The Tabernacle Today

Psalm 65 Worksheet

How many times did David say “You” or “Your” in this Psalm?

_____________ times!!!

It is also fitting that in addition to the heading reading that this is a Psalm of David to the Chief Musician it specifically says this is a Song! From start to finish Psalm 65 is one of the most beautiful _______________ psalms.

The 1st half of the Psalm focuses on God’s greatness, and the 2nd half presents the joy that a God-given _____________ brings. It is especially moving for those who have lived in an agricultural setting.

The word wait in verse one is also the word “silent.” The force is “Praise for God is fixing to _____________ out in Zion.” David is calling Jerusalem to get ready to ‘raise the roof’ in praise, fulfilling ‘vows’ of worship.

I believe that God the Holy Spirit is convicting people around the world about their need of God in their life. I believe He is appealing to “all flesh” to pray and _________________ to Jesus (v. 2). Philippians 2

Of course David had the promises of the Levitical sacrifice system that allowed those who trusted God and repented to have their sins temporarily atoned for (v. 3) – but I think David is also anticipating Christ’s perfect atonement to come!

Verse 4 makes me think of John 15:16a – “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain…”

Notice David goes from “he” to “__________” in the middle of verse 4, indicating that he counts himself among the chosen ones who get to experience God. He has chosen the One who chose him!

The word for awesome in verse 5 is built on the root word for “holy fear” or “reverence” that we saw in Psalm 96:9 (yare). Those who reverence God anticipate Him doing awesome deeds around them. But also notice again David’s missionary _______________________ that people from all over the world and even across the seas will place their confident trust in God also. (Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Rev. 5 &7).

Notice the power attributed to God in verses 6-7: power to still troubled waters, power to still troubled ____________________!

Verse 8 again teaches the reality of ______________________ revelation in insuring that all people on earth think about God the Creator. Romans 1:16-23

Beginning in verse 9, the focus changes to God’s _____________________ in the agricultural realm. About a dozen of God’s actions unfold!

What a _________________ of the agricultural bounty the Lord provides! You can see this song being sung joyfully at a great harvest in which The Lord has crowned that year with goodness. As Bob Alden said, “Up and down the paths are vegetables and fruits which have spilled off the over-loaded wagons.”

Those times when God makes it all work out in this sin-stained world should be times of rejoicing for us – they are little _________________________ of what the New Earth will be like.

If this is all a little TOO rosy for you, remember that David also wrote many Psalms for when things don’t work out as we would hope, yet we still ____________________ in God. And there is also a song in the Bible for when for whatever reason it has been a terrible agricultural year. Do you remember where it’s found?

Confirming that Jesus is YOUR Lord

What does it mean when you call Jesus your Lord?

Biblically there is no debate: Jesus is Lord whether or not you now acknowledge Him as Lord! The Bible teaches that the Day is coming when everyone who has ever lived will acknowledge that Jesus is Lord, but it will be too late for those in Hell to respond to that knowledge in a saving way.

The Greek word for Lord is Kyrios (G 2962), which occurs 748 times in the New Testament. It is often translated as Lord, Master, and Sir. It means “He to whom a person or things belong.” Biblically, the way you respond to a Kyrios is to submit to their authority in your life.

Our Lord Jesus Christ…who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and the Lord of lords. - 1 Timothy 6:14b-15a

Matt. 7:21-23

Two sobering realities:

There are people who call Jesus ‘Lord’ but won’t be in Heaven - V. 21a

There are people who do many religious things who won’t be in Heaven - V. 22

There is such power in the name of Jesus and the preaching of the gospel that godly outcomes can result even when lost people preach and do things in the name of Jesus.

For those who trust that speaking and doing good works for Jesus will get them saved or keep them saved, a rude awakening awaits – the Day of Judgment that Jesus speaks of in verse 22.

What it means to know Jesus as Lord and Savior:

To know Jesus as Lord is to really know Him - V. 23

“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; but it is they that bear witness about Me.” - John 5:39

“And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” - John 17:3

To know Jesus as Lord is to do the Heavenly Father’s will - V. 21

The Greek word for will is Thelema (G2307), which occurs 64 times in the New Testament. It can also be translated “desire.” It means “what one has desires or has determined should be done. It is used of God’s desire to bless mankind through Jesus Christ.

…God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. - 1 Timothy 2:3b-4

For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality. - 1 Thess. 4:3

Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. - 1 Thess. 5:16-18

So what are you saying when you call Jesus your Lord and Savior?

Jesus, I trust in you alone to save me by your grace. For the rest of my life, I submit to your authority in my life, and I want You to be glorified in and through me, not myself.

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. - Romans 13:14

Psalm 64 Worksheet

In general, David’s psalms have a ______________________ percentage of verses spoken directly to the Lord than the other psalms. That’s what we would expect for someone God describes as “a man after my own heart” (1 Sam. 13:14).

Psalm 64 is another chiastic psalm. In Chiastic poetry the first thought parallels the last thought, the second thought parallels the next to last thought, and so on with a big point made in the _______________________.

The parallel can be achieved by saying a similar thing, or a contrast with an opposite thing.

So here’s what the chiastic outline looks like for Psalm 64:

A Prayer for deliverance from wicked workers (v. 1-2)

B Description of the wicked tongue (v. 3)

C Purpose of the wicked shooting (v. 4)

D Psychology of the wicked (v. 5-6)

C God shoots the wicked (v. 7)

B God confounds their tongue (v. 8)

A Righteous men enjoy the work of God (v. 9-10)

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Prayer for deliverance from wicked workers (v. 1-2)

What 3 things does David plea for in verses 1-2?

If you find yourself fearful of someone or something, _______________________ that even courageous King David asked to be preserved from fear!

The word for fear is different in verse 1 than in verse 9. Here it is Pahad (H6342 – 49x), which is fear as in dread. In verse 9 it is yare (H3372 – 314x), which is fear as in revere.

Description of the wicked tongue (v. 3)

Purpose of the wicked shooting (v. 4)

Based on what we have said, which word for fear do you think this is in verse 4?

We are called to honor the ______________________ our leaders are in even when we have problems with the words and behavior of those leaders. Godly people honor all they can, the wicked refuse to show any honor.

Psychology of the wicked (v. 5-6)

Here we see what goes through the mind of wicked men.

First they look for _____________________ up to no good to join up with.

Next they secretly devise what they are going to do.

They ___________________ themselves they will get away with it.

Their words and deeds show they don’t____________________ in God.

What word signals the turning point in verse 7?

God shoots the wicked (v. 7)

Here’s the turning point – until now, this has been a prayer of complaint about secret enemies. From verse 7 on the psalmist ___________________ their condemnation and the vindication of the righteous.

God confounds their tongue (v. 8)

How many times have we seen a wicked man stumble over his own words?

I like that David had confidence that God would bring out the truth eventually. God will _________________________ have the last word!

Righteous men enjoy the work of God (v. 9-10)

David knew well that sometimes the wicked have the upper hand ______________________ and that believers in God face many hardships in life. But He trusted that God would win in the eternal end! He didn’t need to dread man because he revered God.

Listening to the Right Voices

Matthew 7:15-20

Be on the lookout for false teachers - V. 15

How to recognize true and false prophets - V. 16-18

For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. - 1 Peter 1:21-2:1

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. -1 John 4:1

Characteristics of true prophets:

Their teaching conforms to biblical truth

Aside – you can be a true prophet and be odd and also be scorned by many.

It is also true that you can be a true prophet and get things wrong.

It is also true that one teaching wrongly can grow in their knowledge.

Characteristics of false prophets:

They don’t say things that are biblically true.

In particular, they say things about Jesus that are biblically false.

Tell you what you want to hear, not what you need to hear.

Will ask you to follow their rules instead of God’s word.

Rules instead of repentance.

Add to God’s word.

Don’t bring the biblical teaching of Jesus.

Promote a works based salvation, and they define the works.

They ask you to send money to the Lord, but they give you their address.

They don’t really care about you but their own gain.

Pride instead of humility

Aside – you can be very charming and likeable and still be a false prophet.

Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets. - Luke 6:26

Aside – may very well be able to build a crowd and have outward symbols of success – but biblical fruit is not there.

The consequences for false prophets who mislead others - V. 19

The conclusion - V. 20

Join us as we turn in our Bibles along with guest speaker Brandon Neal! We pray that this recording is a blessing for you.

Join us as we turn in our Bibles along with guest speaker JJ Vogltanz! We pray that this recording is a blessing for you.

Choosing the Hard Way

Today’s passage is so beautiful as in just one verse Jesus summarizes the intent of all 613 O.T. commands, getting to the very heart of how faith and love for God is to be lived out. It is well called the Golden Rule.

Matthew 7:12-14

The first reason believers practice the golden rule is to fight our sin nature.

The second reason believers practice the golden rule is to be used of God to meet needs.

The Golden Rule that sums up Old Testament Law - V. 12

Practicing the golden rule is not just basic good treatment of others, it incorporates the “going the extra mile” and “loving your enemies” language Jesus already gave in this sermon.

The golden rule is all about the flourishing of your relationships with the Lord and other humans.

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” - Matt. 22:37-40

A person who loves and fears God will be characterized by:

Obeying the Golden Rule

Loving God with all their heart and loving their neighbor as themselves

For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. - Romans 10:4

Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. - Romans 13:10

For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” - Galatians 5:14

Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully. - 1 Tim. 1:8

Where should our commitment to do unto others begin?

With the right to life.

In the O.T. we see God sometimes regulate what He didn’t condone, things like divorce and slavery, to keep people from being taken advantage of. That all stems from Genesis 1, where we learn that ALL people are created in the image and likeness of God, all with inherent value!

William Wilberforce understood that slavery was a moral evil and needed to end. He did three things at once. He helped those affected by slavery. He educated the empire about the moral evil of slavery. He got law after law passed year after year that cut slavery back until it was ended.

Another clear moral wrong addressed in the Bible is abortion. The Bible makes clear that life begins at conception and we are not to kill innocent life. Doing unto others begins with promoting the cause of life.

A nation that kills its babies won’t have a good record with do unto others. The rise of selfishness and disrespect and violence toward others in our nation starts with the cheapened value of human life.

Choosing to follow the Jesus Way - V. 13-14

Jesus knew that the things He has commanded in this Sermon on the Mount would raise in every person hearing it a negative reaction before there would be a positive response by faith.

When we come to verses 21-23, Jesus will let us know that those who reject doing what He teaches are simply not among those who are truly Christians. Ultimately the person who rejects Jesus’ teaching is really rejecting Jesus Himself.

There is way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. - Proverbs 14:12

Aren’t you glad Jesus calls believers to be His followers, not merely His fans?

Jesus would rather have the few totally committed to Him and His Way then multitudes who are merely interested.

Jesus said to Him, I Am THE Way, and THE Truth, and THE Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me! - John 14:6

But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our Fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets. - Acts 24:14

The Enigma of Man

Enigma – a puzzling or unexplainable occurrence or situation; a person of puzzling or contradictory character.

Philosophers love to ask questions, so they asked - Is man born good but then does bad things because of exposure to a bad environment and/or circumstances, or is man born evil and does good things out of necessity, to make the world a better place.

But why was I offended by other’s actions toward me? A godless view that says we won’t ever be evaluated by God should say, “I acted, you acted, no-one can say what’s right or wrong! To be a consistent atheist, I should have been offended at ever being offended by anybody doing anything.

Matthew 7:7-11

God invites His children to better know Him and His plan - V. 7-8

Ask, seek, and knock are all commands here, and the present tense gives a continual sense; Ask and keep asking – Continually ask; Seek and keep seeking – Continually seek; Knock and keep knocking – Continually knock!

Notice the commands contain promises!

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. - Hebrews 11:6

Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. -James 4:8a

All of this is much more than a prayer passage – it is seeking relationship with God, clarification of life priorities, intercession for self and others.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me, and come and pray to Me, and I will hear you. - Jeremiah 29:10-11

Now remember what Matthew 6:33 says, that we are to “Seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness. Matthew 6:33 regulates the believer’s seeking. The believer wants what their King wants for their lives!

You will seek Me and find Me, when you seek Me with all your heart. - Jeremiah 29:12

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come into him and eat with him, and he with me. - Revelation 3:20

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? - Jeremiah 17:9

Jesus tells you the truth – the only sure rock to form your identity around is not “me” or “we”, but “He,” your relationship with God and the timeless truth of the Bible!

I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds. - Jeremiah 17:10

Something inside us wants to get things right for our children - V. 9-10

The disciples Jesus was talking to were fighting an internal battle – “If I put Jesus first, if I put God’s kingdom and what He calls right first, will I still be able to get all I need done, do right by my family, etc…”

Can we who are limited in knowledge trust an omniscient, all-knowing God? Can we who aren’t everywhere present trust and omnipresent, everywhere-present God? Can we who are limited in power trust an omnipotent, all- powerful God? Of course we can!

An all-good (Omnibenevolent) God loves us despite our evil natures - V. 11

Our sin nature is why when God saves us we need to continually seek God, knock on His door, enter His presence and ask Him our questions – so He can empower us to live by faith in Him in a sin-stained world.

Our God is not just omniscient (all knowing), omnipotent (all-powerful), and omnipresent (everywhere present), He is also omnibenevolent (all-good). Every command He gives is based on His goodness, and we will always be better off when by faith we choose to do what He asks us to.

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him? - Luke 11:13

Don’t be a “Judgelots”

Today we will look at one of the most quoted, but also one of the most mis-quoted verses in the Bible. The reason it is so often misquoted is because it is also one of the most mis-understood. Let’s clear it up!

Matthew 7:1-6

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus teaches dozens of moral judgments He expects His followers to embrace and live out by faith as they follow Him, even going beyond the previous expectations of Old Testament Law.

You’re not THE Judge, so don’t be judgmental V. 1

The reason we are not to Judge others is simple – we are not their Judge, and they are not our Judge – God is the Judge of all of us.

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is the Judge of the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom. -2 Timothy 4:1

The one who rejects Me and does not receive My words has a judge; the word I have spoken will judge him on the last day. -John 12:48

Believers are called to make judgments and to share God’s judgments with others – we are NOT called to be judgmental, because God is the Judge.

Impersonating THE Judge will bring you extra judgment V. 2

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God? -Micah 6:8

So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. -James 2:12-13

Ready yourself to meet the Judge and then try to help others V. 3-5

Jesus’ point is clear – do not concentrate on another’s sin when you are minimizing your own sin.

4 key points are made in verse 5, and it helps to review them in reverse:

God wants us as Christians to help each other deal with even little sins; We need to be able to see clearly to do that; Each of us needs to deal with our own sins first to be able to see clearly and help others with their sins; if we don’t we are justly open to the charge of being hypocrites.

For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God. -1 Peter 4:17

Don’t overshare holy things with those who aren’t ready yet V. 6

But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect. -1 Peter 3:15

If you find yourself sharing with someone about Jesus, or your testimony, or what you are learning in Bible study and church, and they just respond with mocking and ridicule, you don’t need to keep sharing with them.

Jesus often answered scoffers questions with questions rather than with the perfect teaching He had to give, or with a brief comment that left them thinking rather than dismissing Him.

You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. -2 Timothy 1-2