AOL News (1-29-04); see also BBC News http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3437455.stm). We do things that brought regret and heartache because we didn't stop to consider the consequences of our words and choices. 23-26). Why is God blessing them instead of judging them?". Do not covet your neighbor's wife, his male or female slave, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor." Although the text of verses 4, 7 and 10 is uncertain,20 the general picture is clear. Psalm 26 Communicating Integrity. In either case, questioning and doubts are not virtues, as some have suggested.60 Ultimately, the truth is that continuous questioning and doubt destroys human relationships. Her senior year she was having a great season, when in the first half of a game, she blew out her knee again, ending her career at OU. What caused Asaph to almost lose his faith, and what brought him out of it and how can this help those of us today, who might have some questions like he did? Keep up the good work. Anger/Bitterness (Tie) Envy blinded his vision. God can handle our hardest questions and still love us. Asaph, the author, is the choir leader, whose occupation placed him in constant contact with the people of Israel, and with the sanctuary of God, the temple. heard sermons, made prayers, received sacraments, given alms, avoided sins, resisted temptations, withstood lusts, appeared for Christ and his cause and servants in vain": yea, his heart . Scripture: Psalms 73:24. They do not need God. They enjoy their sin for a time, perhaps from a human perspective for a lifetime. A person may say, well I just dont feel like being there today but that may be the day that God is going to speak to you. The visit he made: You have yours; I have mine; Asaph said he had his and he said he almost gave up because of them. It doesnt seem to pay? 3 For I was envious of the . Publisher's summary: Confraternities were the most common form of organized religious life in medieval and early modern Europe. (LogOut/ And they show us that we can be HONEST with God; we dont have to hide in some kind of fake spirituality and hold any of our questions back from Him. Laziness God allowed Satan to test Job. You are currently impersonating {{userSessionData.email}}. So when Asaph got this revelation from God, he said Oh, Ive been so foolish. He said in :22, I was senseless and ignorant; I was like a beast before You, God. Chuck Smith :: Sermon Notes for Psalm 73. As Psalms 1-2 introduces Book I of the Psalter, so Psalm 73 functions as the thematic introduction of Book III (Ps 73-89),1 a collection of psalms that is dominated by communal lament psalms.2 In this position Psalm 73 intentionally echoes important themes from Psalms 1-2. Psalm 73 begins with a unique affirmation of faith in verse 1 that functions as its basic premise, which is tested in verses 2-27 and marvelously reaffirmed in verse 28: Surely God is good to Israel,15 to those who are pure in heart. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. At least that seems to be the meaning of the emphatic summary conclusion of the lengthy description of the wicked in verse 12, which echoes verse 3 and, together with it, frames verses 4-11: Look (hinneh) at the wicked always at ease, they increase their wealth. Youll only regret it if you do. In Job 29-31, this broken man struggles with the raw deal he received. They are healthy (vs. 4) and experience no trouble (amal), nor are they plagued (vs. 5). Isn't that just like life sometimes? He didn't pretend everything was okay. It is good for me to draw near We have already seen that those who are far off shall perish; therefore, it is ill for them. by Carl Bosma. However, in verse 28a, which is introduced with the final emphatic phrase but, as for me (weani), good is defined, not in terms of property or prosperity, but Gods presence: But, as for me, the nearness of God (is) good to me!55 What a sharp contrast this new perception forms with the emphatic I in verse 2! Someone once said they felt like the Psalms were all just about this guy who was groaning and complaining all the time but it helps to understand that the Psalms are the record of people like you and me, who dont understand the hard things that are happening to them, and they have brought these prayers to God, and they are just being honest with Him. Sermon Notes Introduction to Psalm 73: "Seeing Clearly in the Sanctuary" by Carl Bosma. I thought you reap what you sow! Because in His great might He had created Auschwitz, Birkenau, Buna, and so many factories of death? In the NT Jesus says dont cause one of these little ones to stumble that means dont do anything that might cause someone to be lost.) God, I was like an animal. 13-14; vv. He found God again. Several times in recent months I have had individuals say to me: Pastor, that message today was for me! We're sorry, an error occurred. I like Asaph already. The closing verses (vv. And that lead him to the fourth word we need to see in v. 3: envy. Asaph was getting more and more into despair and perhaps wondering walking by faith was worth it, but all this changed when he changed his focus. Then I perceived their end. There are a couple of things here that Asaph says changed his perspective on what he saw happening around him: A. But her sophomore year, she suffered a knee injury that took her out for some time. Psalm 73:1-28. Four promises from God in this passage: 1. Asaph confessed his self-pitying, self-centered bent. While CHICKEN LITTLE was hit in the head by a piece He opens it with a truth: "Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.". Certainly God is good to Israel, and to those whose motives are pure ( Psalm 73:1 ). Whitney Hand was one of the best womens basketball players who ever played for the University of Oklahoma, and she is also a Christian. It was a truly encouraging sermon about how our perspectives on the world can become skeweduntil we enter the sanctuary of the Lord and see from his perspective, all the way to the very end. Thats the message of Psalm 73. Morning by morning (Ps 101:8), when one would expect a gracious word from God, he is chastised. God is the Christian's inheritance as the light of his intellect. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Life has a way of suddenly altering its course down hard paths, leaving us hurt, confused, and weak, with lots of unanswered questions. It wasnt right. God will judge the wicked, and He will reward the righteous; those who have turned away from their sins, and followed Jesus as their Savior. The difficulty uppermost in the mind of the Psalmist is the carefree, even prosperous life of the evil-doers in contrast to his own torment as a godly person. It's not difficult for that to happen, by the way. In the deepest part of your heart you just want it to end better for her. Psalm 73 belongs to the didactic psalms, conveying personal wisdom and faith. Why do violence-endorsing rap singers, arrogant executives, and God-mocking people get their own TV shows? I would urge you to follow his example, tracing the results your words and actions have on your family, friends, lost acquaintances, and church. Under these circumstances, Psalm 73 helps believers to be honest with God. But if they did, they were foolish. As he frankly admits in verse 3, his doubt was caused by his envy of the prosperity (shalom) of the boasting wicked. Asaph was one of three directors who worked under King David. For this reason they do not fear divine retribution. He's not thinking about tomorrow. This little song is worth several sermons so don't feel bad if we emphasize some parts tonight and not others. It is just like Psalm 73 says: You have set them in slippery places How they are destroyed in a moment.. On the contrary, the verb enter in the temporal clause of verse 17a is a simple future (YQTL) and the main clause (vs. 17b) is a cohortative.27 Perhaps verse 17 should be translated as follows28: Only when I enter Gods sanctuaries,29 am I able to understand30 their fate (lit. Psalm 73 is a favorite for many Jewish and Christian believers because the words of this precious psalm ring true to their experience. sermon outline overlap with other sermon outlines taken from the Book of Psalms. These godless people, they live on easy street! So dont turn away from God in your questions and times of difficulty, turn TO Him. Traffic was brought to a halt for hours. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); A Southern Baptist pastor for almost 35 years, I currently serve as Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Angleton, Texas, and post my weekly sermons on this site, as well as a brief overview for Sunday School teachers of the weekly Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson. In every fiber I rebelled. Envy means "I want what you have." If you've ever had something happen to you that was out of human control but seemed so unfair that you don't understand how a good God could let it happen, then you need to sit awhile with a choir director named Asaph. In the worst times of your life, dont make the mistake of turning away from the only One who can help you! Asaph realized that "the world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." Vs. 17 certainly leaves us wanting more. Psalm 73:1-3, Tags: The Thesis: God is Good (vs. 1) Psalm 73 is written as Asaph looks back at his time of struggle and doubt. They are not in trouble as other men, nor are they plagued like mankind. How many rash words and unsifted actions have we wished to take back because of the negative consequences they brought about? The NIV and the NRSV translate this verse in the past tense and read it with the preceding verse. He was one of the great worship leaders in the OT. A sermon should underscore, to borrow from the title of Robert Davidson excellent commentary, the vitality of worship. According to verse 16, human rationality could not explain the perplexing problem of why good things happen to bad people and why bad things happen to good people.62 Only the communal experience (vs. 15) in the sanctuary of God provided the necessary perspective to resolve the psalmists crisis of faith (vs. 17). This great discovery, in turn, leads the speaker to reaffirm his faith in God, I have made Adonai, the LORD,56my refuge. In so doing, he picks up the important theme from Psalm 2:12, Oh the happiness of those who take refuge in him., However, he not only declares that he has made the Lord his refuge. My feet nearly *slipped and I almost fell over. Asaph might have looked at Hugh Hefner and said, Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure, and washed my hands in innocence. Why obey God if you can blatantly disobey His word like Hugh Hefner did, and seem to be blessed like that? In view of the cross-references to Psalm 24 in Psalm 73, it is suggested that the entry psalm be used in the liturgy. Message today was for me psalm 73 sermon illustration would expect a gracious word from God, he said in,! The NIV and the NRSV translate this verse in the liturgy you just want it to end better psalm 73 sermon illustration.. 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