In this message for the new year, Daniel Jansen explores how God’s righteous rule as King over ‘the whole earth’ from Psalm 97:1-12 should comfort the hearts of anxious believers and cause us to rejoice in this uncertain and fragile world.
Message
Outline
Introduction:
Conclusion
It is well known that Psalm 1 is the opening psalm in the book of the Psalms, and that in it, a summary of the message of the book of Psalms can be found. But not everyone understands that Psalm 2 complements Psalm 1 and gives us instruction on how to be the ‘blessed man’ (or woman). In this message on both Psalms, PTC final year student, Steve Denness, tells us how.
Message
Outline
• Blessed… the one man (1:1-3)
• Not so… the wicked (1:4-6)
• Rebellious… the peoples (2:1-3)
• Angry… Yahweh (2:4-6)
• Installed… the Son (2:7-9)
• Blessed… the many refugees (2:10-12)
Not everyone loves the ‘Hokey Pokey’. I am one of those who doesn’t. Ultimately the Hokey Pokey is noy what it’s all about. Mankind was created to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. The final Psalm of the book of the Psalms, Psalm 150:1-6, ends the book on a note of great praise to God. He is worthy of all the praise that we could ever muster, and to live a life that praises God is surely one of our highest callings. If all creation is called upon to praise God, then let’s remember this. We have voices. We can communicate. ‘Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!’
Full service
00:00 Welcome
Song: Oh Christ in Thee
00:14 Introduction
00:34 Prayer
06:30 Bible reading: 2 Chronicles 5
Song: Meekness and Majesty
09:10 Devotional Spot
Song: O Lord my Rock
10:46 Bible reading: Ephesian 1:1-14
Song: Come Praise And Glorify
12:39 Sermon: Psalm 150
Song: All Creatures Of Our God
35:08 Closing
We all have memories. Some are special. Some we would like to forget. Some that shape us into who we are! The writer of Psalm 126 also had a memory, a very particular one that involved the amazing deliverance that God gave to His people. And based on that memory, the psalm writer prayed what we find in this psalm – bring that memory to mind and letting it chapre his prayer for the now and the for future – that God would show His delivering power all over again!
Full service
00:00 Welcome
Song: At The Name Of Jesus
00:16 Introduction
00:35 Prayer
05:11 Bible reading: Isaiah 35
Song: There Is A Higher Throne
07:06 Kids’ Talk
Song: O The Mercy Of God
10:18 Bible reading: 2 Corinthians 1:1-11
Song: Amazing Grace
12:23 Sermon: Psalm 126
Song: To God Be The Glory
35:25 Closing
While the majority of people have physical sight, there’s a high percentage who are blind in another sense. In Psalm 73:1-28, the writer, Asaph, confesses to this. When his eyes were on the wicked and their prosperity and the ease of their lives, he began to lose faith in God. and doubt whether serving Him was worth it at all. In other words, he baceme blind to the things of God as envy took hold of his sight and he began to slip. But something happened that changed this downward progression. It happened when he entered the sanctuary of God and his persepctive on what really matters in life was restored. We all need the reminder to keep on ‘looking to Jesus’. For when all is said and done, all He’s the only One worth looking to.
Full service
00:00 Welcome
Song: Marvellous Grace
00:16 Introduction
00:36 Prayer
05:32 Bible reading: Psalm 73:1-14
Song: All My Days
06:57 Kids’ Talk
Song: Only A Holy God
09:52 Bible reading: Psalm 73:15-28
Song: Jesus Paid It All
11:44 Sermon: Psalm 73
Song: When I Survey
33:47 Closing
It’s not unusual these days for anyone to struggle with stress. We all have to manage it in some form. In his role as King over all Israel, David knew stress too, and this Psalm 86:1-17, we find him dealing with it through prayer to the One who could help him. In fact in the Psalm we find these elements present – sometimes David speaks to himself about God. Sometimes David speaks to God about God and sometimes David speaks to God about himself. All three are present in the psalm and all three are valid forms of prayer, and helpful with dealing with the many stresses of life.
Full service
00:00 Welcome
Song: And Can It Be
00:18 Introduction
00:38 Prayer
Song: 10,000 Reasons
03:37 Bible reading: Psalm 86
Song: Behold Our God
06:02 Kids’ Talk
09:37 Bible reading: Matthew 14:22-33
Song: Jerusalem
10:57 Sermon: Psalm 86
Song: What A Friend
34:47 Closing
Psalms 132,133 and 134 are three psalms that are linked by a common theme of being part of the ‘songs of ascent’ that were sung by the people of Israel going up to Jerusalem. Psalm 132 highlights that the city of Jerusalem was the city where God’s King lived. Psalm 133 celebrates the unity of the people of God in that city, and Psalm 134’s focus is upon the worship of God’s Name that happened there by day and night. Heaven will be all this and more for God’s people upon a ‘pilgrim journey’ to that heavenly city. (First preached March 2013)
David is one of the key characters in the unfolding story of the Scriptures. We can often forget that huge responsibilities and pressures were placed upon his shoulders in his role as King over Israel and Judah. One of those pressures was simply maintaining the stability of his kingdom – especially when it threatened, at times, to crumble from within. Psalm 63:1-11 records David’s feelings in one of those crisis times and shows us what it is we need the most in life – regardless of whether our circumstances are good or bad.
Full service
00:00 Introduction & Prayer
Song: Before the Throne of God
07:23 Children’s talk (with thanks to Kidswise; see also Big Picture Bible Crafts #35)
Song: From Everlasting
11:35 Bible reading: 2 Corinthians 1:3-11
Song: Grace Unmeasured
13:03 Bible reading: Psalm 63
Song: My Hope is Built
14:12 Sermon: Psalm 63
Song: O Lord My Rock and My Redeemer
40:55 Benediction
The Christmas hymn ‘Joy to the world’ is well known and loved. But did you know that it comes from Isaac Watts’ paraphrase of Psalm 98? Maybe you wouldn’t think that a Psalm like Psalm 98 has much to do with Christmas? Watts certainly thought so. In fact he saw in it much more than Jesus’ first coming (as a baby), but also his second coming (as King).
While the search for the meaning of life continues in many ways, including the fruitless exploration of outer space, Psalm 139:1-24 gives us a far different perspective. The psalm, written by King David, is a masterful and profound piece of poetry and a leading favourite of God’s people. There are many reasons why this is so, the main being that God’s intimate knowledge of us leads us to a wonderful knowledge of Him.