SPEAKER_00: Want to look at the book of Psalms.
SPEAKER_00: We've been looking throughout the summer in the book of Psalms.
SPEAKER_00: And today I want to look uh again in the book of Psalms and see uh what the Lord has in store for us in Psalms 103.
SPEAKER_00: And what I love about this Psalm, and I'll try to give it to you the uh and just share with you what the Lord has placed on my heart, but man, I love the perspective that David writes from.
SPEAKER_00: And as he's writing this, I jotted this down as our title is Don't Forget What God Has Done.
SPEAKER_00: Don't forget what God has done.
SPEAKER_00: And as we read it in a moment, we're gonna realize that we oftentimes forget things we don't intend to forget, and we remember things that we shouldn't remember.
SPEAKER_00: And it's funny with the world that we live in, with technology the way that it is, and because we have the resources at our fingertips, oftentimes we're not required to remember like we once were.
SPEAKER_00: I don't have to remember anybody's phone number.
SPEAKER_00: I just push their name and call them.
SPEAKER_00: I don't have to remember addresses because I could just type it in, hit go, and the maps take me there.
SPEAKER_00: I don't have to remember certain things like maybe you once had to.
SPEAKER_00: And as I I love how David lays this out because it reminds me that you and I, as believers and followers of Christ, should remind ourselves of the goodness of God.
SPEAKER_00: And before I read the verses, I'll share with you several weeks ago I was looking for something and I stumbled across an old prayer journal.
SPEAKER_00: And I don't know if you use those, but I remember years and years ago, some saint of the faith shared with me about a prayer journal and how they had jotted down needs.
SPEAKER_00: And so there's times where I'll jot down needs or actually write out my prayer that I'm praying in my time with the Lord.
SPEAKER_00: And as I found this old prayer journal, I was going through it, just looking and kind of browsing over it.
SPEAKER_00: And what was crazy to me is there were names on there that were written down years ago that maybe I had in a moment forgot about, but the second that I read the name, I remembered that situation.
SPEAKER_00: There were times in that prayer journal that I was praying specifically for a person.
SPEAKER_00: There was times that I was praying for a situation that was going on, a time that maybe I personally felt overwhelmed, or somebody else that I was praying for was overwhelmed.
SPEAKER_00: There was time and time again, prayers had been poured out unto the Lord.
SPEAKER_00: And as I read that, my mind began to think.
SPEAKER_00: Now, some of those needs were health needs, some were family needs, some were decisions that I had to have made, some were your names that I had prayed for, or your situation that you were going through, or as a church, I was praying for directions.
SPEAKER_00: And as I kept realizing, as I as I kept reading, I realized a few things.
SPEAKER_00: Many of those prayers had already been answered.
SPEAKER_00: I didn't remember all of them, but as I read through them, I remembered some of those prayers had already been answered.
SPEAKER_00: Some were answered the exact way that I prayed.
SPEAKER_00: I mean, some were answered differently than I had had prayed, but looking back, God knew best and God did what God does best.
SPEAKER_00: There were several quests that I had forget for completely forgot about.
SPEAKER_00: And it bothers me to think about how did I forget that God answered this prayer where I was overwhelmed?
SPEAKER_00: Maybe there was a time that I spent weeks or months for a specific need that I had overlooked and forgotten.
SPEAKER_00: And as God answered the prayer, life moved on.
SPEAKER_00: As God directed, there were other burdens that came.
SPEAKER_00: As God fixed things, other prayer requests came to me and I forgot.
SPEAKER_00: And somewhere along the way, I stopped remembering.
SPEAKER_00: And that bothered me.
SPEAKER_00: And I started wondering how many of us forget some of the blessings that God has done in our past?
SPEAKER_00: Forgot an answer, forgot this, or forgot that.
SPEAKER_00: Because we oftentimes we remember what we're worried about today.
SPEAKER_00: But often we forget what brought us through yesterday.
SPEAKER_00: I might be overwhelmed with what worries me today, but I forgot the blessings that God brought me through yesterday.
SPEAKER_00: And as I was thinking those thoughts, I started thinking, I bet you there's many of us that are still remembering a prayer that I've been asking about, I've been waiting on, but I forgot the dozens that he's already answered.
SPEAKER_00: I remember today's burdens, but oftentimes I'll forget yesterday's blessings.
SPEAKER_00: And I think that's where David's at as we get to Psalms 103.
SPEAKER_00: And I think probably one of the greatest dangers in the Christian walk is not that God stops being faithful because we know that he's always faithful.
SPEAKER_00: What's the biggest danger in the Christian life, I think, is that us as believers and followers of Christ forget the faithfulness of God.
SPEAKER_00: We get overwhelmed with our worry and our burdens that we forget of the blessings of the past.
SPEAKER_00: And honestly, as I open up Psalms 103, David takes us down memory lane at the beginning.
SPEAKER_00: Now, what's interesting is that as we've read other psalms that he's written, he could have started anywhere.
SPEAKER_00: He could have started preaching to Israel for messing up.
SPEAKER_00: He could have started out this psalm by talking about his enemy that was chasing after him.
SPEAKER_00: He could have opened this psalm up about speaking about his family and the situation that he was going through.
SPEAKER_00: But the beauty of Psalms 103 is that he doesn't start by preaching about Israel or about his family or about his enemy.
SPEAKER_00: He starts by preaching to himself.
SPEAKER_00: That's interesting because I never looked at it that way until very recently.
SPEAKER_00: He preaches to himself.
SPEAKER_00: Look at the first two verses, Psalms 103.
SPEAKER_00: It goes like this verse 1 bless the Lord, O my soul.
SPEAKER_00: And all that is within me.
SPEAKER_00: Bless his holy name.
SPEAKER_00: Verse 2, bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.
SPEAKER_00: David is teaching to himself, tell himself, soul, listen up.
SPEAKER_00: Don't forget how faithful God's been.
SPEAKER_00: It says in verse number two, and forget not all his benefits.
SPEAKER_00: That word benefit means reward.
SPEAKER_00: Don't forget what God has done for you.
SPEAKER_00: Do you hear what he's saying here?
SPEAKER_00: He's preaching to himself.
SPEAKER_00: Why would he preach to himself?
SPEAKER_00: Because David knew something that most of us overlook.
SPEAKER_00: He knows the human heart, and the human heart remembers our problems, but forgets about the goodness of God.
SPEAKER_00: Human heart remembers where I have needs, but forgets how good God was to me just five years ago.
SPEAKER_00: David knew that he had been chased by enemies and hid out in caves and made some mistakes throughout his life.
SPEAKER_00: And yet he has to stop and pause in this moment.
SPEAKER_00: Now, he's older in age and he's looking back, thinking about how good God has been to him.
SPEAKER_00: And he's praising the Lord about all the benefits.
SPEAKER_00: See, I think that you and I as human beings naturally drift towards forgetfulness.
SPEAKER_00: But we do not naturally drift towards gratitude.
SPEAKER_00: He's making himself in this order start off by preaching to self, remembering how good God has been, because he knows naturally he wouldn't do it.
SPEAKER_00: That's why he says, verse number two, do not forget.
SPEAKER_00: This is what I want to show you this morning.
SPEAKER_00: Worship grows when you and I remember what God has done for us.
SPEAKER_00: It grows.
SPEAKER_00: Worship grows.
SPEAKER_00: And I want to show you what that means.
SPEAKER_00: And it starts by remembering.
SPEAKER_00: I think one of the greatest disciplines that you and I could have in our Christian walk would be that we remember what shaped us, all the blessings.
SPEAKER_00: I think the greatest discipline that you and I could have in our Christian life is learning to remember.
SPEAKER_00: Now, I think life is full of disciplines.
SPEAKER_00: You have to discipline yourself to, you know, do your laundry and to make your bed and to put your clothes where they go.
SPEAKER_00: And you have to go through life with disciplines.
SPEAKER_00: In my Christian life, it's no different.
SPEAKER_00: I have to discipline myself to make time for the scripture reading and to pray, but I want to make time and be sure that I am not ever going to forget the blessings of the Lord.
SPEAKER_00: Let me show you a few things because I believe what you remember will shape you.
SPEAKER_00: See, I love how the scripture naturally breaks itself apart, and we're going to look in the first five verses.
SPEAKER_00: And here's what David's showing you and I.
SPEAKER_00: Look back.
SPEAKER_00: Look back, remember his blessings.
SPEAKER_00: The first five verses show you and I to look back and to remember his blessings.
SPEAKER_00: Notice this: David begins with what God had done.
SPEAKER_00: He doesn't start off by talking about creation, how he could have.
SPEAKER_00: God is the creator of all things, the heavens and the earth.
SPEAKER_00: He didn't start off with that.
SPEAKER_00: He didn't start off with Israel and what they needed to do or what they have done.
SPEAKER_00: This is what I love is that David starts out in the first two verses with his own testimony.
SPEAKER_00: His own testimony when he says, Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all of his benefits.
SPEAKER_00: I think this is significance that you and I cannot overlook that he started with his own testimony.
SPEAKER_00: I think some of the greatest evidences of the goodness of God is your life.
SPEAKER_00: I think the greatest evidences of the goodness of God is the testimony that you have right here.
SPEAKER_00: And many of us don't even share because we don't think that we're worthy to, or we don't think that nobody wants to listen to it.
SPEAKER_00: Oh, there's countless people in the house today that God has served a miraculous miracle.
SPEAKER_00: There's times and there's things that people have been brought out of a destructive situation that God has restored.
SPEAKER_00: Listen to me, the list will go on and on, but the greatest evidence of the goodness of God is the testimony that you have within your own heart.
SPEAKER_00: And David knew that.
SPEAKER_00: So he starts the first two verses off saying, Look back, remember his blessings.
SPEAKER_00: Look with me, and we'll go verse by verse here through this.
SPEAKER_00: Verse number three, as we continue on, shows you and I that the greatest need that you have has already been met.
SPEAKER_00: Now, if I stopped and said, What's the greatest need that you have?
SPEAKER_00: Oh, many of us are gonna tell us, man, I need that new truck.
SPEAKER_00: If you ask me, the flesh side of me is I need a F-150 Raptor.
SPEAKER_00: I'm just gonna be honest with you.
SPEAKER_00: That would be a blessing I need, okay?
SPEAKER_00: The spiritual side of me is, man, I think the greatest need I have's already been met.
SPEAKER_00: He says that in verse number three, if you read the text, he says, who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercy, who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagles.
SPEAKER_00: Why did David start with forgiveness, verse number three?
SPEAKER_00: Remember, he said in verse number two not to forget all the benefits, all the rewards, and then he goes and lists them out, verse number three, who forgives all your iniquities.
SPEAKER_00: Why did he start with forgiveness?
SPEAKER_00: Oh, I think everything hinges upon that.
SPEAKER_00: Everything's dependent upon forgiveness.
SPEAKER_00: David could remember the healing and the provisions and the strength, but he could never stop remembering the fact that God forgave him for all of his iniquities, all of his sins.
SPEAKER_00: Listen to me, forgiveness, if that's all he did, was to forgive us of our sins, he has done enough.
SPEAKER_00: You and I have blessings beyond measure, but if all he ever did was send Jesus Christ to live on this earth, a perfect man, to die willingly for you and for I, and to raise on the third day for the remissions of sin.
SPEAKER_00: Listen to me, if that's all he did, that was enough.
SPEAKER_00: That would be fine.
SPEAKER_00: Now think about David writing this out.
SPEAKER_00: Now, David, we know just by reading in the Psalms his mess-ups.
SPEAKER_00: I can take you to Samuel and read some mess ups that he had.
SPEAKER_00: David ran from God and hid.
SPEAKER_00: There were times that he took part in murdering somebody to get him out so that his sin wouldn't be exposed.
SPEAKER_00: We know that he had an adulterous relationship.
SPEAKER_00: He had all the things that you would think would disqualify anybody.
SPEAKER_00: And listen to me, he knew that because he went after the Lord, God forgave him.
SPEAKER_00: That's why later in Scripture, God says David, a man after God's own heart.
SPEAKER_00: Why?
SPEAKER_00: Because he pursued God at every turn.
SPEAKER_00: And as he pursued God, God forgave him and God restored him.
SPEAKER_00: The man spent years hiding out, is now telling you and I, verse number three, who forgives all your iniquities, who would know better about forgiveness than David?
SPEAKER_00: A man that probably toted around all kinds of guilt because he knew that he had messed up.
SPEAKER_00: He also, David, knew what it felt like to have a burden lifted off your shoulders.
SPEAKER_00: Because God forgave him and he knew that.
SPEAKER_00: Notice in verse number three the word all.
SPEAKER_00: What I love about the word all, it says, forgives all of our iniquities.
SPEAKER_00: What I love is all doesn't mean that he forgives some of our iniquities.
SPEAKER_00: He doesn't say that he only forgives the small sins, or he only forgives the large sins.
SPEAKER_00: And, you know, as humans, we'll categorize sins.
SPEAKER_00: He doesn't say that he picks and chooses.
SPEAKER_00: No, it says that he forgives all your iniquities.
SPEAKER_00: What a beautiful picture of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
SPEAKER_00: See, I believe there's many people in this world that have accepted Christ as their Savior, but they still toad around guilt of a mess up or a situation that happened prior to salvation or even a screw up after salvation.
SPEAKER_00: And they have to realize that God has forgiven them.
SPEAKER_00: Now live in that freedom.
SPEAKER_00: Now we know that God's forgiveness of sin is not a license of sin, it's, it makes me want to live better to please him.
SPEAKER_00: Scripture shows you and I that.
SPEAKER_00: Listen, as we digest these verses, and God is, he's remembering what God has done for him.
SPEAKER_00: Notice in verse, the latter part of verse number three and then verse four and five.
SPEAKER_00: God doesn't just forgive, but he also restores.
SPEAKER_00: Praise the Lord.
SPEAKER_00: Only a God of his magnitude could restore me and use me.
SPEAKER_00: Verse number uh three, no, excuse me.
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, verse number three says, Who he heals, who heals all your diseases.
SPEAKER_00: He's talking about spiritual health there, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercy, who satisfies your mouth.
SPEAKER_00: And then he later says in verse number five, who renews you.
SPEAKER_00: Notice the progress of the verses there, the progression.
SPEAKER_00: Blessing after blessing is piled upon each thing.
SPEAKER_00: He heals, he redeems, he crowns, he satisfies, he renews.
SPEAKER_00: Those aren't just some sort of random thoughts that he picked out of his uh out of a hat.
SPEAKER_00: No, they're building a beautiful picture of what God is.
SPEAKER_00: God doesn't just simply remove these, he restores.
SPEAKER_00: And that's how God could use somebody like me.
SPEAKER_00: He's forgiven me and restored me.
SPEAKER_00: And that's how God could use people just like you.
SPEAKER_00: Because we've all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
SPEAKER_00: Notice how he restores.
SPEAKER_00: There's a few words that he uses I want to look at.
SPEAKER_00: In verse number three, he uses the word heals.
SPEAKER_00: It says that he heals.
SPEAKER_00: What does that mean?
SPEAKER_00: It's showing you and I that God is the source of all healing that's out there.
SPEAKER_00: Yes, some physical, but always spiritual.
SPEAKER_00: God can renew me spiritually if I mess up.
SPEAKER_00: God can renew you spiritually if you mess up.
SPEAKER_00: Ultimately, you and I will get to eternity, where we'll be ultimately healed forever and forever.
SPEAKER_00: He heals us, is what David is saying.
SPEAKER_00: He says in verse number four that he redeems us.
SPEAKER_00: The word redeem means to buy back, to rescue, to deliver.
SPEAKER_00: He is saying that you have been redeemed.
SPEAKER_00: David is saying that God stepped into the pit and took him out and took his place.
SPEAKER_00: He's laying out the blessings.
SPEAKER_00: He's remembering about how good God has been to him.
SPEAKER_00: Then he says in verse number four, he crowns.
SPEAKER_00: Now I know that instead of you and I should have judgment placed on us, but because of what Jesus did, we don't have to.
SPEAKER_00: And so instead of placing judgment on our head, God places a crown of loving kindness and mercy and compassion.
SPEAKER_00: What a king he is.
SPEAKER_00: Places that on our head.
SPEAKER_00: He satisfies us, according to verse number five.
SPEAKER_00: Now, the world that you and I live in promises satisfaction.
SPEAKER_00: Buy this and you'll be satisfied.
SPEAKER_00: Go here and you'll have satisfaction.
SPEAKER_00: The world promises satisfaction, but let me tell you the only person that can ever guarantee satisfaction is none other than Jesus Christ.
SPEAKER_00: And having a relationship with him and allow him to suffice all your ever needs.
SPEAKER_00: The world will promise that success brings satisfaction.
SPEAKER_00: The world will promise you and I that possessions bring satisfaction.
SPEAKER_00: The world will promise that pleasures will bring satisfaction, but they are never met absent of Jesus Christ.
SPEAKER_00: Never.
SPEAKER_00: What else?
SPEAKER_00: Verse number five tells you and I as he remembers his blessings that he renews.
SPEAKER_00: Life has a way of wearing us down.
SPEAKER_00: The world beats us up.
SPEAKER_00: You ever feel like you've been in a boxing match sometimes?
SPEAKER_00: Man, sometimes I feel like the world has knocked me around two or three times, and I feel like, man, I'm struggling a little bit.
SPEAKER_00: That's life.
SPEAKER_00: But God has a way of strengthening weary saints.
SPEAKER_00: God can give me the strength that I desperately stand in need of, no matter what I'm facing.
SPEAKER_00: Isaiah said later on from from after David that those who wait on the Lord shall be renewed in their strength.
SPEAKER_00: He shall renew their strength, is what he said.
SPEAKER_00: Have you ever wondered in life how you made it through certain seasons that you could look back and see, how did I make it through those seasons?
SPEAKER_00: It isn't because you're strong as much as you are, right?
SPEAKER_00: Somebody got some muscles y'all want to show me.
SPEAKER_00: Student Sunday, y'all are too scared to show Shanda, the leader is showing muscles.
SPEAKER_00: Her muscles are probably bigger than some of you boys.
SPEAKER_00: Brian said, Amen to that.
SPEAKER_00: Listen to me.
SPEAKER_00: Some of us think that I got through certain seasons of my life because I'm strong.
SPEAKER_00: But what the word and the scripture shows us that we got through certain uncertain seasons in our life because God kept renewing our strength.
SPEAKER_00: That's what the text tells you and I.
SPEAKER_00: See, I don't think David is trying to create some level of gratitude.
SPEAKER_00: I think that David is trying to awaken his memory within him, saying, Soul, listen to me.
SPEAKER_00: Wake up.
SPEAKER_00: What would you be like without God?
SPEAKER_00: I think is what he's telling himself.
SPEAKER_00: Think about what God has done.
SPEAKER_00: And you can think about that as well.
SPEAKER_00: Where would you be without God?
SPEAKER_00: Think about where God brought you from.
SPEAKER_00: Think about what sins God has forgiven.
SPEAKER_00: Think about what prayers God has answered.
SPEAKER_00: Think about what strength God has given you.
SPEAKER_00: Think about the mercy you have received.
SPEAKER_00: I think the quickest way to rekindle your worship in the Lord is to remember God's blessings that He's had on your life.
SPEAKER_00: Let me give you this moment of truth and then I'll go on into verse number six.
SPEAKER_00: Remembering yesterday's blessings, I think, gives you strength for today's burdens.
SPEAKER_00: Remembering yesterday's blessings can give you the strength that you need for the burdens of today.
SPEAKER_00: Verse number six, we're gonna move on.
SPEAKER_00: He showed us in the first five verses to look back.
SPEAKER_00: Remember the blessings from the past.
SPEAKER_00: Verse number six tells you and I to look deeper.
SPEAKER_00: He wants you and I to remember God's heart.
SPEAKER_00: Look deeper, he says, in verse number six, remember God's heart.
SPEAKER_00: Let's read together a few verses here as we sort of see where he's at.
SPEAKER_00: Verse number six: the Lord executes righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed.
SPEAKER_00: He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the children of Israel.
SPEAKER_00: Look deeper.
SPEAKER_00: He begins to look deeper.
SPEAKER_00: If you remember the first five verses, he's reminding us of something.
SPEAKER_00: Now, I think it's one thing to appreciate God's gift.
SPEAKER_00: It's another thing to know God's heart.
SPEAKER_00: Now, of course, we all appreciate a good gift, and I appreciate the mighty blessings and gifts from the Lord, but it's quite differently if I remember and know the absolute heart of him.
SPEAKER_00: That's where David takes us in verses 6 through 18.
SPEAKER_00: He doesn't just describe God's actions, he actually describes God's character.
SPEAKER_00: And it's important for you and I to know what God's character is because what is God's character is what's going to flow out of God and onto us.
SPEAKER_00: And he starts off in this text and starts talking about Moses, and he goes back just a little bit.
SPEAKER_00: And there's a reason he does that.
SPEAKER_00: And I want to remind you of this.
SPEAKER_00: What God does flows from who God is.
SPEAKER_00: This is important.
SPEAKER_00: So that means that does God show mercy occasionally?
SPEAKER_00: No, God is merciful.
SPEAKER_00: Does God show love occasionally?
SPEAKER_00: No, God is love.
SPEAKER_00: Does God occasionally forgive us?
SPEAKER_00: No, God forgives us naturally.
SPEAKER_00: It flows out of the character of which that He is.
SPEAKER_00: You and I have got the more we know about God's heart, the natural we'll flow we'll worship him more naturally.
SPEAKER_00: Look with me in verse number seven.
SPEAKER_00: He's reminding them about Israel.
SPEAKER_00: Now, why is that important?
SPEAKER_00: Verse 7 says, He made known his ways to Moses.
SPEAKER_00: What's he talking about?
SPEAKER_00: He's talking about the word of God that you and I hold in our hand, the first five books of the Bible Moses wrote.
SPEAKER_00: Now, what's interesting to me, uh, differently than the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, is they made an account of what they saw.
SPEAKER_00: But with Moses, long after Genesis, and all the first five books of the Bible were laid out and done, years later, God says, Moses, sit down on that rock, get you a pen, get you a sheet of paper, and begin to write.
SPEAKER_00: Genesis chapter 1, verse number one.
SPEAKER_00: And he begins to lay out the word of God that you and I know of as the first five books of the Bible.
SPEAKER_00: He writes about as God spoke them to him.
SPEAKER_00: We know, according to the scripture, that he went on top of the mountain and received the Ten Commandments.
SPEAKER_00: And so as you and I read in verse number seven, he made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the children of Israel.
SPEAKER_00: He is told, telling us and reminding us that God spoke his word to Moses, and Moses jotted it down.
SPEAKER_00: Why is that important?
SPEAKER_00: As uh Moses was receiving uh the word from the Lord, what was his people doing?
SPEAKER_00: They were building a fake uh altar of worship, a golden calf.
SPEAKER_00: They were building some level of idolatry.
SPEAKER_00: What did they deserve?
SPEAKER_00: Judgment.
SPEAKER_00: But instead, what was the heart of God?
SPEAKER_00: Verse number eight.
SPEAKER_00: The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger.
SPEAKER_00: Man, everybody in the house would be excited about this one, and abounding in mercy.
SPEAKER_00: Man, I'm telling you, when I read verse number eight, after thinking about everything that the children of Israel did, as Moses was getting the word of God from God himself and sitting there getting the Ten Commandments from high upon the mountain, you and I read this and realize that the people were worshiping a false God, and instead of God laying them out in judgment, God's mercy was more powerful, was on full display of what he did.
SPEAKER_00: God granted them mercy.
SPEAKER_00: Probably one of the most quoted scriptures in all of the Old Testament would be verse number eight the Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger.
SPEAKER_00: But it was first written in Exodus chapter number 34 and verse number six, and I want to read it to you because it's very important.
SPEAKER_00: Exodus 34, verse number six says, The Lord passed before him and proclaimed this.
SPEAKER_00: It's in quotes here.
SPEAKER_00: The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abounding in goodness and truth.
SPEAKER_00: Now it's interesting to me that God starts off by saying, The Lord, the Lord God merciful.
SPEAKER_00: Here in our text, it says, the Lord is merciful and gracious.
SPEAKER_00: Why is that important?
SPEAKER_00: It's because God could have laid out, hey, this is God, the Lord, the Holy One, the Sovereign One, the one that knows all things, the all-powerful.
SPEAKER_00: And all those would have been accurate and true.
SPEAKER_00: But what's beautiful of the picture of heart, remember, I'm telling you, if we know the characteristics of God, it'll make us worship him more in more depth.
SPEAKER_00: His heart is on full display here.
SPEAKER_00: He is coming to those people that just messed up and we're worshiping a file of false God and saying, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful.
SPEAKER_00: You and I can read the text right here in our 103, verse number eight.
SPEAKER_00: He is merciful and gracious.
SPEAKER_00: Now, this is the God that could do anything and all things is letting us see a glimpse of his heart.
SPEAKER_00: He began with mercy and grace, steadfast.
SPEAKER_00: The heart of God is love.
SPEAKER_00: And as he continues, look at verse number nine, it says, He will not always strive with us, nor will he keep his anger forever.
SPEAKER_00: Praise the Lord.
SPEAKER_00: He's patient with me.
SPEAKER_00: And I need somebody to be patient with me at times.
SPEAKER_00: He is saying, I am patient.
SPEAKER_00: God's been patient with him.
SPEAKER_00: Look at verse number 10.
SPEAKER_00: He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities.
SPEAKER_00: Man, what a God we serve.
SPEAKER_00: What if God punished us with the sins that we've sinned?
SPEAKER_00: We wouldn't like it.
SPEAKER_00: But he is merciful, remember, and gracious, full of love and compassion.
SPEAKER_00: If God treated us exactly the way our sins deserved, none of us would be here today.
SPEAKER_00: Every breath that we take, every blessing that you and I enjoy, every opportunity that we receive is evidence of God's mercy on our life.
SPEAKER_00: Look at verse number 11.
SPEAKER_00: God's love is greater than anything that you and I could measure.
SPEAKER_00: In verse number 11, David says, For as the heavens are high above the earth.
SPEAKER_00: Now think about what knowledge that David had of the atmosphere and earth or whatever.
SPEAKER_00: You and I are all schooled, right?
SPEAKER_00: We know everything.
SPEAKER_00: Or at least our kids do.
SPEAKER_00: Did you know that your kids know everything?
SPEAKER_00: If you don't, just ask them, they'll tell you.
SPEAKER_00: I think because they Google it and they watch two videos and then an AI tells them this, and then the next thing they know, they are experts in all things.
SPEAKER_00: Now, I love you kids.
SPEAKER_00: But the truth is, is from what David knew in that absolute moment, he's talking about verse number 11, for as the heavens are high above the earth.
SPEAKER_00: Now, does he know how far heaven is above earth?
SPEAKER_00: I mean, think about the pictures that are just laid out, verse 11, verse 12, verse 13.
SPEAKER_00: How high is heaven?
SPEAKER_00: I could ask you.
SPEAKER_00: Some of you are probably already Googling it.
SPEAKER_00: Luke's Googling it right now.
SPEAKER_00: No, I'm just kidding.
SPEAKER_00: He's not.
SPEAKER_00: I'm not, I'm just kidding.
SPEAKER_00: He wasn't.
SPEAKER_00: Maverick's Googling it right now.
SPEAKER_00: No, he's not.
SPEAKER_00: No, I'm just kidding.
SPEAKER_00: Well, why?
SPEAKER_00: We don't know how far heaven is, but I can walk outside and look up and say, man, there's something vastly bigger than anything I can imagine.
SPEAKER_00: David knew from whatever he was looking at, what from wherever he was standing as he was writing this and looked up and said, Man, heaven is far.
SPEAKER_00: And as far as it is, that's how big God's mercy is.
SPEAKER_00: I can't measure how far heaven is, and I surely cannot measure how mercy, how much mercy God has.
SPEAKER_00: Look at the second picture he gives in verse 2.
SPEAKER_00: As far as the east is from the west, so far as he removed our transgressions from us.
SPEAKER_00: As far as the east is from the west, is you, if you go east, you just keep going east until you go east some more.
SPEAKER_00: It's just how it works.
SPEAKER_00: You can't stop going east if you're going east unless you turn around the other way.
SPEAKER_00: And what does it say in the scripture?
SPEAKER_00: It says, David is telling you and I, that's how far he has removed our sins.
SPEAKER_00: Not covered our sins, removed them.
SPEAKER_00: Not postponed our sins, removed them.
SPEAKER_00: Removed them is what he's telling you and I.
SPEAKER_00: When God forgives, he doesn't just keep bringing our past up, but you know who does?
unknown: We do.
SPEAKER_00: Somebody will call out, oh, oh, remember when you used to do that?
SPEAKER_00: I'm like, man, shut up, man.
SPEAKER_00: Don't be talking about that, right?
SPEAKER_00: We ain't supposed to say shut up, I know.
SPEAKER_00: But the truth is, I don't want to think about it.
SPEAKER_00: I'm thankful for the forgiveness of him.
SPEAKER_00: You know who wants to bring up your past?
SPEAKER_00: The devil.
SPEAKER_00: Makes you feel like you ain't capable of serving God today because of something you messed up with.
SPEAKER_00: We've all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
SPEAKER_00: The second I got saved, I want to pursue him.
SPEAKER_00: I don't want to mess up.
SPEAKER_00: I want to follow him every step of the way.
SPEAKER_00: That's what we should do.
SPEAKER_00: Notice verse 13.
SPEAKER_00: As a father pities his own his children, so the Lord pities those who fear him.
SPEAKER_00: David goes a little personal right here in this text.
SPEAKER_00: He's saying, if you want to fully understand God's heart, think of the best father that you've ever known.
SPEAKER_00: And that's what he's talking about right here.
SPEAKER_00: A loving father does not delight in disciplining his children.
SPEAKER_00: He delights in loving them.
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yes, we have to discipline them.
SPEAKER_00: It's not fun.
SPEAKER_00: But I also, as a father, want them to grow up and be adults that are productive, following the Lord.
SPEAKER_00: As a father, I want to protect my children.
SPEAKER_00: I want to help my children.
SPEAKER_00: I want to show my children compassion and mercy.
SPEAKER_00: And David is telling you and I in verse number 13 that God's compassion is even greater than the greatest father that you've ever known.
SPEAKER_00: David is reminding us of some stuff that you and I've got to look deeper.
SPEAKER_00: You and I've got to remember God's heart.
SPEAKER_00: Why?
SPEAKER_00: Because verse 14, for he knows our frame.
SPEAKER_00: What does that mean?
SPEAKER_00: It means he understands our frame.
SPEAKER_00: He remembers that you and all, and you and I are just dust.
SPEAKER_00: Know what that means?
SPEAKER_00: God knows your weaknesses.
SPEAKER_00: God knows your fears.
SPEAKER_00: We all have them.
SPEAKER_00: God knows what keeps you awake at night.
SPEAKER_00: He knows what brings you anxiety and what brings you worry.
SPEAKER_00: He knows where you struggle.
SPEAKER_00: And guess what?
SPEAKER_00: All of those things have never caught God by surprise.
SPEAKER_00: He knows them all.
SPEAKER_00: And listen to me, I tell you a secret.
SPEAKER_00: He still loves you.
SPEAKER_00: He still loves you through it all.
SPEAKER_00: Now, some of you, I believe, some people in the world today have an inaccurate picture of what God is.
SPEAKER_00: We know that God is in heaven and we know that he's on the throne, but some of us, I think, look at God as if he is sitting there with his arm arms crossed, waiting for you and I to fail.
SPEAKER_00: But that ain't the picture that I see.
SPEAKER_00: That's not the God that I'm reading about as I read his heart.
SPEAKER_00: He's not waiting on me to fail.
SPEAKER_00: David says, look deeper.
SPEAKER_00: Remember his heart.
SPEAKER_00: He is He is merciful.
SPEAKER_00: That's the God that I serve.
SPEAKER_00: He is gracious.
SPEAKER_00: That's the one, that's the God I'm reading about.
SPEAKER_00: He is patient.
SPEAKER_00: That's the God I'm reading about.
SPEAKER_00: He is compassionate.
SPEAKER_00: He knows that you and I have weaknesses and loves us anyway.
SPEAKER_00: That's the God that you and I serve.
SPEAKER_00: The better you know God's heart, the easier it is to trust God's hand as he guides you through life.
SPEAKER_00: Some of us need to gig deeper and remember God's heart.
SPEAKER_00: Look with me in verse 15 through 18, real quick.
SPEAKER_00: Because what's interesting in this is that God's love, God's love always will outlast our lives.
SPEAKER_00: Notice with me in verse 15, he says, As for men, his days are like grass as a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
SPEAKER_00: And then he says in verse 16, for the wind passes over it and is gone, and it's placed remembrance, it's no more.
SPEAKER_00: You don't remember it, it's gone, it's over with.
SPEAKER_00: So this section, David is comparing you and I to grass and to flowers.
SPEAKER_00: And what he's essentially saying is that life is short.
SPEAKER_00: Uh, you you aren't as young as you once were, is what he's ultimately telling us.
SPEAKER_00: And in the next uh line, you're wondering, how many more years do I have?
SPEAKER_00: The flowers bloom, the wind comes, but then they're gone.
SPEAKER_00: But listen to me, David is not trying to discourage you, and I realize that, man, I'm a little older than I was yesterday.
SPEAKER_00: And I got another gray hair.
SPEAKER_00: I don't.
SPEAKER_00: I'm just saying you could say that.
SPEAKER_00: Praise the Lord.
SPEAKER_00: I don't even dye it.
SPEAKER_00: It's just not gray yet.
SPEAKER_00: Thank you, Lord.
SPEAKER_00: I'm just glad it's still there.
SPEAKER_00: Listen to me.
SPEAKER_00: Some of us have to remember that life is very temporary.
SPEAKER_00: He's not encouraged, discouraging us, he's encouraging us.
SPEAKER_00: And he's reminding us that life is temporary.
SPEAKER_00: But think of the contrast that he gives to verse number 17.
SPEAKER_00: Verse 15, he says, We're like grass, we're like flowers.
SPEAKER_00: With the wind, verse 16, we're just gone.
SPEAKER_00: But here is the contrast with God.
SPEAKER_00: But, 17, but the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting, on those who fear him and his righteousness to children's children.
SPEAKER_00: The contrast is very simply understood.
SPEAKER_00: You and I are temporary, God is eternal.
SPEAKER_00: You and I, our lives change from time to time.
SPEAKER_00: But you know who doesn't change?
SPEAKER_00: God.
SPEAKER_00: He's the same yesterday, today, yesterday, today, and forever.
SPEAKER_00: Emotionals, um, moments of emotional take over and fracture us.
SPEAKER_00: We have moments where we don't feel like we can make it.
SPEAKER_00: But let me tell you something: God's character never changes.
SPEAKER_00: The greatest thing that you and I can understand is look deeper and remember God's heart.
SPEAKER_00: You know what?
SPEAKER_00: People will disappoint you.
SPEAKER_00: It's happened with me many, many times.
SPEAKER_00: I can't count.
SPEAKER_00: People will disappoint you.
SPEAKER_00: That's human beings.
SPEAKER_00: Listen to me, circumstances change.
SPEAKER_00: Health, things uh may fail at times, but the steadfastness of the Lord and his love will never, ever fail you and I.
SPEAKER_00: David wanted us to remember that.
SPEAKER_00: David, I think, wants his soul to remember that.
SPEAKER_00: Don't just remember what God's done, remember who God is.
SPEAKER_00: Because every blessing points back to God's heart.
SPEAKER_00: Let me give you this truth and then I'll get to my last, my last thought here.
SPEAKER_00: The better you know God's heart, the deeper your worship becomes.
SPEAKER_00: Let's look at the last few verses together, verse 19 through 22.
SPEAKER_00: And here's what the scripture shows us.
SPEAKER_00: Here's what David says: look around, invite others to worship with you.
SPEAKER_00: Look around, invite others to worship with you.
SPEAKER_00: He starts off in verse number 19 as he's remembering how good God is in the past, looking deeper at the heart of God, and then he finishes up 19 through 22 by telling you and I to look around.
SPEAKER_00: Look around.
SPEAKER_00: He says in verse number 19, the Lord has established his throne in heaven and his kingdom rules over all, meaning the sovereignty of the Lord.
SPEAKER_00: His rule is there.
SPEAKER_00: Well, what is he talking about?
SPEAKER_00: I want to say like this: I think real worship is contagious.
SPEAKER_00: People want genuine and real worship.
SPEAKER_00: When something truly amazes you, what do you do?
SPEAKER_00: You tell somebody about it.
SPEAKER_00: Sometimes you'll eat at a new restaurant and you'll tell somebody to try it.
SPEAKER_00: Man, I ate this and it was sure enough good.
SPEAKER_00: Y'all need to go try that over there.
SPEAKER_00: Sometimes I'll get a text and say, man, you have you tried the uh the shrimp over here at Downtown Eats?
SPEAKER_00: No, I did, and sure enough, good, I liked it.
SPEAKER_00: Have you tried the new hamburger down here?
SPEAKER_00: Have you tried, yeah, man.
SPEAKER_00: Why?
SPEAKER_00: Why is that?
SPEAKER_00: Because you want that person to get the same enjoyment that you got as you experienced that meal.
SPEAKER_00: You watch a movie on television or at the theater and you enjoyed it.
SPEAKER_00: What do you do?
SPEAKER_00: You tell your friend that you knew, hey, I think you would like that.
SPEAKER_00: Why don't you go take your kids to see that movie?
SPEAKER_00: It was very impactful in my life.
SPEAKER_00: Why do you do that?
SPEAKER_00: You do that because you want them to enjoy it as well.
SPEAKER_00: When your kids or grandkids do something funny, what do you do?
SPEAKER_00: You send me the picture or the video and say, Well, look what they did, or you show it to me as you pass by.
SPEAKER_00: Why?
SPEAKER_00: Because you want me to laugh and have the same joy that you had as you watched, then that's natural for you to share the joy that you have so that others will also receive the same joy.
SPEAKER_00: See, this psalm, if you think about it, began with one man preaching to himself.
SPEAKER_00: David was preaching to himself.
SPEAKER_00: And now he can't keep himself any longer, and now he's worshiping the Lord as he's gone deeper and he knows the Lord's heart.
SPEAKER_00: Now his worship is pouring off, and he's starting to invite others to worship with him.
SPEAKER_00: Verse number 19: the sovereignty of the Lord is what he's speaking about.
SPEAKER_00: David ends this time together where every believer must begin with God on the throne.
SPEAKER_00: Now think about everything David had remembered: forgiveness and mercy and compassion and faithfulness.
SPEAKER_00: And now he says, don't forget one more thing.
SPEAKER_00: I don't want you to forget this.
SPEAKER_00: God is still king.
SPEAKER_00: Listen to me.
SPEAKER_00: Nations will rise and fall, but God will not.
SPEAKER_00: Governments will change.
SPEAKER_00: God is never going to change.
SPEAKER_00: Kings come and go, but God, the king of kings, will never change.
SPEAKER_00: Cultures change.
SPEAKER_00: God never does.
SPEAKER_00: Economies are different every decade, but God's the same yesterday, today, and forever.
SPEAKER_00: God is still on the throne.
SPEAKER_00: The statement alone should give you and I peace, knowing that He is, verse number 19 should give me peace, even though that I'm in a world of uncertainty, he for sure is certain.
SPEAKER_00: Because as God is on the throne, nothing is happening in my life that he doesn't know about and have the authority over it.
SPEAKER_00: See, I believe some of us have watched our circumstance in life become unstable.
SPEAKER_00: You might get even point to one right now.
SPEAKER_00: This is unstable.
SPEAKER_00: Can I remind you of something?
SPEAKER_00: God is always stable.
SPEAKER_00: Your circumstance might feel unstable, but God has never become unstable.
SPEAKER_00: God is stable, he still reigns, he will always reign, according to verse number 19.
SPEAKER_00: Look at verse 20, real quick.
SPEAKER_00: Worship is bigger than you and I are.
SPEAKER_00: Verse 20 says, Bless the Lord, you his angels, who excel in strength, who do his word.
SPEAKER_00: See, David suddenly now is inviting heaven to join.
SPEAKER_00: Isn't that something?
SPEAKER_00: He's inviting heaven to join.
SPEAKER_00: He's saying, Bless the Lord, you're his angels.
SPEAKER_00: Then in verse 21, he says, Bless the Lord, all you his hosts.
SPEAKER_00: Can you imagine?
SPEAKER_00: Essentially, think of the picture that he's given us.
SPEAKER_00: He pictures heaven already doing what earth so often forgets to do, which is just worship the Lord.
SPEAKER_00: He's saying, Angels are worshiping.
SPEAKER_00: Lord, we should all just worship.
SPEAKER_00: It's essentially you and I have to realize that they're worshiping him 24-7.
SPEAKER_00: And just because I show up every Sunday to worship doesn't mean I don't have to worship him every day of the week.
SPEAKER_00: Oftentimes in my life, especially on Sundays, I as I pray before I ever enter the sanctuary at our first service.
SPEAKER_00: I am praying, God, I know that if I could see heaven, I wouldn't want to be down here, but God, I know that the angels are worshiping, and all of heaven is worshiping you.
SPEAKER_00: I want to take part in that, open up heaven and allow that to pour down here because I want to worship you this morning.
SPEAKER_00: See, the angels aren't forced to worship, they delight in it.
SPEAKER_00: Why?
SPEAKER_00: Because they know the goodness of God.
SPEAKER_00: And you and I should delight in it as well.
SPEAKER_00: Let me show you this last verse in 22, and then I'll close in prayer.
SPEAKER_00: Worship becomes a lifestyle.
SPEAKER_00: Bless the Lord, all his works, in all places of his dominion.
SPEAKER_00: Bless the Lord, O my soul.
SPEAKER_00: See, David bronze the invitation one final time.
SPEAKER_00: Talks about angels and talks about heaven.
SPEAKER_00: He gets down to verse 22.
SPEAKER_00: And he says, Everything everywhere is worshiping you.
SPEAKER_00: And then he comes back to where he started.
SPEAKER_00: Bless the Lord, O my soul.
SPEAKER_00: After inviting heaven to worship in all creation, David looks back at himself and almost like saying, Look, David, look at the souls.
SPEAKER_00: Don't you quit now.
SPEAKER_00: You keep worshiping the Lord.
SPEAKER_00: He's reminding us of some things in the first five verses.
SPEAKER_00: And then he says, Get deeper and know God's heart.
SPEAKER_00: And as the deeper you get, the more you'll trust the Lord.
SPEAKER_00: And as you worship him, I'm telling you, you'll want others to worship him as well.
SPEAKER_00: See, worship is so very important.
SPEAKER_00: David has taken you and I on a journey because worship was never meant to stay inside the four walls or even inside of here.
SPEAKER_00: Worship should overflow out of our homes.
SPEAKER_00: Worship should overflow out of our workplaces.
SPEAKER_00: Worship should overflow out of our conversations with people.
SPEAKER_00: Worship should overflow out of our everyday life.
SPEAKER_00: A heart that remembers God's goodness cannot help but to worship Him.
SPEAKER_00: As we go back to where we started before I close in prayer, I began talking about an old prayer journal that I had.
SPEAKER_00: That was the blessing that I received by reading the prayer journal, prayer after prayer, need after need, season after season, there was one constant thing that I saw God.
SPEAKER_00: God's faithfulness, even when I didn't realize it.
SPEAKER_00: I saw God was patient even if I had wandered away.
SPEAKER_00: Oh, I saw God was merciful even when I failed.
SPEAKER_00: I saw that God was gracious even when I did not deserve it.
SPEAKER_00: I saw that God was present every step of my journey.
SPEAKER_00: Maybe this week, church, listen to me.
SPEAKER_00: Instead of asking God for something new, I want you to spend some time remembering what God's already done.
SPEAKER_00: Remember where he found you.
SPEAKER_00: Remember what he forgave you of.
SPEAKER_00: Remember the prayers he's already answered in your life.
SPEAKER_00: Remember the doors of opportunity that he's opened.
SPEAKER_00: Remember the strength that he gave you when you felt like you had none.
SPEAKER_00: Remember the mercy that he's shown you.
SPEAKER_00: Because worship grows when you remember who God is and what he's done.
SPEAKER_00: Would you pray with me, God, I come to you this morning thankful for the word that you gave us to read in Psalms 103 and thankful for the hearts that are here and the spirit that's felt.
SPEAKER_00: And God, I pray that as we have an invitation and time that we can reflect, oh God, I pray that you would speak right to hearts.
SPEAKER_00: I pray, God, that you would give us a nudge if we so need an unction or a pull.
SPEAKER_00: Take us right where we need to be took to the altar.
SPEAKER_00: Lord, I pray that if there's a heart here today that doesn't know you as Lord and as Savior, God, I pray that through the power of the Holy Spirit, they would come from where they are to right where you are.
SPEAKER_00: I pray that you would change somebody's life.
SPEAKER_00: Lord, I pray for us that need to be spirit-minded about how good and great you are.
SPEAKER_00: God, I pray that you would use this time of invitation for that reason alone.
SPEAKER_00: We love you.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus' name.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.