Sermon Tone Analysis

*Inscription: Writing God’s Words on Our Hearts & Minds*

*/Part I: Experiencing the Psalms/*

*/December 6, 2009/*

 

* *

*Main Point(s) of sermon:*

· The Psalms are expression of deepest emotion, freeing us to pour out our heart

· Parallelism

*Objectives of sermon:*

· Encourage us to read the Psalms to experience God, not just know him.

*Prep: *

·         077 (p 7-8)

·         Leftovers, types of parallelism

·         Lewis, chpt 3

 

 

Got Bible?

I was skimming an e-zine and saw an article “The *Key* to *Overcoming* *Temptation*,” and decided to read it – for someone else I mean, not myself.

Q   Based on research, do you know what the single *most* *helpful* key for resisting temptation?

It’s not going to *church*, *praying*, or even *accountability* groups (though these things are effective when used properly), it’s *reading* your Bible.

Not once in a while, but *4+ times* a week.

“...there is *no* *statistical* *difference* between Christians who read or listen to the Bible *two* to *three* days a week and those who do *not* engage Scripture *at* *all* or only *once* a week!

...there is a clear *crossover* *point* at *four* days.

“Those who read or listen to the Bible at least four days a week are 36% less likely to *smoke*, 57% less likely to get *drunk*, 61% less likely to use *pornography*, and 68% less likely to have *sex* *outside* *marriage*.”

·         It is especially effective for *teens*; *praying* and *church* attendance show almost no change in “risky behavior.”

Perhaps there is something *harder* to *ignore* about the Word of God in front of you.

Perhaps the *discipline* of *reading* is an *indicator* *discipleship*, but we know there is something *powerful* about the Bible to change lives.

·         That’s a *vote* of *confidence* for this *new* *series*, how important it is to be immersed in the Bible.

The series is called “Inscription: Writing God’s Word on our Hearts and Minds.”

We will read through the entire Bible over the next 1 ½ and study it together.

·         Have you been *practicing* by reading Proverbs?

This is the *2nd* *sermon* in the series (I know it’s been *confusing*), this one preparing us for the weekly reading in Psalms.

We will start properly *January* *1st*.

Prayer

 

Psalms are a great *gift*, a place we don’t *learn* about you as much as *experience* you, and experience our faith in both *joys* and *trials*, along *with* our *ancient* *brothers* and *sisters*.

unsavory Psalms

 

The Psalms are among the most *beloved* *portions* of Scripture and have been a source of *great* *comfort* to many:

 

*Psalm 23 *The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.  2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,  3 he restores my soul.

He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.  4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

*Psalm 46:1-3 * God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,  3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

Psalms like these *comfort* us and *reassure* us.

*Almost* *all* of *us* have turned to them in times of *need*.

But then there are psalms that are a little *less* *savory*:

 

*Psalm 137:1-4, 8-9* By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. 2 There on the poplars we hung our harps, 3 for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” 4 How can we sing the songs of the LORD while in a foreign land?... 8 O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy is he who repays you for what you have done to us-- 9 he who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.

Leaves a rather *bitter* *taste* in the mouth.

Or how about this *little* *chestnut*?

 

*Psalm 58:10* The righteous will be glad when they are avenged, when they bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked.

Q   What do we *do* with things like that?

Was *God* having an *off* *day* and let these get *snuck* in?

Q   What about “God is *love*” and “turn the *other* *cheek*”?

Q   Do we tuck them *away*; ignore them like a dark *family* secret?

What if I were to tell you that these “*unpleasant*” psalms are no less *vital* than the ones we cherish?

What if sometimes the passages that *bother* you the *most* are the ones you *need* to hear the *most*?

What if psalms like this “*dash* *infants* against the rocks” speak very *important* *messages* to us today?

Israel’s hymnbook

 

The Book of Psalms is basically a *hymnal*, a *collection* of 150 hymns of ancient Israel.

They were written for all sorts of occasions and situations.

Some are as old as *Moses* and others *post*-*exilic*, a gap of about *1,000* years.

·         This is a copy as Jesus knew it, from the *Dead* *Sea* *Scrolls*.

Psalms were deeply imbedded into *Israel’s* *psyche*, in fact the *most* *quoted* book of the OT is not the Law or the Prophets, but Psalms (also *most* *copies* among the Dead Sea Scrolls).

Q   Does that seem *odd* to you, that they are more inclined to *quote* from a *song* *book* than anything else? *Maybe* *not*:

 

Q   Have noticed the *power* of *songs* and *poems*?

Music has a power far *beyond* the *logical* *sum* of its *parts*.

It’s able move us to *tears*, *ramp* us *up* at a concert.

It can bring back *memories* in *powerful* ways.

Q   How many of you would have done much *better* in *school* if *Guns* *‘n* *Roses* wrote songs about *algebra* and U.S. *history*?

Q   How many of you know the *Preamble* of the *Constitution* thanks to *Schoolhouse* *Rock?*

Likewise, *poetry*, with its *rhythm* and *imagery*, hits us at a very *different* *level* than *prose* and *factual* statements.

I could say “God *reveal* himself through both *nature* and the *Bible*,” or:

 

*Psalm 19:1-14 *  The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.  2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.

3 There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.

4 Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.

In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,  5 which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course.

6 It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.

7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul.

The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.

8 The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart.

The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.

9 The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever.

The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous.

10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.

Experiencing God

 

My Hebrew professor said there is nothing in the *NT* that is not *also* in the *Psalms*.

The NT is almost the *cliff* *notes* *version*.

·         The *NT* teaches us *about* God.

·         The *Torah* teaches us *what* God has *done* and *said*.

·         The *Psalms* *invite* us to *experience* God.

Psalms is most *participatory* part of the Bible.

Rather than being *taught* by someone above us, we are *worshiping*, *feeling*, and *experiencing* *alongside* them.

Psalms is a book of *human* *emotions*.

I’d bet that any and *every* *mood* you have experienced is found in the Psalms: *Joy*, *sorrow*, *dryness*, *fear*, *doubts*, *thankfulness*, *guilt*, *comfort*, and *anger*.

·         The power of the Psalms is they allow us to *experience* these *alongside* the saints and find *direction* to our feelings.

the vindicate psalms

 

And now we can begin to see the *value* of these “*vindictive*” *psalms*, and it is a *two* *part* answer.

*/1.

/**/Laments – get it all out.

/*

 

*47%* of the psalms are “*laments*,” psalms filled with *pain* and *grief*, and even *accusation* against God.

The *Israelites* knew that they could *pour* *out* their frustration and anger to God.

 

*Psalm 13:1-6 * How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever?

How long will you hide your face from me?  2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart?

How long will my enemy triumph over me?  3 Look on me and answer, O LORD my God.

Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;  4 my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

·         They also knew that they could also *trust* Him in the *midst* of their pain.