The Greatness of God
Psalms for Rest • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 7 viewsThe LORD is worshipped for His glory and goodness.
Notes
Transcript
Opening Prayer
The kind of outlook by individuals facing a new year:
The Optimist focuses on all good.
The Pessimist looms over all wrong.
The Idealist pours over what should be.
I wonder, to which of these individuals do we find ourselves drawing near, knowing we have a new year ahead of us?
Introduction:
Introduction:
Psalm 145 is the last Davidic psalm recorded in the fifth book of praises known as “The Psalms.”
David who ascended to the throne around the age of 30, about 1,000 BC, is leading the people in worship as the Tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant are brought to Jerusalem, around 993 BC, once he moved the Capital from Hebron to the Captured city of Jerusalem.
Composed as a refrain to a song, Psalm 145 is an acrostic poem using every letter of the Hebrew alphabet to call the singers and hearers to know the totality of God’s character and covenantal faithfulness to those called by Him.
This Psalm calls people to one act of service, that is to worship God for whom He is, what He has done, and His unchanging love and faithfulness.
Hear King David’s words:
A Praise of David.
1 I will exalt You, my God, O King, And I will bless Your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless You, And I will praise Your name forever and ever.
3 Great is Yahweh, and highly to be praised, And His greatness is unsearchable.
4 One generation shall laud Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty deeds.
5 On the glorious splendor of Your majesty And on the words of Your wondrous deeds, I will muse.
6 Men shall speak of the strength of Your fearsome acts, And I will recount Your greatness.
7 They shall pour forth the memory of Your abundant goodness And will shout joyfully of Your righteousness.
8 Yahweh is gracious and compassionate; Slow to anger and great in lovingkindness.
9 Yahweh is good to all, And His compassions are over all His works.
10 All Your works, O Yahweh, shall give thanks to You, And Your holy ones shall bless You.
11 They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom And talk of Your might;
12 To make known to the sons of men His mighty deeds And the glory of the majesty of His kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And Your dominion endures from generation to every generation.
14 Yahweh sustains all who fall And raises up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all wait on You, And You give them their food in due time.
16 You open Your hand And satisfy the desire of every living thing.
17 Yahweh is righteous in all His ways And holy in all His works.
18 Yahweh is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth.
19 He will work out the desire of those who fear Him; He will hear their cry for help and He will save them.
20 Yahweh keeps all who love Him, But all the wicked He will destroy.
21 My mouth will speak the praise of Yahweh, And all flesh will bless His holy name forever and ever.
I. We are called to Praise the Living God. (v. 1-2)
I. We are called to Praise the Living God. (v. 1-2)
King David is calling the hearers to magnify God for who He is.
His name is worthy of praise and honor for all time.
Making much of God is something that is worth repeating over and over again.
We have great cause to worship God and David shows us the many causes for our hearts to turn to Him:
II. We Praise Him Because of His Great Works. (v.3-6)
II. We Praise Him Because of His Great Works. (v.3-6)
God is worthy to be praised because He is the Great King.
David resounds the words from Psalm 78, retelling the great works of God from one generation to another.
God is worthy of praise because His handywork and interaction with humanity, David in particular, have shown God to be more than deserving.
III. We Worship God for His Inherent Goodness. (v. 7-9)
III. We Worship God for His Inherent Goodness. (v. 7-9)
Worship is described as flowing from the experience and recall of God’s acts on behalf of His children.
David echoes the words of Moses as God discloses Himself in Exodus 34:6-7.
God’s grace and mercy are extended to all creation by His presence and majesty in creation. This basically resounds the words of Psalm 98:7-9.
IV. We Praise God for His Immanent Greatness Toward His Children. (v. 10-13)
IV. We Praise God for His Immanent Greatness Toward His Children. (v. 10-13)
David, being a king, is pointing to the Kingdom that is promised in the One who would reign eternally.
The text calls for God’s saints (hasid) to recall Him as they experienced His divine covenant love (hesed).
The hope and anticipation of the Lord’s saints is that kingdom that is promised by the Father, and to be fulfilled through David’s lineage.
9 And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the scroll and to open its seals, because You were slain and purchased for God with Your blood people from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.
10 “And You made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign upon the earth.”
V. We Worship God for His Mighty Goodness to Those Who Trust Him Alone. (v. 14-20)
V. We Worship God for His Mighty Goodness to Those Who Trust Him Alone. (v. 14-20)
The text takes on the notion of a refrain, repeating the core truths for the singers and hearers to appreciate the weight of God’s majesty and splendor.
The goodness and greatness of the LORD are not just ethereal concepts, these the very fibers of reality for every creature, whether they appreciate it or not.
Matthew 6:25-34 testifies to the concern and care God displays for all His creation.
The truth of God’s gift of eternal life flows from these verses as we see how He cares for those who keep faithfulness with Him. The ones who oppose the LORD find that all else is vanity and eternally worthless.
VI. All People are Compelled to Worship Him Without End. (v. 21)
VI. All People are Compelled to Worship Him Without End. (v. 21)
For all His transcendence and immanence, God is worthy of worship.
For all His authority and faithful love, God is worthy of praise.
Above all for His Holiness and for His Personal Redeeming Power, God is worthy of our whole being.
The kind of outlook by individuals facing a new year:
The Optimist focuses on all good.
The Pessimist looms over all wrong.
The Idealist pours over what should be.
The Believer pondering the One who is faithful through it all.
Will we focus on the circumstances we face, or will we focus on the one who is greater than any issue, circumstance, or challenge 2025 will bring?
Closing Prayer of Repentance, Confession, and Call to Action.
