Closing Out 2019 – He Crowns the Year (Psalm 65)

So last year didn't turn out as you hoped.

darkened Skye

and at times it may have seen there was no hope.

But here's the good news. Our God is a god of Fresh Starts.

Who is the god of new beginnings?

Our God brings new mercies new compassion's not just once a year not just when things are bad but every single morning

This year has been tough and for many of us things will never be the same.

But we are here breathing may be smiling.

shopping for laughing

Maybe fighting or cheering or seeking for grieving. We are here.

We are not alone. Our God is here. Our God is with us.

Now God is the god of New Creations.

So today is Sunday. 2019 he believes that already. How is your year been? Her some music man. This has been one of the best years of my life. Even if it has been a really good year for you. I might be a little hot up there.

Even if it has been the best year for you, my guess is it's also been marked with some trouble. And with some pain and with some hardship, even the best of years or are filled with some of those things today. I think it's good for us that we wrap up 2019 just to look back and to consider some things and my year was rough yesterday and somebody just made it worse put a little Fighting Irish guy up here in the Pulpit right there. Yeah, I thought so. Thanks for bringing that back.

But maybe 2019 has been rough for you too in different ways. and I'm where to look at Psalm 65 today It's on 65 points are attention to the fact that God is the one who gives us all good things and then ultimately even in the midst of Hard Times praise is due to him and then I'm going to pray and then we're going to just going to unpack it together and look at God's goodness to us as a church and hope for you to think of the good to you individually and them but you know, I think it's curious that before I even read this that the preceding is here are all Psalms of Lament. they're all songs of of just hardship and pain and complaining and crying out to God and why this and why me and why now and then look at the first line after all of that complaining Psalm 65 Praises do you oh God

And Zion and to you so valves be performed o you who hear prayer to you. So All Flesh come. What an equities Prevail against me you atone for our transgressions? Blessed is the one you choose and bring near to dwell in your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house the Holiness of your temple. Play awesome Deeds. You answer us with righteousness. Oh god of our Salvation the hope of all the ends of the Earth in the farthest. He's the one who by his strength established the mountains being guarded with my two steals. The Roaring of the Seas The Roaring of their ways the tumult of the people's So that those who dwell at the ends of the Earth are in awe of your signs. You makes a going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy. You visit the earth and water at you greatly enrich it the river of God is full of water you provide their grain for so you have prepared it you water. It was abundantly settling its ridges softening it with showers and blessing. It's growth. You Crown the year with your bounty? Your wagon tracks overflow with abundance the pastures of the Wilderness overflow the hills guard themselves with joy, The Meadows closed themselves with flocks the Valley's deck themselves with grains a shout and sing together for joy. Let me pray father a thank you for Jesus. Thank you that in him and through him we have hope and we have joy and that you've given us all good things. Holy Spirit. I pray today as we take time to look at your word and even got to look back at our year and look forward to the coming year. Would you guide our thoughts and our mind and our hearts toward Jesus for The Giver of all these good things because we just read praise. Truly Lord is do you It says we song as your greatness this morning. And now as we look at it in the text, I might you be made much of Jesus. We pray against the enemy as servants their works and effects that break instead. Holy spirit that you would work mightily in our hearts through your word in Jesus name. I pray these things and then Psalm 65 at the very beginning you noticed it says to the choirmaster a Psalm of David a song did you know the Psalms are there all songs that were sung by God's people they're written together and they were sung for different occasions and I really saw on 65 in many ways is a Psalm of Thanksgiving and it was a it was a harvest him. In fact that I was often Sun once the crops were all gathered in I grew up in a small town and I went to a church that was out in the country, like this surrounded by corn fields on all sides and every year around Thanksgiving one of the hymns we would sing was Come Ye thankful people come up with something here every now and then but that was like a song of the heart of the Harvest of thanking God for his Blessing. That's what this song is. And it was sung at the towards the end of the year around the Feast of Tabernacles likely and it was sung. Thanking God for what he had done. And it begins David begins it by saying praise is due to you o God in Zion Zion because that's where they would have been that's where everybody gather to worship. And so they they likely sang this throughout the year, but for sure at this time at suizas Praises, do you and Zion as we gather together? The praise is due to you friends or going to look at this this morning. And the first thing I want you to see is the

In the good times and the bad times and everything in between Jesus deserves praise.

In fact, he is worthy of Praise Praises. Do you? Oh God. So why it why do you say Jesus deserves Praise Jesus in his fully God entirely got in a culture in which there's many gods are worshipped. I just think it's good for us to name. Specifically Our God in Jesus Christ. The son at the Jesus deserves praise. He he's worthy. Did you know that he is worthy. He alone is worthy of praise. The eve God Almighty exact when you get the Revelation you get to the end of the Bible when you get a picture of all of this is going to wrap up in the end. There's a handful of times. I just listed a couple here in Revelation for their they're singing to Jesus around the throne. They're saying worthy. Are you our Lord and God speaking to Jesus to receive glory and honor and power for you created all things to buy your will that existed and were created? Revelation 5:9. He's worthy. They sing a new song saying worthy Jesus are you to take the scroll and open it feels for you or slain and buy your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe language and people and nation and the song begins by sing praises due to you. God Praises. Do you you deserve it? You're worthy of it. And the rest of the song unpack him getting phrase. The begins with that line that he's worthy of it free with that. God is worthy of Our Praise. He's do our praise. We we owe it to him in the fact we're going to see he gets praise from everyone and everything. Even those who would deny him now one day will bring praise and glory to Jesus Christ has Paul right there flipping one day every knee will bow. every need every knee will bow their forgot tile exalted him to still down Jesus the name that's above every name so that it his name every knee should bow in heaven on Earth and under the Earth. Everyone and everything this song is really a song that that depicts the beauty of God's creation and God's nature. Maybe some images came to your mind even as we read it and you see God's goodness and creating everything and how everything alternate leben brings praise and glory to Jesus. In fact is we just right? He's the one who created everything. Set a reminder on that to start right? I think that's a good intro. Jesus deserves praise. It's a surprise for well, that's almost lays out many things will focus on a couple first. He deserves praise for his grace. Look with me. Vs. We're going to start the first two and just kind of work our way through here. Refers to the psalmist rights. He says David Wright's he says at OU who hear prayer? You who hear prayer? Here's your prayers. Where is when you thank him for his gifts as blessings and prayers when you complain and are angry with him. Maybe then prayers where in your sinfulness we all have this and maybe I've had times like this where we even cursed him. And blame him for things. wrong way He hears your prayers and he knows the emotion. He knows all those things going on in your spirit behind a he knows the whole story the next to this too, and we could go to this couple weeks ago when I got the people are in Egypt, right and they're suffering under Pharaoh. It's at the end of chapter 2 that God saw and God knew. He heard their cry he knew their pain. Listen, he hears your prayers. Peter writes that says that you should cast how many of your anxieties on him. Do you know that verse means in Greek means? I like the tiniest of things. You know, sometimes people criticize people for praying about small things. God doesn't criticize you for that. It could expect us to cast all things on him from the smallest to the greatest. Why because he cares for you. He cares about you. He hears your prayer that the song that says here. David says I owe you who hear prayer? Ethos do you show All Flesh thumb? He deserves praise from everyone and everyone eventually will come to him is to have an already maybe not in face, but they will come to Worship in the balcony.

He hears our prayers that's part of his grace. We don't deserve him to hear us. That's what Grace is when we get what we don't deserve.

We get a God who listens to us even in our sin and not only that but goodies Prevail against me David Wright you atone for our transgressions? That is one of only three songs that mention that word a town and a tone simply means that God makes right our sins before him. He forgives us see the tones for it makes things right here tones for my transgression for your transgression for our sin. So big fancy word for sin. He makes it right. Ephesians chapter 2. Are you familiar with the book of Ephesians that you might drop that down if it's not on there already and I'm going to turn their just briefly but in the fusions chapter 2 Taurus SE cose you were dead in the trespasses and sins and what she wants walked following the course of this world following the prince of the power of the air the spirit that's now at work in the sons of Disobedience among whom we all once lived in the passions of her flesh carrying out the desires of the body the mind and we're by Nature children of Wrath. Just like the rest of mankind just like everyone else We were all dead in our sin. We are all deserving of his Wrath.

An inverse for like the first two words of verse 4 in Chapter 2 of Ephesians are two of the best words in the Bible. God but God This is who you were and then David kind of right side in this song, right? He says when when my in it when iniquity Prevail against me you atone when I was dead in my sin, I deserve your wrath but God. But God verses for the fusions to being rich in Mercy because of the great love which with which he loved us. Even when we were dead made us alive together with Christ. It's by Grace you have been saved. It was God's grace give tones for our sin. He makes us know he pays the penalty for that. Jesus died on the cross. Produces this is the gospel. He makes it right and every good thing we read about year in the rest of this song ultimately comes back to and is rooted in and what Jesus does for us on the cross and making things, right? Now there are their implications of the Gospel that go much farther than just had absolutely but without that it's not the gospel apart from the work of Jesus Christ on the cross for my sin.

That's the heart of a Kia tones for my sin is not good news.

Isaiah Isaiah experience didn't Isaiah 6 see what he saw Jesus on his throne and verse 7 touches his lips and said behold. This has passed your lips. Your guilt is taken away. Your sin is a toned for

I didn't do anything. God did it all for you to be made right with God you don't have to do anything. Like you don't have to get your life together first. You come to him as you are slowly by his grace. He makes you knew. You can't swim you guys are fishing, right? You can't clean your fish before you catch him. You got to come to Jesus and he makes you knew he makes it clean. He doesn't he atoned for our transgressions. Didn't is Gracie here is our prayers. It's homes for sin. Brings us near look at verse for David rights as the one you choose and bring near. the dwell in your courts The one you choose John John 15 verse 16 diesel says you didn't choose me. I chose you. It in Romans 5:8 that says that while we were still sinners Christ died for us and all that. It says right before that. I think I mentioned this couples go through that. I apologize, you know, sometimes somebody would die for a good man, but for somebody who is a sinner and really messed up even for you while you were his enemy Jesus died for you. snooze while we were far off

and blessed is the one David Wright's who you choose Ward and bring near to dwell what for to dwell in your courts because we shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house the whole of your temple. French to be brought near is is where satisfaction in life is its near to God your creator. It's only found in Jesus and it will be altimate you shall be satisfied. Even if in this life right now things are rotten and they're hard.

In the end the promises there will be good for you Everlasting and eternal you shall be satisfied in his house and the Holiness of his Temple. Bosses and maybe you're like me and in your sinfulness you think about some of those things and you got to know what really that great.

Will it really? Paul says that listen Kind of says this is my paraphrase. Just think about the greatest thing in the world in your life that you could possibly ever imagine. It's nowhere close to what God has prepared for us for those who know him ball says no eye has seen no ear has heard no mind has imagined the great things that God has in store for those who love him who trusted Jesus. It will be good. Even if it's incredibly awful right now. It will David says blessed is the one you choose and bring here you we shall be satisfied lord. It's a statement of faith with the goodness of your house the Holiness of your temple for five by awesome Deeds. You answer us with righteousness. Now we just got here at 4 is what he answers by awesome Deeds you answer us with righteousness. He answers our sin with his goodness and his righteousness. Oh god of our Salvation the hope of all the ends of the Earth and the farthest he's In other words, he's everyone told the hope of all the ends of the Earth the farthest he's everything.

It totally does. He's all over the world. These are only open in fact from 71 for you. Oh Lord are my hope my trust Oh Lord You're My Hope for my use the answers our prayers. He's our old and in a Colossians 1. Paul says God chose to make known among people the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you. He is the hope of glory He's our off the hope of all the ends of the Earth. Is your hope in Jesus? Person Jesus deserves praise for his grace because he hears our prayers he gets homes for us and he makes us knew he brings us in the air. And he's our hope. But he's not just to be praised for his grace and part of his grace is one of his awesome Deeds. He should be praised for his mighty and awesome Deeds. Have you ever taken time just to stop and think a little bit about all the good things and incredible awesome and things that Jesus does and has done and will do.

Can you take your eyes off of yourself when I take my eyes off of myself? And I look at these things and look at what Jesus has done suddenly. It's how I told him, right? And the cares of Earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace. When I turn my phone into let's let's do that. Now it took us almost as what is awesome diesel. One of them is creation looking for 6. You're the one who bye-bye your strength established the mountains. You're considering how big a mountain is. And if you have little boys, you probably watched like some of the big like a dump truck bigger bulldozer shows on Netflix are on TV shows that someone like that the the biggest dump trucks. Like what would make my truck look like a little hot wheel next to it. And that thing as no hope of ever turn down and moving an entire Mountain, I mean it would take forever yet gotten in his greatness created all things established the mountain God spoke and it was established as being like you like you and I get up we put on her clothes got just puts on strength just as image of him. That's just who he is. So he looks like that's what he does it himself with my David riots. Could still the Roaring of the Seas. The Roaring of their ways the two most of the people's it's hard for me not to recall marked after 4 when I read that is still the Seas no more chapter 4 the end of chapter 4 is when Jesus is crossing the lake of Galilee. And I was in the boat and all of a sudden big storm comes up and and Jesus wakes they wake him up and we're going to try to get something. He's just what do you say be still? What happens if I'd love to see that? Let's see the video of that right and just all the sudden water just dropped. Malibu Boats are just kind of slowly rocking and everybody just like what just happened. In fact, that's exactly it because it says at the end of that that the disciples were on the book who then is this Even the wind and the Seas obey him. Who is he's the one who who stilled the royalties? He's the one who created them. He steals the Roaring of their ways and not just the Roaring of the Waves physically, but even in terms of a metaphor the two most of all the peoples. Do you have some? roaring waves in your heart right now in your life

Listen, Jesus can speak peace to those things?

It says my peace, I give to you not like the world gives. Peace. But I got peace like like you like you you would never otherwise no. I give life and I give it a bundle.

He he he still is not just the runways but the Tomb of the people he brings peace eventually for the world that also I believed our hearts.

Why does he do that first date so that those who dwell at the ends of the Earth are in awe of your sign so that why because praise is due him so that you would get praised that we turn our eyes to him. You make the going out of the morning in the evening to shout for Joy a couple options on that the end of that verse that could mean you make the going out of the morning in the evening. In other words again, the ends of the Earth both both ends of the spectrum from where the sun rises to where it says, there's joy, but it also I think there's a picture of just God's creation in the beauty with which it was going to be a full sun rise. There's this that even if there's a five-piece enjoying the right or a beautiful sunset.

You mix those things to happen in the shout for joy.

He's to be praised for his awesome deeds in creation, but he also gives peace and joy, look at verse 9, you visit the earth and water it you greatly and read set. The river of God is full of water you provide their green for so you prepared it. Can I come back to the verse in the moment? But look at verse 10 now you water its furrows abundantly settling its ridges softening it with showers and blessing its growth. You talk about furrows and ridges this week. hadn't either But it's in the text. But what does that mean some of you know, some of you may not know at first glance with afros and The Ridges is this idea that God works the ground right? They have to work the ground in order for seed to be planted. This is this is the song sung at the Harvest. So God provided all the season the beginning and then there were furrows and ridges from the plowing up of the ground and he plants a seed and what does he do? He settles its ridges. You bring soft rain that makes it smooth.

We got a picture here of this God's grace and goodness, but I don't think it's lost that it should be lost on us that David was a guy who who wants her plenty of hardship, right? He made some really stupid choices that he himself would admit to in terms of sin before God. He suffered great consequences of that having a son who totally rebelled against them. If there was anybody in new about like furrows and ridges and I just bumpy ground where his life just got totally turned up and plowed through David was one of those guys. And it goes but God you use the water in your river is abundant at your river is full and you bring water that that settles The Ridges. And your soft during your gentleness your kindness Smooths it all out.

That's how God works friends is over overtime as we trust him.

Maybe you've had your life worked over this year. 29th and you're just glad to see it in the rear view mirror.

but maybe down the road as you trust the Lord you would look back in that rear view mirror and you tell you know what that was incredibly hard. But but look at how God's Grace has worked in my life now. And while I never chose that if it wasn't for that.

Praises, do you know God?

Ephesians 2:14. He himself Jesus himself is our peace.

He's made us both one. That's in God has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility. He himself is our peace. I recorded this John 14:27. Peace. I leave with you. Jesus said my peace I give you not as the world gives do I give you but not your heart be troubled or be afraid.

John 16:13 I said these things to you that in me you may have peace in the world. You will have tribulation the grounds going to get plowed through it's going to get turned up. There's going to be a lot of bumpy soil. But take heart I have overcome the world.

And in his goodness and kindness he brings peace and joy. And in fact is we keep for eating we see that all good things terms of his awesome. Deeds creation of bringing peace and joy, every good thing that we enjoy is from God put in verse 9 and can you visit the Earth you water it? You greatly and Richard you do Lord. The river of God is full of water. He owns everything all the resources are his You provide their grain. It's another with the dolphin God. You've prepared it. It's his plan you water. It's froze. Abundantly settling its ridges softening of the showers blessing its growth and looking first 11. Cuz I was reading this earlier this week. This is why I landed on this song for this morning you Crown the year with your bounty. It's almost Thanksgiving at the Harvest Right. Put that but it's true that there's there's a sense in which God crowns our year with his goodness in his bouncy.

If God's Bounty noticed that right it is he's the one who blushes and gives us all good things to enjoy Fallout 4 x 2 Timothy in 1st Timothy 6 and it says right before that don't put your hope in these things. Put your hope in his bouncy. It's his good things. But this song makes a good player David makes a good point. It's all his James wrote. Jesus said every good and perfect gift is from above coming down from the Father of Lights with him. There is no variation or Shadow do 2 Chainz and we talked about putting a bow on things going to wrapping up the year closing out the year the psalmist David here says I got crowns the year with his bounty.

even the artist of the year of Our Lord 2019 is his The 20/20 will be to That was the year. Maybe it'd be good for us to think how has God crowned our year with Bounty with his with his goodness. And I want to do this as a as a church as a whole. How did God bless us, but now it's good to us, but maybe it'll spur some thinking for you yourself and your own life.

By the way, if you read the rest of verse 11, it says your wagon tracks overflow with abundance. When I was really little until about kindergarten my dad actually farmed then in the early eighties, I went bankrupt and that was the end of that but it still grew up on a farm for a while till about third grade and I can remember helping my uncle and some others and riding and like the big wagon full of grain when it's really full what happens if it bumps down the road. Spills out over the edge right kind of like the wagon tracks. Are full of your abundance I got his is so good that that even as they're leaving the field. The tracks are overflowing with abundance of just spilling out. I think one of the fun things to do at the end of two years just look back and see how has God been good. So what I did this because I asked Mandy I said, hey, can you help me find some stats from this year that maybe tell the story of how God has been good to us as a church family. So here's a handful of things maybe things. You may not otherwise even think about some what kind of fun stuff did you know in 2019? at the church little things God deserves praise for our attendance has grown by about 12% almost over last year over 2018 and 2018 grew by about 14% / 27. We had all that up from 2017 to this time in 2019. We've grown by about twenty-five 26% as a church in terms of attendance people showing up that's good news, right, but our people meeting Jesus. 1 2019 13 people were baptized here LLC.

The number would grow and become a percentage into the future. A handful of people trusted Christ just this fall to pray that some of you it's a great news.

your system fun sets Over 6000 cups of coffee in cappuccino or served in 2019.

Keeping you awake over 1,900 snacks were served in Wawasee Kids R Kids.

Anywhere from 4 to 500 diapers or changed in the nursery this year. Going to have an exact count, but we have a pretty good idea. Do you know on average? Since May 27th of 30 days of the month the facilities being used. There's small groups meeting. There's things happening here. That's good news. That's great RR student Ministry and packed in salt company averages about 45 students each week. There's over a hundred and seventy of you involve serving somewhere in our church. What are the connections or locking up on facility or Nursery or Wawasee kids or the worship team? And by the way and all those areas were in need of more? So if you're interested, please let us know on on June 23rd of 2019. We dedicated our new facility. We are almost 2,500 square feet and renovated about 9,000 now, I recognize that's like a huge blessing which which which God deserves praise. That's not alternate though. Jesus is all I keep our eyes on The Giver not the gift. But that's a great thing. end interesting fact Mandy dug up. I thought this was fun. We started the year with 17 toilets and 10 sinks. We ended with 27 toilets and 17 sinks and two showers. So kind of like, you know, you go from a two-door car to four cup four doors. No waiting. There you go. We had a new storage Outback. That's really blessed us materially this year. In fact, we borrowed less than two-thirds of what we anticipating having to borrow at the beginning of this project and we anticipate will pay it off much sooner than we originally projected. All because of God's grace.

The many other things we could last I mean huge one is bringing Pastor Dave on staff and his family being there were grateful for him.

And the baddest just thrilled that you guys are here and thankful for you. Fun to see her whole family here today. That's cool, too. I know that bus is your heart. Friends every good gift. We give us more every good gift is from the Lord. Would you agree?

See after God's blessing on the land in the ground in the crops and some 65 the David goes on the right that she says the pastures of the Wilderness they overflow. The hills gird themselves. The toy The Meadows closed themselves with flocks of Ali's deck themselves with grain. They shout for joy and sing together for joy. As a church, we have every reason to go Dark Souls with joy to shout and sing for joy.

How about you personally?

We just challenges you close out the year. You got a few more days here. Maybe how you got some extra time off. I don't know what your calendar looks like. Maybe not everyone does but most of us probably do. As you close out 2019. Maybe you take some time to evaluate this past year and then look forward. So let me recommend. I just maybe a couple steps. You can take the first step you should take. Is the take time sit-down turn off your phone get up out of paper. I just think through your gear and start making a list of all the good things. God has done in your life this year. Even in the hardest of years there's good things.

Just make a list. Turn your eyes on those things. Keep writing when you get through with your list. Keep going to get it get as big of a list of all the specific all the good things. You can think of that God has done in your life this year. What are the things you feel gratitude for? What are the things that you accomplished this year that you're proudest of?

list turn off so decide to take initiative paper and step to write a list of all the furrows and ridges from 2019

Where are the ways that God turn the soil?

Made some things hard.

What are some themes that emerged in your life this year? What what did you accomplish this year that went unnoticed? Harbor that your heart write it down don't become bitter. What was exceptionally hard this year personally professionally?

What are your regrets from 2019?

Write all those down. Just get them out on paper.

Maybe you'll start to tie some of those back now because step three is to go back to your first list. Begin, praying through that thanking God for all of those good things.

And as you do that, you might draw some.

Draw some conclusions on some connections between that list of how God turned over the ground and how he's maybe beginning to smooth it out by his grace. And I do pray to that and I'll go back to the hard last and pray through that and then plead with guys. I got it. I I need you in these things. This is incredibly incredibly hard. We please show up. Please help.

But before you're done go back again to the first list and thank him again for the good things. He has done. Hey, man. How does challenger but it take time to think through your year to praise the Lord for what he's done to ask him to do things. He has yet to do that. You need that you desire. And then thank him again and trust him for 20/20. Maybe you would even if you work through the kind of food for thought section this week. There's some ideas for you to maybe even start thinking through what are some spiritual goals for the year that I would trust God for in 2020 that I'm longing for him to do in my life. Let me pray. We're going to sing will call the morning will call the Year. Let me pray. Father. Thank you for Jesus. Thank you for the ways that your gracious to us Lord because of those ways your grace and your awesome Deeds that you're worthy and you deserve praise.

So this morning even as we close, we just take time to thank you and praise you for the good things that you've done in our lives.

But we also look back lord and we see things none of which takes you by surprise all of what you know. It works upson-lee hard.

Are maybe even hard still today? The grounds been turned up and worked over and poor in need of of your grace again to come.

And water us some to make us make things smooth and to water the seeds that it was grow and flourish.

That's where we bring all of those things to you to today.

And as we close this morning Lord, we sing to you that you would receive a much Glory much praise because it is due to you but would you remind us of all of those good things that we could trust you then for your goodness in the future? In Jesus name we pray. Hey, man.