The Works of God Displayed
John 9:1-23
The Works of God Displayed
John 9:1-23
Main Idea: The works of God always point to Jesus and always point people to worshipping Him.
I. The Man Born Blind
John 9:1-5: As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
If you want to “work the works” of the One who sent Jesus into the world, make friends with vulnerability, with suffering, with disability, and with the needy. If you are among the “strong,” use your strength to attend to the weak.
James 1:27: Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
II. The Healing of A Man Born Blind
John 9:6-7: Having said these things, (Jesus) spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.
People often think that if miracles like this were only happening today it would be much easier to believe in God. The facts of this story argue against this assumption. Bold miracles tend to confound and confuse.
III. The Man Who Heals Men and Women Born “Blind”
The prophet Isaiah had foretold a “day” when the eyes of the blind would be opened. He speaks of it beautifully, yet enigmatically. On the one hand, he speaks of a “day” in which “the deaf shall hear the words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see” (Isaiah 29:18; 36:5-6). On the other hand, his very ministry would have the effect of “[Making] the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes” (Isaiah 6:10). He is sent to a people who are “blind, yet have eyes, who are deaf yet have ears” (Isaiah 43:8).
John’s eyes were opened and his ears unstopped the evening of the day Jesus rose from death. Luke records the event this way: “Then (Jesus) said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:44-47)
Rooted
Colossians 2:6-7
Rooted
Colossians 2:6-7
Main Idea: The deeper we are rooted in Christ, the more we will bear fruit and abound in thanksgiving together.
I. Rooted in Christ
Paul exhorts us that the way forward in the Christian life is not to leave behind or move past the gospel, but instead to press further up and further in to the good news of Jesus (cf. Gal. 3:2-3). Just as the Christian life begins by receiving grace and mercy through faith and repentance, we must continue down the same path holding fast to “Christ Jesus the Lord.”
“In our Christian life we never ‘get beyond the gospel’ to something more advanced. The gospel is not the first step in a stairway of truths; rather, it is more like the hub in a wheel of truth. The gospel is not just the ABCs but the A to Z of Christianity. The gospel is not the minimum required doctrine necessary to enter the kingdom but the way we make all progress in the kingdom. We are not justified by the gospel and then sanctified by obedience; rather the gospel is the way we grow (Gal. 3:1–3) and are renewed (Col. 1:6). It is the solution to each problem, the key to each closed door, the power to take us through every barrier (Rom. 1:16–17).”
~ Tim Keller, “The Centrality of the Gospel”
Paul gives three pictures of how we “walk” or "continue living” in Christ:
Rooted in him, like a tree that is nourished, vibrant, and healthy (cf. Ps. 1; Jer. 17:5-8; Jn. 15:4-5)
Built up in him, like a structure laid on the solid foundation of Christ (Eph. 2:20-22)
Established in the faith, steadfast and immovable in the gospel we have been taught
II. Rooted Together
All of the “you’s” in this passage and throughout this letter are in the second-person plural. The Christian life is not a “solo” project; in order to grow up into maturity we must be rooted deeply together as brothers and sisters in Christ in the household of faith.
Colossians 2:1–3: For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
“The way to get assured understanding about the mystery of God, namely, Jesus Christ the treasure chest of wisdom, is to have your heart knit together in love with other believers. The deepest and most certain insights into the character of God and the wisdom of God come into heads that are attached to loving hearts.”
~ John Piper, “Guard Yourself with Gratitude”
“One cannot explain the explosive dynamite of the early church apart from the fact that they practiced two things simultaneously: orthodoxy of doctrine and orthodoxy of community in the midst of the visible church, a community which the world could see. By the grace of God the church must be known simultaneously for its purity of doctrine and the reality of its community. Our churches have so often been only preaching points with very little emphasis on community, but the exhibition of the love of God in practice is beautiful and must be there.”
~ Francis Schaeffer, The Church Before the Watching World
III. Rooted to Bear Lasting Fruit
Our “abounding in thanksgiving” should extend to every area of our lives and our faith, including:
Growing Knowledge
Colossians 1:9-10, 12: ... we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God… giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
Wholehearted Worship
Colossians 3:16: Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
Persistent Prayer
Colossians 4:2: Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.
Joyful Witness (cf. 1 Pet. 3:15)
Colossians 4:5–6: Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
Cheerful Generosity
2 Corinthians 9:6–8, 11, 15: The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work… You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God… Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!
“In the Christian way, giving is never a matter of a tit-for-tat relationship with the Almighty. You can never out-give God. He has given his own dear Son. There’s a profound sense in which the last thing God wants you to do is give money, even generously, if you withhold your heart ... All of our response to him is first and foremost out of the overflow of recognizing his indescribable gift. We give out of gratitude. We serve out of gratitude. We pray out of gratitude. We walk by faith out of gratitude. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” ~ D.A. Carson, “Laughing All the Way from the Bank”
The Great I AM
John 8:48-59
The Great I AM
John 8:48-59
Main Idea: God’s children keep the Word of Jesus, the Great I AM.
I. When People Seem Big (8:48–50)
“1. We fear people because they can expose and humiliate us.
2. We fear people because they can reject, ridicule, or despise us.
3. We fear people because they can attack, oppress, or threaten us.
These three reasons have one thing in common: they see people as “bigger” (that is, more powerful and significant) than God, and, out of the fear that creates in us, we give other people the power and right to tell us what to feel, think, and do.”
~ Edward T. Welch, When People Are Big and God is Small: Overcoming Peer Pressure, Codependency, and the Fear of Man
1 Corinthians 3:19-20: For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.”
“That God may be better understood, and admired, and loved through our life …; that more hearts may be brought beneath His sway—be this our aim, at all costs to ourselves.”
~ F.B. Meyer
II. When Death Seems Near (8:51–55)
Galatians 2:20: I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
“Those who believe in Jesus’ word already have eternal life; death is no longer facing them but behind them; when they pass away, they will not be handed over to death.”
~ Herman Ridderbos
2 Corinthians 4:17-18: For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
III. Because Jesus is the Great I AM (8:56–59)
Colossians 1:15-23: He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
“As man, He fled from the stones; but woe to those from whose stony hearts God has fled.”
~ Augustine, Homilies on the Gospel of John
The Paternity Debate
John 8:31-47
The Paternity Debate
John 8:31-47
Main Idea: The children of God abide in the word of God because the Son of God has set them free.
I. Depart or Abide (8:31-32)
"It is probably significant that Jesus does not say "you will be," but "you are" disciples. He is not laying down a condition of discipleship, but telling them in what discipleship consists. When a man abides in Christ's word, then he is a true disciple."
~ Leon Morris, NICNT Commentary (John)
II. Slave or Free (8:33-36)
"At times a man's slave, worn out by the commands of an unfeeling master, finds rest in flight. Whither can the servant of sin flee? Himself he carries with him wherever he flees. An evil conscience flees not from itself; it has no place to go to; it follows itself. Yea, he cannot withdraw from himself, for the sin he commits is within. He has committed sin to obtain some bodily pleasure. The pleasure passes away; the sin remains. What delighted is gone; the sting has remained behind. Evil bondage!”
~ Augustine, Homilies on the Gospel of John
III. The Lovely Lord (8:29-30
“They voluntarily choose to do His will. "To do" is continuous and points to an attitude. Their difficulty was not primarily intellectual, but spiritual."
~ Leon Morris,“NICNT Commentary (John)”
1 Corinthians 2:11-14: For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.
“One’s heart goes out to the children of such fathers, and those of us who are fathers ourselves know that we too are far from perfect. But God the Father is not called Father because he copies earthly fathers. He is not some pumped-up version of your dad. To transfer the failings of earthly fathers to him is, quite simply, a misstep. Instead, things are the other way around: it is that all human fathers are supposed to reflect him — only where some do that well, others do a better job of reflecting the devil.”
~ Michael Reeves, Delighting in the Trinity
The Testimony of Jesus
John 8:12-30
The Testimony of Jesus
John 8:12-30
Main Idea: Jesus declares His identity and intends for us to believe in and follow Him.
“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic- on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg - or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”
~ C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
Who does Jesus Christ declare Himself to be, and what are the implications He intends for me?
I. Liar or Light? (8:12-20)
“At the close of the first Festival-day of the Feast they went down to the Court of the Women where they had made a great amendment. There were golden candlesticks there with four golden bowls on the top of them and four ladders to each candlestick, and four youths of the priestly stock and in their hands jars of oil holding a hundred and twenty logs which they poured into all the bowls. They made wicks from the worn out drawers and girdles of the priests and with them they set the candlesticks alight, and there was not a courtyard in Jerusalem that did not reflect the light of the Beth ha-She’ubah.”
~ Colin Kruse, TNTC John Commentary
“Light, it seems to me, is like time: I know what it is until someone asks me, at which point I have absolutely no idea.”
~ Andrew Wilson, God of All Things
“Darkness, by contrast, has no existence of its own. It is not a thing; it is the absence of a thing, which instantly vanishes on the arrival of light. Consider the darkest place you can imagine: in a cave several hundred feet underground, inside a chest of drawers, at the far end of a black slipper. Now imagine introducing the faintest possible light source: a glowworm, an ember, the screen of an old mobile phone. Which wins, the darkness or the light? To ask the question is to answer it. The deepest darkness is powerless against even the faintest light.”
~ Andrew Wilson, God of All Things
Who does Jesus Christ declare Himself to be, and what are the implications He intends for me? (Repeated before each point)
II. Lunatic or Lifted? (8:21-28)
“When Jesus refers to himself as “I am” without a predicate, he connects his personal identity with the covenantal identity of Yahweh. In Exodus 3, God identifies himself to Moses as the “I am,” which becomes the unique and personal name for God in his covenant with Israel and with David. And in Isaiah 40-48, the prophet uses God’s Covenantal name to make the point that, as the one true and living God, Yahweh is unique and incomparable by nature. The “I am” is in a category by himself as the eternally self-existent being who alone is sovereign, omniscient, and omnipotent in contrast to the idols and false gods. The Old Testament reserves “I am” for Yahweh; by definition, this name cannot apply to any mere man.”
~ Stephen Wellum, God The Son Incarnate
Who does Jesus Christ declare Himself to be, and what are the implications He intends for me?
III. The Lovely Lord (8:29-30)
The identity of the Son in relation to the Father:
Light of the World: Isa 49:6
Judge: John 8:16
Testimony: John 8:18
Mission: John 8:18
Identity: John 8:19
Home: John 8:23
Message: John 8:26
Son of Man: Daniel 7:13-14
Proximity: John 8:29
John 20:21: Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”
John 20:30-31: Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Who does Jesus Christ declare Himself to be, and what are the implications He intends for me?
Streams of Living Water
John 7:25-52
Streams of Living Water
John 7:25-52
Main Idea: As the one sent from and returning to heaven, Jesus offers us the Spirit of life.
I. Where He Comes From (7:25-31; 40-52)
The crowds gathered in Jerusalem for the Feast of Booths begin to speculate: “Do the authorities know that Jesus is the Christ?” (7:26). However, they doubt Jesus’ qualifications on two levels:
The messianic tradition and literature of the day expected a “sudden” and unexpected appearance of the Christ (7:27; cf. Mal 3:1)
Jesus was known to be from Nazareth and Galilee, rather than Bethlehem and the house of David (7:41-42; cf. Mic. 5:2; Matt. 2:1)After the seeming disappointment of the crowds leaving Jesus just a few months earlier (cf. 6:66), Jesus’ brothers (cf. 2:12; Matt. 13:55) see an opportunity for him to showcase his miracles and works out in the “open” and to the “world” as the crowds make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. However, this suggestion was from a place of “unbelief,” desiring worldly glory through worldly means (cf. 6:14-15, 26).
While the crowds argue about his earthly birthplace, Jesus challenges their understanding by asserting his true origins go back much further than his hometown. John 1:18:“No one has ever seen God; God the only Son, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.” Those who do not know and recognize Jesus do not truly know God the Father who has sent him (cf. 8:19; Matt. 11:27).
Despite the mounting opposition and an arrest warrant out for Jesus (7:32), “no one laid hands on him” (7:30a). John tells us a few reasons why:
The guards are struck by the wisdom and authority of Christ: “No one ever spoke like this man!” (7:46)
The Pharisees arrogance and pride (7:47-52) that blinded them to reality or an honest investigation (cf. 1 Cor. 2:6-10)
In God’s sovereignty, Jesus’ “hour had not yet come” (7:30b)
“We find here a striking example of the restraining hand of God upon His enemies. Their purpose was to apprehend Christ. They sought to take Him, yet not a hand was laid upon Him! They thirsted for His blood and were determined to kill Him; yet by an invisible restraint from above, they were powerless to do so. How blessed, then, to know that everything is under the immediate control of God. They could no more arrest Christ than they could stop the sun from shining… Until God’s foreordained hour struck, and the incarnate Son bowed to the Father’s good pleasure, he was immortal.”
~ A.W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John
II. Where He Is Going (7:32-36)
While the ‘muttering’ continues around Jesus, he intrigues the crowds further by speaking not only of his divine origins, but also his heavenly destination in his “ascension.” Like so many others in John’s gospel, the crowds interpret Jesus’ words in strictly “earthly” ways (cf. 2:19-20; 3:3-4; 4:10-11; 5:6-7; 6:51-52).
There is a deep irony in their misunderstanding; while Jesus was not speaking of going to the Dispersion and preaching to the Greeks, this is precisely what happens after his ascension into heaven, as the gospel goes forth “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8) through the power of the Holy Spirit.
John 16:7: I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.
III. What He Offers (7:37-39)
As part of the Feast of Booths, the Jews observed a special “water-pouring ritual” that remembered God’s faithfulness to them in the wilderness, petitioned the God of the Harvest for abundant rains, and created expectation for the coming Messianic age (cf. Isa. 12:3), including the pouring out of the Holy Spirit (cf. Joel 2:28-29).
At the climactic moment of the feast (the “last” and “great day”), Jesus cries 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’” (7:37b-38). Jesus presents himself as the fulfillment of what the water festival depicted, that we might believe and be saved and satisfied (20:30-31; cf. 4:13-14).
This ‘living water’ is the promise of the indwelling Holy Spirit, who is poured out on all of God’s people after the crucifixion (“glorification”) and ascension of Jesus (cf. Acts 2). The Holy Spirit and water are often connected throughout the OT (Isa. 44:3; Jer. 2:13; Zech. 13:1).
1 Corinthians 10:1–4: For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.
“Moses struck the rock and water flowed to quench the people’s thirst. At the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus offers living water to those who come to him. Jesus is the Rock. Jesus will be struck. Water will flow from Jesus, and Jesus will give the Holy Spirit to sustain his people on their journey to the Promised Land.”
~ Jim Hamilton, ESV Expository Commentary
Just as the Lord provided water from the rock that was struck (cf. Ex. 17) in the wilderness for a grumbling, unworthy people, so too will Jesus be struck and then provide “rivers of living water” for unworthy people. If we want to satisfy our spiritual thirst with this living water, we must “drink” and "believe" in Christ. He will cause the life-giving Holy Spirit to well up inside of us and overflow to the world around us.
Revelation 22:17: The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.
Craving for Glory
John 7:1-24
Craving for Glory
John 7:1-24
Main Idea: We must seek God’s glory rather than worldly glory if we are to believe in Jesus and trust his word.
I. Worldly Glory (7:1-13)
As the popular “Feast of Booths” (or “Tabernacles” - Deut. 16:13-15) begins in Jerusalem, the controversies and opposition surrounding Jesus have only continued to intensify. Public opinion was divided about Christ, with ‘muttering’ or ‘grumbling’ (7:12) among the crowds, and the “Jews” (religious leaders) were seeking to kill him (7:1; cf. 5:18).
After the seeming disappointment of the crowds leaving Jesus just a few months earlier (cf. 6:66), Jesus’ brothers (cf. 2:12; Matt. 13:55) see an opportunity for him to showcase his miracles and works out in the “open” and to the “world” as the crowds make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. However, this suggestion was from a place of “unbelief,” desiring worldly glory through worldly means (cf. 6:14-15, 26).
John 2:23–25: Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.
Jesus rejects their suggestion for two reasons:
1. They are operating consistent with the “world” (cf. 1:10-11; 3:19).
1 John 2:15–16: Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the word.
2. Jesus’ “time” has not yet come; his brothers want Christ to showcase his glory, but this will only come as Jesus is “lifted up” on the cross (cf. Jn. 12:23; 17:1).
Hebrews 2:9-10: But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
“God will make a way to renew his commendation over us, restore his image in us, and reclaim lost greatness for us. But our reaching for glory will not bring about this transformation. No, God will come to us, and it will be his work, not ours. It is reaching that robbed us of this glory in the first place. Grasping for glory is the one sure way to miss it.”
~ JR Vassar, Glory Hunger
II. God’s Glory (7:14-24)
After Jesus eventually travels privately to the feast (in his Father’s timing), he begins teaching at the temple. Those listening “marveled” at his undeniable authority and understanding, despite his lack of formal rabbinical training (cf. Matt. 7:28-29).
Jesus responds to their question by asserting:
His teaching is directly from his Heavenly Father (7:16)
Only those who sincerely will to do God’s will are able to understand (7:17)
Those concerned with their own glory will inevitably be led to falsehood (7:18)
John 5:44: How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?
“Our natural love for human glory makes it impossible to know and follow a person whose whole life is bent on emptying himself in order to glorify his Father and save sinners. To know him for who he is, we must be changed, not just in our ideas, but in our wills. This is why the Gospel of John puts such a clear emphasis on the need to be born again. We need to will God-exaltation more than we will self-exaltation. We need to love making much of God more than we love people making much of us. Being opposed to this is the greatest obstacle to knowing Jesus.”
~ John Piper, “Willing God’s Will as a Way of Knowing Christ’s Word.”
Jesus returns to a debate surrounding Moses and the Torah (cf. 5:39ff) to establish God’s will, to expose the religious leaders’ disobedience of the “weightier matters” (cf. Mt. 23:23) of the Law, and prove they have superficial “judgment” (7:24). Jesus rightly challenges that if it is right to circumcise on the Sabbath, then it is even more fitting to heal a man’s whole body (5:16); rather than transgressing against the Law, Jesus is fulfilling what the Sabbath ultimately points to.
“Jesus shows us the way to life. His invitation is to lose our life- to renounce our obsessive concern with ourselves & make the glory of God our consuming desire… When we, like Jesus, love what is most lovely, and value supremely what is supremely valuable, and glorify most what is most glorious, we will begin to experience freedom from the crippling concern of glorifying ourselves… This is what Jesus came to do for us and in us. Jesus came to win glory for us, securing a verdict and a status over us with the Father that can satisfy our every pang of glory hunger. Having glory that comes from the ultimate person, we are set free from needing glory from anyone else. And once we know the glorious Father, Jesus works in us to want glory for the Father.”
~ JR Vassar, Glory Hunger
A Call to Worship
Psalm 89:1-14
A Call to Worship
Psalm 89:1-18
Main Idea: The Lord is worthy of our worship because of his steadfast love and covenant faithfulness.
I. Remembering God’s Faithfulness (89:1-4)
The Psalmist opens this song by praising the Lord for his “steadfast love” (hesed) and “faithfulness,” a pairing that shows up 7x throughout Psalm 89 (cf. Ex. 34:6). The Psalmist gives thanks that this love and faithfulness will last “forever” and to “all generations.”
All of Psalm 89 is a reflection on the Lord’s covenant promises to David, recorded in 2 Samuel 7. The promises of this covenant have an emphasis on:
God’s incarnational presence (2 Sam. 7:6): the Lord has always dwelt among his chosen people
God’s unrelenting grace (2 Sam. 7:11): God will build David a “house,” not the other way around
God’s enduring faithfulness (2 Sam. 7:13, 16): the throne of David will be established forever
In Christ, the throne of David has become the throne of Jesus (cf. Isa. 9:6-7); Luke 1:31-33: “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
“Whatever we may experience, we ought still to praise God for his mercies, since they most certainly remain the same, whether we can perceive them or not. Sense sings but now and then, but faith is an eternal songster. Whether others sing or not, believers must never give over; in them should be constancy of praise, since God’s love to them cannot by any possibility have changed, however providence may seem to frown. We are not only to believe the Lord’s goodness, but to rejoice in it evermore; it is the source of all our joy; and as it cannot be dried up, so the stream ought never to fail to flow. It is [the Lord] who is the all-sufficient and immutable God; therefore, our rejoicing in him must never suffer lessening… Even time itself must not bound our praises—they must leap into eternity; he blesses us with eternal mercies—let us sing unto him forever.”
~ Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David
II. Beholding God’s Glory (89:5-14)
The Psalmist shifts his attention to the glory and majesty of the Lord in two broad realms:
1. His Heavenly Transcendence (89:5-8; cf. Ps. 29:1-2; 86:4)
The heavenly beings and council are summoned to give praise to the Lord, who is incomparable in majesty and unapproachable in glory, worthy of fearful, awe-filled worship.
“We must not think of God as highest in an ascending order of beings, starting with the single cell and going on up from the fish to the bird to the animal to man to angel to cherub to God. God is as high above an archangel as above a caterpillar, for the gulf that separates the archangel from the caterpillar is but finite, while the gulf between God and the archangel is infinite.”
~ A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy
Revelation 4:8–10: And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,
“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come!”
And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever.
2. His Sovereign Rule over the Earth (89:9-12)
The Psalmist praises God for his reign over the:
Raging seas (89:9; cf. Mk. 4:41)
Earthly powers (89:10; cf. Ps. 2)
The created order itself (89:11-12; cf. Isa. 55:12; Ps. 98:8; Lk. 19:40)
III. Praising God’s Name (89:13-18)
The Mighty One who rules and reigns over the heavens and the earth is also the God who has shown his “mighty arm” of salvation toward his people, as an expression of his "righteousness and justice… steadfast love and faithfulness,” which are the foundation and overflow of his throne.
For those who have received this salvation and favor from the Lord, they are the “blessed” ones who can’t help but respond with worship. This worship is marked by:
Shouting forth God’s praise (89:15a)
Walking in the light (89:15b); 1 John 1:7: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
Exulting and rejoicing in God’s name “all the day” (89:16)
Finding strength in God’s glory and protection (89:17-18)
“The basis of worship is the covenant relationship whereby God has bound himself to those whom he has saved and claimed… The Spirit of covenant worship is a blend of awe and joy at the privilege of drawing near to the mighty Creator with radical self-humbling and honest confession of sin. Since God is holy and we humans are faulty, it must ever be so in this world. As worship will be central in the life of heaven, so it must be central in the life of the church on earth, and it should already be the main activity, both private and corporate, in each believer’s life.”
~ J.I. Packer, Concise Theology
Mercy in Our Day of Trouble
Psalm 86
Mercy in Our Day of Trouble
Psalm 86
“Notice how abundantly and masterly [David in Psalm 86] praises God and refers to his goodness, loyalty, and power in order to warm up his faith and heat up his prayer. We should do the same.”
~ Martin Luther
Main Idea: We can have confidence and comfort in our day of trouble because of God’s mercy toward us in Christ.
I. Pleading for Mercy (86:1-7)
David cries out with 15 “pleas” in this Psalm. Rather than presuming that the Lord owes him anything, David cries out as a “poor and needy” man in need of mercy and help. He humbly takes up the low place, allowing the Lord to reveal if his own sins or transgressions have contributed to his day of trouble.
Psalm 139:23-24: Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!
As he grounds his pleas in the Lord’s revealed character and nature, David is confident that the Lord will “answer him” in his day of trouble, and in his plea for grace. In our days of trouble, we are invited to:
Pray with persistence; Luke 18:1: “[we] ought always to pray and not lose heart.”
Pray with honest humility; Luke 18:13: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”
II. Praising the Lord (86:8-13)
David makes no “pleas” in this section, but instead turns to praise and adoration of the Lord. His reminders of God’s character and nature broaden his horizon and perspective beyond himself and to the:
God’s glory in the heavens (86:8)
God’s sovereignty over the nations of the earth (86:9; cf. Rev. 15:3-4)
God’s deliverance from the depths of Sheol and the grave (86:13)
David asks for a “united heart” in the midst of his day of trouble, that he might walk faithfully in the fear of the Lord without a double heart (cf. Ps. 1; Matt. 5:8; Jas. 4:8). Psalm 86 invites us to consider how the Lord might be sovereignly using our troubles to reveal our divided hearts and desires, and to lift our eyes to God’s sovereign purposes in our life.
As we give thanks - even in trouble - we are reminded of God’s covenantal “steadfast love” toward us - even beyond “Sheol” and the grave itself.
Romans 8:38–39: For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
III. Strengthening our Faith (86:14-17)
As David returns to the circumstances of his trouble, he remembers God’s character as revealed in his word to his people.
Exodus 34:6: The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness…
John 1:14, 16: And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth… For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.
“God does not dispense his mercy from a slender store which perchance may be so impoverished as to give out altogether, but out of a cornucopia he pours forth the infinite riches of his mercy: his goodness flows forth in abounding streams towards those who pray and in adoring worship make mention of his name.”
~ Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David
As David asks for a “sign of God’s favor” - he returns to the place where God preeminently revealed himself in the Exodus and in Mt. Sinai. As God’s people this side of the finished work of Christ, we have the signs of a bloody cross and an empty tomb to know God’s favor and love toward us. One day all who stand against the Lord will be “put to shame” (Col. 2:15); until that day comes, we can have confidence and we can receive comfort in Christ Jesus.
Long for the Lord
Psalm 84
Long for the Lord
Psalm 84
Main Idea: We must long for the Lord and come to Him through faith in Jesus.
1 Chronicles 9:19: Shallum the son of Kore, son of Ebiasaph, son of Korah, and his kinsmen of his fathers’ house, the Korahites, were in charge of the work of the service, keepers of the thresholds of the tent, as their fathers had been in charge of the camp of the Lord, keepers of the entrance.
I. How Lovely is the Lord? (84:1-4)
Psalm 84:1-4: How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God. Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise! Selah
1 Kings 8:27: But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built!
Matthew 6:26: Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
Matthew 10:29: Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.
Longing for the Lord is aimed in two parallel directions:
Longing that leads to joy
Longing that leads to worship
“The author of Psalm 84 has arrived at the answer to life’s great dilemma: the question of where contentment, satisfaction, peace, joy, life, and all things good may be found. His answer is simple: the good life is where God is.”
~ James Hamilton, Psalms Volume II (Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary)
II. How Strong is the Lord? (84:5-8)
Psalm 84:5-8: Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion. As they go through the Valley of Baca they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion. O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah
Philippians 3:12-14: Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
2 Corinthians 4:16: So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.
“The blessedness of sacred worship belongs not to half-hearted, listless worshippers, but to those who throw all their energies into it. Neither prayer, nor praise, nor the hearing of the word will be pleasant or profitable to persons who have left their hearts behind them. A company of pilgrims who had left their hearts at home would be no better than a caravan of carcasses, quite unfit to blend with living saints in adoring the living God. [...] When we have God’s ways in our hearts, and our heart in his ways, we are what and where we should be, and hence we shall enjoy the divine approval.”
~ C. H. Spurgeon, The Treasury of David
III. How Much Better is the Lord? (84:9-12)
Psalm 84:9-12: Behold our shield, O God; look on the face of your anointed! For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!
“Let them make light of thousands of days and desire one day, the day that has no sunrise, no sunset, the one day that is an eternal day, the day that does not displace yesterday or find itself hard pressed by tomorrow. That one day is what we should desire. What use are thousands of days to us? We are traveling from thousands of days towards one day, just as we are proceeding from many virtues to one alone.” ~ St. Augustine, Psalms
Matthew 12:6: I tell you, something greater than the temple is here.
1 Peter 2:5: You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
“And we Christians know that God does indeed look with favour on [his] anointed one. Under the kingship of Christ our access to God’s presence is guaranteed. Why then is it so good to enjoy such access? Because (v. 11) God is a sun and shield (so ‘guide and guard my erring heart’); and because he showers favor and honour upon those who seek him. Again the Old Testament language acquires new depths with the coming of Christ: in the fullest sense, grace, glory, and every good thing are given to those whose walk is blameless (v. 11) because it is a walk of faith (v. 12).”
~ Michael Wilcock, The Message of Psalms: Songs for the People of God