesus Christ

 3 On the day I called, You answered me;
 You made me bold with strength in my soul.

-        One the day I called

o   This means the same day, the same time, immediately

-        You answered me

o   God answers when we call

o   Ask Jesus to come into your heart and life and be your savior

o   He will come in immediately!

-        You made me bold with strength in my soul

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Psalm 137

1 By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion.

- Israel had been taken captive by Babylon because of their sins

- Now here they were gathered by the rivers of Bablyon

o Likely the Euphrates which had lots of water

o It would be looking upon abundant waters in the camp of your enemies in regret because you know you are here because of your sin

- They sat and wept when they remembered Zion

o We finally sit and weep over our sin

§ Wept over family who died

§ Wept over the loss of property & possessions

§ Wept over the destruction of the temple

§ Wept over the cruelty of their captors

§ Wept over the pleasant and blessed past

§ Wept over the forced captivity of the present

§ Wept over what seems like a hopeless future

§ Finally wept over their own sin that invited such judgement from God

o This has the tone of repentance in it (a beautiful sound to God)

o They remembered Zion (God’s home, God’s rules, God’s blessings)

o They began to long for God again (implied)

o Whatever moves you to tears to remember God and His ways is a good thing

2 There on the poplars we hung our harps, 3 for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”

- There on the poplars we hung our harps

o Poplars are willow trees

o They hung their harps on the trees because there was no more joy with them

o But notice they didn’t break them or toss them into the river

§ This implies no song for now but maybe at a later date (some hope left)

- For there our captors demanded songs of joy

o Knowing the sad state of their hearts this would be cruel and unusual punishment

o We took you capture, kills your relatives and made slaves of you, now sing for us

- Sing for us the songs of Zion

o The songs they wanted to hear were songs of joy reserved for Jehovah

o These would be songs from the heart and could never be duplicated under false pretence

4 How can we sing the songs of the LORD while in a foreign land? 5 If I forget you, Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill.

- How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land?

o Its not a question but rather a statement

o It’s not possible to sing the songs of the Lord with joy in your heart while in captivity for those who are your captors (they would only sing in their heart for God)

- If I forget you, Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill

o In other words, they would rather forget how to play the harm than to sing songs that belong to God to their captives

o It’s not going to happen.

o Don’t forget the meaning of the name Jerusalem.

§ In awe of peace

§ Teaching peace

§ To be or make whole or complete.

§ The Jews will not forget this meaning nor should we

§ Jerusalem is the center of the earth timepiece.

· Time ticking by preparing for the return of the King!

6 May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy.

- My tongue cling to the roof of my mouth

o This means unable to speak or sing

o He would rather not be able to speak or sing

- If I do not remember you,

o This seems to imply a person “you” not a place

o An obvious reference to the Lord

o Jerusalem is all about the Lord coming down from heaven, dying on the cross and being raised again to life to make a way by faith where there was no way

o To remember Jerusalem is to have hope in God’s plan for the future

§ Considering they were by the river crying and weaping, this is significant

7 Remember, LORD, what the Edomites did on the day Jerusalem fell.

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Psalm 136

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
 His love endures forever.

-        Two great reasons to give thanks

o   For He is good

o   His love endures forever

 2 Give thanks to the God of gods.
 His love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
 His love endures forever.

-        Give thanks to the God of gods (The God)

-        Give thanks to the Lord of Lords (none other than Jesus Christ)

-        Again here is why – His love endures forever!

4 to him who alone does great wonders,
 His love endures forever

-        To him who alone (this means the one and only)

o   Does great wonders

o   Why?

o   Because His love endures forever!.
5 who by his understanding made the heavens,
 His love endures forever.

 6 who spread out the earth upon the waters,
 His love endures forever.

-        Who spread out the earth

o   Rolled it out like a painting

o   Why?

o   His loves endures forever

7 who made the great lights—
 His love endures forever.

-        Who made great lights (everything you see above – the Universe)

o   Why?

o   His love endures forever

o   Everything he does is based on His love !!!

 8 the sun to govern the day,
 His love endures forever.

-        The Sun gives us light, heat and energy to grow plants & food

-        Why?

-        Because His love endures forever

9 the moon and stars to govern the night;
 His love endures forever.

-        The moon and stars to govern the night

-        All this amazing beautiful lights to see and enjoy

-        Why?

-        Because His love endures forever

10 to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt
 His love endures forever.

-        He struck down Israel’s enemy to set them free

-        Why?

-        His love endures forever

11 and brought Israel out from among them
 His love endures forever.

-        And brought Israel out from among them

-        Why?

-        His love endures forever

12 with a mighty hand and outstretched arm;
 His love endures forever.

-        With a mighty hand and outstretched arm

-        Using His strength and power – Why?

-        His love endures forever

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Psalm 135

1 Praise the Lord.[a]

Praise the name of the Lord;
    praise him, you servants of the Lord,
 2 you who minister in the house of the Lord,
    in the courts of the house of our God.

-          Praise the Lord

o   This chapter opens with a giant bold statement

o   This is what we should do!

-          Praise him, you servants of the Lord

o   Especially those who are servants of the Lord

o   Those serving Him in ministry

o   Loving the Lord God will all your heart, mind & strength

o   Loving others as yourself

-          You who minister in the house of the Lord

o   To minister means to serve

o   You serve the people

o   You love on the people

o   You pray for the people

o   You help the people

o   You encourage the people

o   You praise with the people

o   You cry, laugh & celebrate with the people

-          In the courts of the house of our God

o   The courts are just outside the sanctuary

o   They are the places of public gathering

o   Welcoming people and inviting them in

o   Fellowshipping with one another

3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
    sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant.

-          For the Lord is Good!

-          This is the reason we should praise Him !!!

-          Sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant

o   Well pleasing to God

4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob to be his own,
    Israel to be his treasured possession.

-          Notice the Lord did the choosing.

-          Jacob (He who wrestles); Israel (He who turns the head of God)

-          Notice God sees His chosen people as “treasured” (super valuable)

-          Notice God sees His chosen people as “His possession.”

o   Something valuable that He owns

o   You are not your own you were bought with a price!

5 I know that the Lord is great,
    that our Lord is greater than all gods.
 6 The Lord does whatever pleases him,
    in the heavens and on the earth,
    in the seas and all their depths.

-          I know the Lord is great (do you know that! are you certain of this fact!)

-          that our Lord is greater than all gods (notice its little g when compared)

o   Nothing can compare to the Lord our God!

-          the Lord does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth

o   notice the Lord does whatever pleases himself

§  he answers to no one (This shows that there is no one above him and that he is the highest position possible)

o   this is true in the heavens above and on the earth below

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Psalm 134

A song of ascents.

1 Praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord
    who minister by night in the house of the Lord.

-        A song of ascents

o   15 songs sang on the way up to Jerusalem during three feasts

§  Passover (blood on the door post saved) 

§  Pentecost (God sent the 10 commandments; God sent the Holy Spirit)

§  Feast of Tabernacles (celebration of provision in the desert; temporary dwelling on the way to the promised land)

o   It’s all about getting ready to meet the Lord

§  Get saved by the blood (Jesus on the cross)

§  Get filled with the Holy Spirit (fulfill the law)

§  Get ready to be transformed. 

-        Praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord

o   If you are forgiven, born again, on your way to heaven

o   What else can you do but “Praise the Lord”

-        All you servants of the Lord

o   How do you serve the Lord

o   Jesus said if you love me, keep my commandments

o   Jesus said preach the gospel to the ends of the earth and make disciples of all men

o   Jesus said love everyone even your enemies 

o   Jesus said forgive those who hurt you

o   Jesus said pray without ceasing

o   Jesus said ask anything in my name and it will be so

o   Jesus told us to believe the Word

o   Jesus told us not to deceived by the devil

o   Jesus said choose faith over fear

o   Jesus said help the widows and orphans

o   Jesus said whatever you do the least of these, you do unto me

o   Are you serving the Lord today?

 2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary
    and praise the Lord.

-        Life up your hands in the sanctuary

o   This means the church

o   We are to lift up our hands as we praise God with our voice

o   We are to be so full of adoration, thankfulness & joy that we

§  Lift up holy hands and sing His praises out loud (do you do it?)

3 May the Lord bless you from Zion,
    he who is the Maker of heaven and earth.

-        May the Lord bless you from Zion

o   To bless means to look upon you with favor

o   To send good things your way

o   To cause you to prosper and be in health

o   To cause you to succeed in your faith, your family and your business

§  In that order

-        From Zion

o   Zion is a reference to the place God lives

o   It means up yonder in heaven

o   It means in Jerusalem (the place of the new Jerusalem which shall come down from heaven; a 1,500 mile cube made of precious stones and gold)

o   The place of God’s dwelling for 1,000 year millennial reign

§  God looks down upon you

§  Thinks of you with favor

§  Speaks blessings upon you

§  It manifests and comes down

§  It catches up with you and overtakes you

§  It overwhelms you (Outblesses you)

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Psalm 133

A song of ascents. Of David.

1 How good and pleasant it is
    when God’s people live together in unity!

-        A song of ascents

o   15 songs to be sang each year during three events

§  Passover – celebrating when the death angel pass over those with blood on their doorposts (the 1st born of Egyptians died; God spared those with blood on the door) a picture of Jesus, the lamb of God on the cross

·       God saves those covered by the blood of the lamb

§  Pentecost

·       50 days after the Jews were set free from bondage in Egypt they received the law (the ten commandments)

·       50 days after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit fell on the 120 people in the upper room (1st outpouring of the Holy Spirit)

§  Tabernacle or Booths

·       5 days after Yom Kippur

·       Yom Kippur was a time to repent and ask for forgiveness for sin

·       5 days later (5 is the number for grace)

·       Everyone receives grace after asking for forgiveness)

·       They celebrated how God provided for the Jews for 40-years in the desert (food, water, light, shade, sandals, etc)

·       Booths or tabernacles are temporary dwelling places used before entering the promised land

·       So too, we live in tabernacles (tents or temporary dwelling places) our bodies until we enter the promised land in heaven

·       This life is short so don’t worry about it so much

·       We are on our way to the promised land 

-        Of David  David means “beloved” or “beloved of God”

o   God is not a respecter of persons; He loves everyone the same

o   Therefore, you and I are beloved of God too

§  That is who you are in Christ!

§  You are beloved in spite of our sin if you repent & ask God to forgive you in Jesus name

-        How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!

o   How good and pleasant

§  This implies a measurement

§  Maybe we should consider how good and please this is in terms of size and importance

o   Is it when God’s people live together in unity!

o   Is it when

§  This implies its rare

§  This implies its an important time or event

o   God’s people live together in unity

§  The subject is God’s people

§  The issue is living together in unity

o   To live together in unity means we are of the same mind and heart

o   Our values and our words and our actions align with God’s word

o   This is when unity occurs (everything working as God designed it)

o   True Christian conduct and harmony living together in unity is of great price

§  The value of this scene is almost immeasurable.

§  Individuals in harmony with each other

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Acts, Chapter 2

The Day of Pentecost

2 When the day of Pentecost [a]had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared to them tongues as of fire [b]distributing themselves, and [c]they [d]rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other [e]tongues, as the Spirit was giving them [f]utterance.

-          When the day of Pentecost had come

o   They were all together in one place

§  Remember, in the upper room praying

-          And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind

o   It sounded like a windstorm (a violent rushing wind)

-          And it filled the whole house where they were sitting

o   Notice if filled the whole house (not a portion) – filled to capacity

-          And there appeared to them tongues as fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them

o   What does a tongue of fire look like?

o   Notice it distributed itself resting on each one (every one had it resting on them)

-          So they heard it; they saw it; and they believed it

-          And they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues

o   They were all filled (not a little bit)

§  With the Holy Spirit

o   And began to speak with other tongues

§  This is the result of being filled

-          As the Spirit was giving them utterance

o   Notice the Spirit is the one who gives the utterance not their minds

5 Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own [g]language.

-          Devout men from every nation under heaven (people came from all over)

-          And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together

o   The crowd is more than the just the 120 people that gathered in the upper room

o   And were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language (this was a miracle)

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