WHY AM I SO BLESSED? Psalms 103 and 67

Wayne Jackson: God s Divine Benefits Package; A Study of Psalm 103 The book of Psalms is one of the truly majestic pieces of Biblical literature. It is a collection of 150 songs inspired by the Spirit of God. Some of these celebrate the history of the nation of Israel. Others pronounce severe judgments upon those who set themselves as enemies of Jehovah.

Wayne Jackson: God s Divine Benefits Package; A Study of Psalm 103 There are psalms that are Messianic in thrust, i.e., they point to the coming Messiah. Some Psalms, though, simply lift up a chorus of praise to the Creator. Psalms 103 may be the Mt. Everest of praise psalms. It exalts the soul to breath-taking heights.

A View From the Top Imagine yourself on a mountaintop far above the lights of the city

A Song wells up in your heart. You burst into verse- Bless the Lord, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits; It s your way of expressing, every good and perfect gift comes from God. It s your way of confessing, that God has been infinitely gracious to you.

Psalms 103 Have you counted your blessings lately? What are you thankful for in your life? When was the last time you really took the time to look around and think about all of the amazing blessings you have in your life?

Pessimists, Naysayers & Worrywarts I read a while back that - some scientists have said that if everyone keeps stacking National Geographic s in their garages and attics instead of throwing them away, the magazines weight will soon sink the North American continent under 100 feet of water!

Pessimists, Naysayers & Worrywarts I read that - If beachgoers keep returning from vacation with as much sand clinging to their bodies as they do today,

Pessimists, Naysayers & Worrywarts I read that - If beachgoers keep returning from vacation with as much sand clinging to their bodies as they do today, 80% of the countries will disappear in 10 years. coastline

Pessimists, Naysayers & Worrywarts I read that - they have discovered that pickles cause cancer, communism, airline tragedies, auto accidents and crime waves.

Pessimists, Naysayers & Worrywarts I read that - they have discovered that pickles cause cancer, communism, airline tragedies, auto accidents and crime waves. Almost 99% of all cancer victims have eaten pickles 98% of communist sympathizers, 97% of those involved in air and car accidents.

You Get The Idea: We can either be fatalists and worry about what might happen in life (or) We can be Faithful(ists) and be grateful for a God who is in control of His universe, and whose greatest desires are to bless us and save us.

Psalm 103:3 He Pardons us and Saves us Ps. 103:3 (Bless the Lord) Who pardons all your iniquities (and) Who heals all your (souls) diseases; Mic. 7:18 - Who is a God like Thee, who pardons iniquity and passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? {Our God} does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in unchanging love. Ps 147:3 - {Our God} heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds.

Psalm 103:4 He redeems us in compassion Ps. 103:4 (Bless the Lord) who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; In other words, we are bought with a price 1 Cor. 6:20; we are redeemed (Cost is implied) AND crowned us--or, "adorned" (with His love) That we might share in His tender mercies ref. to His compassion (2 Tim. 4:8; Rev. 2:10)

Ps 25:7 (David) Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to Thy lovingkindness remember Thou me, for Thy goodness' sake, O LORD. ( Thy meaning HIS prerogative).

Psalm 103:5 He desires our happiness 5 (Bless the Lord) who satisfies your years with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle. Isa. 40:3 -But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Psalm 103:6-11 He offers Absolute Mercy 6 (Bless the Lord) [who] performs righteous deeds, and judgments for all who are oppressed. He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel. The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.

Psalm 103:6-11 He offers Absolute Mercy 9 He will not always strive {with us} nor will He keep {His anger} forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.

David, Paul, and me Ps 116:5-6 - Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yes, our God is compassionate. The LORD preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me.

David, Paul, and me 1 Tim 1:15-16 - It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners (*me too), among whom I am foremost {of all.} And yet for this reason I found mercy, in order that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience, as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.

Psalms 103:17-19 He is utterly consistent & fair 17 But the lovingkindness of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children's children, To those who keep His covenant, and who remember His precepts to do them. The LORD has established His throne in the heavens; and His sovereignty rules over all.

3 More Blessings 20 Bless the LORD, you His angels, Mighty in strength, who perform His word, obeying the voice of His word! 21 Bless the LORD, all you His hosts, you who serve Him, doing His will. 22 Bless the LORD, all you works of His, in all places of His dominion; bless the LORD, O my soul!

(But) Why are We So Blessed? God blesses us, that His Name and His salvation might be seen and known the world over *Ps 67:1-2

(But) Why are We So Blessed? Ps 67:1-2 1 2 God be gracious to us and bless us, a better translation is: GOD HAS BEEN GRACIOUS TO BLESS US {and} caused His face to shine upon us (Selah) *That Thy way may be known on the earth, Thy salvation among all nations.

A Closer Look Let s return to the Mountaintop How will they ever hear of God s blessings?

Why We Are So Blessed Ps 67:3-7 - Let the peoples praise Thee, (It starts with us- but the intention is that spread to ALL MEN- the peoples) O God; let all the peoples praise Thee. Let (all) the nations be glad and sing for joy; for Thou wilt judge the peoples with uprightness, and guide the nations on the earth. (Selah). = Think about it

Psalms 67:5-7 Let the peoples praise Thee, O God; let all the peoples praise Thee. The earth has yielded its produce; God, our God, blesses us. God blesses us, that all the ends of the earth may fear Him. IE. His blessings are intended to reveal His nature and produced FEAR, which is REVERANT FAITH in Him.

My Sermonette God revealed Himself and His purposes in the Bible. God's story is true and consistent with His own nature. God desires for ALL people is to know Him and to find Him in the person of Jesus Christ

My Sermonette Everyone has broken God s Law and because of that we cannot attain a right relationship with God by any means of our own. The only hope we have is through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The blood of Jesus, shed on the cross, provides the only way of salvation through forgiveness of sin. [And] we come in contact with that blood in the watery grave of baptism that s the truth of it

My Sermonette We are God's method of communicating His story to those who have never heard it, or who have grown hardened toward it, or who don't believe the story is for them. Therefore we who believe we must be faithful and joyful and intentional with the Gospel as we go about our daily lives. The mandate Jesus gave us was to make disciples who make disciples God s story is a never ending story!

God Delights in Blessing US Man was created to exist forever. He will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or in union with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is Hell. To be eternally in union with God is Eternal Life. Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal existence. To know this is a blessing. To share it is a blessing. That is why we have been so blessed- to tell the world that they too may share in His blessings!

The World in Microcosm If the world were 1,000 people: 180 would live on a lush hill called the DEVELOPED WORLD. 820 live on the bottomland called the THIRD WORLD. The 180 enjoy 80% of the wealth of the whole world. Most of the 820 live on less than $ 700.00per person, per year. (Selah)

I Know This: God wants 100% of the lost to be saved. We who have been saved hold 100% of the responsibility to save others.

I Know This: God wants 100% of the lost to be saved. We who have been saved hold 100% of the responsibility to save others. (AND) The blessings of God may not continue on us forever, not if we refuse to use them to bless the whole world with the knowledge of His saving grace?

Elliot Bannister (recorded by Amy Grant) I love to sing and I love to pray, Worship the Lord most every day. I go to the temple, and I just want to stay To hide from the hustle of the world and it's ways. And I'd Love to live on a mountain top, Fellowshipping with the Lord. I'd love to stand on a mountain top, 'Cause I love to feel my spirit Soar...

Elliot Bannister But I've got to come down From the mountain top To the people in the valley below; (Or) They'll never know That they can go To the mountain of the Lord.

Elliot Bannister Now praising the Father is a good thing to do, To worship the Trinity in spirit and truth. But if we worshipped all of the time, There would be no one to lead the blind. But I'd Love to live on a mountain top, Just fellowshipping with the Lord. And I'd love to stand on a mountain top, 'Cause I love to feel my spirit Soar...

Elliot Bannister But I've got to come down From the mountain top To the people in the valley below; (Or) They'll never know That they can go To the mountain of the Lord.

Elliot Bannister I am not saying that worship is wrong, But worship is more than just singin' some song, 'Cause it's all that we say and everything that we do; It's letting God's Spirit live through you. Still, I'd Love to live on a mountain top Fellowshipping with the Lord. I'd love to stand on a mountain top, 'Cause I love to feel my spirit Soar...

Elliot Bannister But I've got to come down From the mountain top To the people in the valley below; (Or) They'll never know That they can go To the mountain of the Lord. You suppose he read Psalm 103?