We are back in the Psalms for the next week. Good practical wisdom from King David who knew Who to trust when things got tough. But firstly a prayer from Moses.
Psalms 90: Book Four From Everlasting to Everlasting A Prayer of Moses, the man of God.
1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
3 You return man to dust and say, "Return, O children of man!"
4 For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night.
5 You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning:
6 in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers.
7 For we are brought to an end by your anger; by your wrath we are dismayed.
8 You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.
9 For all our days pass away under your wrath; we bring our years to an end like a sigh.
10 The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away.
11 Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of you?
12 So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.
13 Return, O LORD! How long? Have pity on your servants!
14 Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, and for as many years as we have seen evil.
16 Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children.
17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!
Psalms 91: My Refuge and My Fortress
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."
3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
5 You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
8 You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked.
9 Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place--- the Most High, who is my refuge---
10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.
12 On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.
14 "Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name.
15 When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation."
Psalms 92: How Great Are Your Works A Psalm. A Song for the Sabbath.
1 It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
2 to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night,
3 to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre.
4 For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy.
5 How great are your works, O LORD! Your thoughts are very deep!
6 The stupid man cannot know; the fool cannot understand this:
7 that though the wicked sprout like grass and all evildoers flourish, they are doomed to destruction forever;
8 but you, O LORD, are on high forever.
9 For behold, your enemies, O LORD, for behold, your enemies shall perish; all evildoers shall be scattered.
10 But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox; you have poured over me fresh oil.
11 My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies; my ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants.
12 The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13 They are planted in the house of the LORD; they flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green,
15 to declare that the LORD is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.
Psalms 93: The LORD Reigns
1 The LORD reigns; he is robed in majesty; the LORD is robed; he has put on strength as his belt. Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.
2 Your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting.
3 The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their roaring.
4 Mightier than the thunders of many waters, mightier than the waves of the sea, the LORD on high is mighty!
5 Your decrees are very trustworthy; holiness befits your house, O LORD, forevermore.
Things to think about…
1. Moses is writing Psalm 90 in the wilderness where he has been leading the children of Israel around and would ultimately do so until his death. He acknowledges that the Lord was the dwelling place of His people even before the earth was established, Ps 90:1. But that man also must return to the dust, and then forgotten, vss 4-6. Man is swept away by the Lord’s anger, like a flood, vs 5 and our secret sins are exposed, vs 7. Moses who was known as the humblest man to walk the earth acknowledges his own secret sins before the Lord, vs 8. This truth gives us a right heart before God, the fact that we everything is open before Him. This is a comfort and a fearful thing at the same time. Holding the tension is an important element in our faith.
2. Moses speaks about man living for 70 years, maybe if we have strength 80 years, Ps 90:10. He of course lived to 110, but even so asks that we might number our days, vs 12. Why should we do this? For the simple reason that there is a number of them and we don’t last here on earth. This is why atheism astounds me. There is absolutely no hope in that ideology. But even in this Moses asks that the Lord “make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, and for as many years as we have seen evil.”, vs 15. I say Amen to this. Toil on this earth is tough, but the Lord’s grace makes things sweet, that our work may be established, vs 17.
3. Psalm 91 has some challenges. It is a Psalm of praise for the one who trusts in the Lord for protection. The Psalmist says “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”, vs 2. The Psalm then speaks about deliverance from the day of evil, from pestilence and when at war. But is this always the case? Surely godly people do fall and indeed die in the most horrific ways, including by persecution. Some in Ukraine are finding that now. Prayers to God have been found etched on walls in torture rooms that have been set up by the Russians…where is he deliverance. But there is some context and encouragement in this Psalm to reflect on. Remember when the Lord Jesus was tempted by the devil where Jesus was taken to the top of the temple and told by Satan to jump off, Mt 4:6. Satan quotes vss 11 and 12 of this psalm “he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.” Jesus rebukes the devil by telling him that we should “not put the Lord your God to the test”, Mt 4:7. We know how the earthly story of Jesus ends – He dies a painful and bloody death on a roman cross. Where’s the Lord’s protection as promised in this psalm. Perhaps the devil was right? It’s here where we need to consider the greater picture of life beyond this life. Yes our Lord does protect and keep us here, but our eternal protection through Christ’s sacrifice is the most significant protection anyone can have.
4. Psalm 92 was written for the Sabbath. As we are NT Christians, and our Sabbath is found in Christ this Psalm surely can be sung any time with the understanding that Jesus is the One worthy of the praise offered up through the Psalm. Respect to Jesus we “give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to your name”, vs 2. We give thanks to Him in the morning, vs 2 and at night. We praise Him for what He does, vss 3,4. Some will never appreciate who Jesus is, vs 6,7 because they are stupid, wicked, fools (the psalmist’s words, not mine), They will perish before the Lord Jesus, vs 9, but Jesus shall be exalted, vs 10, He will see it, vs 11. Christ’s people will flourish. As a pastor of a church, I find the words in Ps 92:13-15 particularly encouraging. May we be found in God’s house, continually being blessed even into old age. Even when others don’t agree or understand, “He is my rock”, vs 15.
5. Psalm 93 is short but pointed with truth. Our God reigns, vs 1. He established the earth and His throne, vs 2. We see literal floods in life, vs 3, but God is over all, even the most dreaded sources of fear, but the Lord is mightier than these, vs 4. As such, what sort of people should we be. We are the church, the household of God and “holiness befits your house, O LORD, forevermore”, vs 5. There’s our answer.
Vision Point for cell groups
CBC’s Vision :- To be a growing biblical church community, significantly influencing our city and beyond, through intentional outreach, fulfilling our mission.
Title was “temple and the River of Life” – Reading Ezekiel 47:1-12.
1. Have you ever thought about the Millennium and the Millennial temple. Water is described here as flowing out of the temple and filling the Dead Sea and brimming with life. What do you make of the is picture? When and how will it happen?
2. The only way to experience Jesus as the River of Life and be sustained by the Tree of Life is to deal with sin. Discuss the different situation where the Tree and or the Water of life are seen in the scriptures, eg, Gen 3, Ezek 47, John 4, Rev 22.
3. In the John 7 Jesus is at the temple and shouts out “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'" John 7:37, 38? What is the significance of the place where Jesus said this, as well as the feast that is before celebrated. What relevance has it for us?
4. Pray for each other and the outreach of the gospel.
Prayer Points
1. Carols service 18th December – Family fun Day afternoon/evening 3pm-7pm.
2. Christmas Day Service 25th Dec – on a Sunday this year – service will start at 9:00am.
3. Pray for the leadership of our country.
4. Pray for the people of Iran and Ukraine.
5. The right choice for a full time Youth and Young Adults Pastor to start Jan 2023 and the finances to support them.
6. Health of Ross Goltz
7. More young families and youth into the church.
8. Ministry leaders within the church.
9. Our One for Israel ministry.
10. Pray for other building projects – café roof, the repair of the house roof.
11. Growth, conversions, joy in the Word and Spirit to remain and increase.
Praise Points
1. More visitors on Sunday – pray they remain engaged with the church.
2. Our AGM and discussion moving forward with respect to the Youth and young adults pastor position.
3. The faithful service of Ross Goltz for 9 years as CBC’s treasurer!
4. Worship on Sunday – thankyou and Ben. Dan and Melinda on Words and Hannah on sound. Thankyou. Bec, Fiona and Maddison in café. Thankyou for those who welcomed at the door.
5. All those who faithfully serve in ministries, Worship, Sound/Technical/Kids Church/ Cell Groups/Admin - Bulletins/Finances/Property/Welcoming/Spiritual Leadership/Cafe
6. Joy, peace and grace we see at CBC. Thankyou Lord
Announcements
1. Christmas Day service – 9am Dec 25th.
2. Remember to check your duty rosters.
3. Church bank details bsb:- 704 913 and Acc number:- 4000 4388 1
4. Tune in again this week on our youtube page. Subscribe to the CBC channel Chuwar Baptist YouTube channel.
