Sunday Worship 10 January 2021 : “Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds”

Text: Psalm 36
10 January 2021

INTRODUCTION

1. Growing our knowledge of God
A great goal in the New Year

2. Deepening our Faith in God
Another wonderful goal in 2021

3. Our Knowledge and Faith in God

a) They are best cultivated in the context of Life’s experience
b) God will reveal Himself to us if we earnestly seek Him

A FAITHFUL SERVANT OF GOD

1. Moses was an outstanding faithful servant of God

2. He discovered God

a) In his personal life
b) In life’s experiences
c) In ministry

3. His great contribution was the writing of the Pentateuch

6 “For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. 7 The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; 8 but because the LORD loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
9 “Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments; 10 and He repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slack with him who hates Him; He will repay him to his face. Deuteronomy 7:6-10

LESSONS ABOUT GOD

1. God is faithful in His love

a) He set His love upon Israel
b) He kept that love faithfully

2. God is faithful to the word He has given

a) He made an oath to Abraham
b) He kept His promise
c) God is faithful to every word He has spoken

3. Theology about the LORD

a) He is God
b) The faithful God who keeps His covenant and mercy
c) For a thousand generations
i) To those who love Him
ii) To those who keep His commandments

COMMANDS TO THE KINGS OF ISRAEL

(Five commands highlighted)

1. He shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book   (Deuteronomy 17:18)

2. It shall be with him   (Deuteronomy 17:19a)

3. He shall read it all the days of his life   (Deuteronomy 17:19b)

4. That he may learn to fear the LORD his God   (Deuteronomy 17:19c)

5. And be careful to observe all the words

Of this law and these statutes   (Deuteronomy 17:19d)

MANY WERE THE PROBLEMS FACED AS A KING

1. There were wicked enemies

2. There were many battles

3. Much wickedness was in the hearts of men

4. Many problems threatened the nation

COPING WITH LIFE’S CHALLENGES:

1. By seeking to understand how God fits in

2. By understanding how to apply the knowledge of God

3. By seeking to apply faith

WHAT DO PEOPLE GENERALLY DWELL ON?

1. On Family?

a) His sons fought each other
b) One son usurped the throne

2. On the nation?

a) There were many problems
b) There was much wickedness

3. On self?

a) He saw much weakness
b) He struggled with sins

CHOOSING TO DWELL ON GOD

1. Focusing on God

a) His mercy
b) His faithfulness

2. Doctrinally

a) This was taught in the Scriptures
b) This was something David wrote in full agreement
c) David sought to deepen his understanding of God

3. An Appreciation of God

Your mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens;
Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Psalm 36:5
a) A parallelism
i) Mercy
ii) Faithfulness
b) Another parallelism
i) Heavens
ii) Clouds

CHALLENGES FOR THE NEW YEAR

1. Plan to read the Scriptures

2. Seek to deepen knowledge of God

3. Focus on getting to know the Person of God better

a) Mercy
b) Faithfulness