I will give You thanks with all my heart; I will sing Your praise before the heavenly beings.

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1 Explore the Bible Lesson Preview June 25, 2017 Our Response Background and Lesson: Psalm 138:1-8 Motivation: The President of Princeton Theological Seminary once noted that while salvation is solely due to God s grace, the resulting good works have simply been a p.s. saying Thank you God, I love you. In our prayer and worship, we are often so focused on petition and praise that we neglect gratitude. Examination: I. I Will Thank (1-3) I will give You thanks with all my heart; I will sing Your praise before the heavenly beings. 2 I will bow down toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name for Your constant love and truth. You have exalted Your name and Your promise above everything else. n the day I called, You answered me; You increased strength within me. (1-3) 3 O A. Passionate Gratitude with all my heart (1) J. Vernon McGee remarked in his Thru the Bible Commentary, vol. 2, p.870 I think some of us ought to go to God in prayer on Monday morning and ask Him to forgive us for going to church on Sunday. We should pray, Lord, forgive me for going to church yesterday. I sang the hymns, but my heart wasn t in it. I prayed, but it was a mere formality. I listened to the Word of God, but it had no effect on me. I criticized the preacher and others who were there, but I did not criticize myself. God, forgive me for going to church like that. This would be a good thing for many of us to pray. 1 / 7

2 B. Profound Gratitude before the heavenly beings (1b) Translated gods in the KJV, these heavenly beings were viewed as angels by both Luther and Calvin. In this sense, our gratitude and praise rises to the heavens and takes on eternal significance as it is presented in the presence of eternal beings. C. Personal Gratitude I will give thanks for your constant love and truth. (2) While there is a corporate gratitude of which we may participate ( We re grateful as a nation, as a church ), our thanks should also be expressed personally. We can find over 120 references to giving thanks in Scripture. It was a favorite theme of Paul who wrote in Ephesians 5: 20 giving thanks always for everything in God the Father in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. William Barclay commented on this concept in his Letters to the Galatians and Ephesians, p. 167 The early Church was a thankful Church. The instinct was to give thanks for all things and in all places and at all times. Chrysostom, great preacher of the Church of a later day, had the curious thought that a Christian could give thanks even for Hell, because Hell was a warning to keep him in the right way. The early Church was a thankful Church because its members were still dazzled with the wonder that God s love had stooped to save them; and it was a thankful Church because its members had such a consciousness that they were in the hands of God. constant love is the Hebrew word chesed and is the closest word to the New Testament concept of grace we find in the Old Testament, and half these references are in the Psalms. truth is also constant or unchanging in contrast to the shifting and subjective truth of our post-modern culture. God s name and promise surpass any other truth. D. Producing Gratitude You answered me; You increased strength within me. (3) Giving thanks results from acknowledging God as our source and walking by faith in His providence. God honors such faith and trust with answered prayer and strength which increase our faith and gratitude. 2 / 7

3 II. They Will Bow (4-6) All the kings of the earth shall praise You, O Lord, When they hear the words of Your mouth. 5 Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the Lord, For great is the glory of the Lord. 6 Though the Lord is on high, Yet He regards the lowly; But the proud He knows from afar. (4-6) A. Universal Appeal All the kings This is like Paul s every knee shall bow in Philippians 2:10. HCSB: p. 1011: 138:4-5 The universal outlook of the psalmist reflects a fairly new understanding for David that all the kings on earth would someday worship the Lord (22:27-28). Solomon came to know it (72:11; 2 Ch 6:33), and it was spoken through the prophets (Is 2:1-4; Rv 21:24). B. Unbounded Glory great is the glory of the Lord When the kings of the earth are confronted with the truth (words of Your mouth), they will have no option but to declare His praises. The Bible translator and author, JB Phillips wrote a book titled Your God is Too Small. In it he challenged Christians to redefine their concept of God by casting aside earthly constraints. Perhaps subconsciously, we limit God by our fears. Yet, Jesus declared that all authority has been given to Him in heaven and on earth (Mt. 28:18). We need to constantly live in the truth of His unbounded glory. C. Unusual Perspective Yet He regards From His lofty throne in heaven God can see the lowest in spirit, those who are truly humble. In contrast, from those who want to be noticed (puffed up in pride) He maintains His distance. HCSB: 3 / 7

4 p. 1011: 138:6 From heaven (14:2; 33:13; 34:15; 102:19; 113:5; Is 57:15), God stoops to act on behalf of the downtrodden ( humble ; but He withholds assistance from those who are haughty or arrogant. J. Vernon McGee comments on p. 871 of his Thru the Bible Commmentary, vol. 2, There is so much said in the Word of God about God s regarding the humble. Proud modern man doesn t seem to be an expert at displaying humility. In James 4:6 we read, But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. We are told, Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty had of God, that he may exalt you in due time (1 Pet. 5:6). There is a great deal said about humility in Scripture. It is something God takes note of and recognizes. David took a humble place. We read his words in Psalm 131:1, Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me. In Isaiah 57:15 we are told, For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the heart of the contrite ones. In 1 Peter 5:5 we read, Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 1 Peter 3:4 tells us, But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. All of these verses reveal how God regards humility. III. God Will Fulfill (7-8) Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life. You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes; with your right hand, you save me. 8 The 4 / 7

5 Lord will vindicate me; your love, Lord, endures forever do not abandon the works of your hands. (7-8) A. Help for the Present You preserve my life The emphasis is upon God s sustaining power. He can preserve us during trouble, He can save us from the foe s anger. However, Jesus faced both trouble and anger in the Garden of Gethsemane at His arrest. Though He knew God could save Him (12 legions of angels), Jesus prayed Yet not as I will, but as You will. (Mt. 26:39) We pray for Divine protection while realizing that there have been more Christian martyrs in the past 100 years than in all Christian history combined. (George Weigel Rediscovering the Martyrology, ) B. Hope for the Future "your love, Lord, endures forever Verse 8 parallels the theme of Philippians 1: 6 I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. King David declares that God is not just working in the temporal realm but ultimately desires to preserve His people for eternity. Application: 1. God desires the praise and gratitude of His people. 2. God looks with favor upon the humble but disdains the proud. 3. God offers help in the present and hope for the future. 5 / 7

6 Leaders Pack Item 12: Poster: Psalm 136:1 No Illustrator Article Notes: **You may now access David s Lesson Preview in MP3 format at: y.org ; also, the Highpoint Bible Study (Downtown) is available on MP3 at the HFBC site under the Highpoint link/downloads. Dates: 6/18 SPF Father s Day; 6/21 Camp Reflections; 6/24 Men:Serve; 6/25 Timothy Loop; 6/26-29 VBS (children) & VBX (students); 7/2 David the Loop; 7/4 Independence Day office closed; 7/9 Dr. Kevin the Loop; 7/9-13 Houston 1:8; 7/15 Oasis Single Mom s Conf.; 7/16 Ben the Loop; 7/17 RUSHWEEK Rally; 7/21-27 RUSHWEEK 2017; 7/23 - SPF Birthday Bash; 8/2 RUSH Celebration; 8/20 Back to School Sunday; 8/23 Midlink/Milestones Preview Night; 8/27 SPF Birthday Bash; 8/30 11/15 6 / 7

7 Midlink on Wednesdays; 9/4 Labor Day Church offices closed; 9/8 - Marriage Matters. 7 / 7