The Trails Church

The text before us today, at its heart, was originally a song that was meant to be sung by God’s people. And like any good song, this one has a good chorus. And while we might not know how the original melody sounded or what chords they used to accompany it, the message of the chorus rings out loud and clear. What I want you to see is that this song has a lot to teach us today–almost 2,000 years after it was written. It’s a song to sing when God’s people have drifted away from him. It’s a song to sing for those who feel spiritually empty. It’s a song for you and me.

Psalm 76 proclaims the victory of God over His enemies, the rescue of His people, and the praise that is rightly due His name. The psalm is marked by two Selahs, natural pauses that shape its movement.

This morning we’ll be in Acts 11:19-30. This is the founding of the church. This is where Antioch was born . This sermon is titled “Elements of Missions DNA”, because we see here, in the first year of the church’s life, 4 very simple things, that will later produce the missions maturity that Antioch is so well-known for. And my prayer for us, Church, is that our time in God’s Word today would summarize and simplify what it means for you to be faithful to the Great Commission today.

Psalm 75 echoes much of Hannah’s song in 1 Samuel 2. There, Hannah rejoices over the birth of her son, Samuel. She praises the God who hears the cries of the humble and rules with perfect justice, themes that are all over this psalm. The difference, however, is that in 1 Samuel 2, Hannah is singing because God had already answered her prayers. She had just given her son to serve with Eli. In Psalm 75, on the other hand, we’re still left standing over the ruins of the temple. God’s people are still sitting in the valley of defeat. But the psalm is going to show us that even there, where hope is lost, we can rejoice in our Righteous Judge by faith, because we know who He is and how He will act. We sing by faith.

Psalm 75 also echoes much of Hannah’s song in 1 Samuel 2. There, Hannah rejoices over the birth of her son, Samuel. She praises the God who hears the cries of the humble and rules with perfect justice, themes that are all over this psalm. The difference, however, is that in 1 Samuel 2, Hannah is singing because God had already answered her prayers. She had just given her son to serve with Eli. In Psalm 75, on the other hand, we’re still left standing over the ruins of the temple. God’s people are still sitting in the valley of defeat. But the psalm is going to show us that even there, where hope is lost, we can rejoice in our Righteous Judge by faith, because we know who He is and how He will act. We sing by faith.