Psalm 73
Silence • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 13 viewsTheme: Life is Fair when God is there. Purpose: We Worship God to see the big picture and experience His prCesence. Gospel: Christ's coming again will bring Justice.
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Introduction: You’ve have all been there, A child says, “It’s not fair.” I remember when my daughter wanted a cell phone - “All her friends apparently had one.” It was not fair.
There are a lot of inequalities in our world, in our life. - Perhaps when you were working you knew someone with a bigger house, a bigger car, was paid more, and seemed to work less.
Now in your retirement - Do those inequalities carry forward. Perhaps you know people who could eat anything they wanted, but they seem as healthy as an ox still now. And you have known people who did all they could to be healthy, but cancer hit them, or an unsuspecting stroke.
Why is this the case?
Life is Not Fair When We Compare
Life is Not Fair When We Compare
In this psalm, the speaker is greatly agitated because of envy and self-pity as he beholds the seeming prosperity of the godless while he himself is suffering unjustly (vv. 1–10). In an almost spiritually fatal attitude, he is tempted to renounce his faith and agree with the godless that God is too far away to notice what they are doing (vv. 11–15). The speaker is oppressed by his ill feelings (v. 16)
I wonder how many people have lost their faith because of the comparison game. - Comparison tends to focus our attention on what we do not have rather then the abundance we do have.
What would life be if I stayed a Financial Analyst? - It took about 10 years to make the same annual income in Ministry than what I was making in Finance. - That is not adjusted for Inflation.
This is not a healthy way to think though. Why would I think this way, only to think of the things I might not have because God called me to a different ministy - The real question is not what do I not have that others have, but What abundance has God given me. - Beautiful Family, Food, I don’t think we have ever missed a meal for lack, Always shelter, I have a daughter off at college, and we seem to be able to pay for it somehow.
I am always convicted by this perspective when I go to Uganda, or Guatamala. I have way more than the average person in the World. Yet some of those people have way more faith than many of us Americans.
The 10 Commandments - That shalt not Covet
The Psalms about praying through the way of God “Torah.” - That is what the Psalmist is doing. Somehow he is recognizing in himself what is dividing him from God. That is his own envy, and covetousness. Somehow the Psalmist gains a new perspective.
What is that perspective?
Life is Fair When God is there.
Life is Fair When God is there.
The speaker is oppressed by his ill feelings (v. 16) until he enters “the sanctuary of God” (v. 17), and suddenly in worship his perspective changes. Worship changes everything because it changes our understanding, moves us to an eternal position of seeing, and reminds us of what is really important. 1. In this psalm, the speaker is greatly agitated because of envy and self-pity as he beholds the seeming prosperity of the godless while he himself is suffering unjustly (vv. 1–10). In an almost spiritually fatal attitude, he is tempted to renounce his faith and agree with the godless that God is too far away to notice what they are doing (vv. 11–15). The speaker is oppressed by his ill feelings (v. 16) until he enters “the sanctuary of God” (v. 17), and suddenly in worship his perspective changes. Worship changes everything because it changes our understanding, moves us to an eternal position of seeing, and reminds us of what is really important.
Now I am talking about True Worship - Not consumeristic Worship. That is also a big comparison game. No True Worship is really about Glorifying Who God Is, and gaining perspective on who we are in relationship to God.
Those who reject God, but seem to have it all together are on a slippery slope - God’s judgment.
We are ignorant compared to God - We can not see the big picture - We do, but not fully.
Flying a plane above the Sky’s
Quilt, or cross stitch.
We have the Lord - Nothing better.
He leads, he guides
Eternal Life - When all is stripped away, God is Good.
Even if we had nothing compared to others. If we have God we have Everything.
Conclusion:
It’s hard to not covet, to not compare - We are humans, it is like that child is always in us “It’s Not Fair.”
Remember this Psalm when you feel the pull of envy - It is a model prayer for us - Worship God to grow in your eternal perspective.