Through The Bible - English - 20 (Psalms-2) by Zac Poonen
Summary
The sermon explores themes from Psalms 73 through 82, focusing on overcoming doubt and understanding God's sovereignty. The speaker emphasizes that when faced with questions about why the wicked prosper, one must draw closer to God's presence to find answers. Key takeaways include desiring only God, recognizing that God is the strength when our hearts fail, and understanding that true spiritual life requires seeking God's ways in the 'sanctuary' rather than engaging in superficial talk. The message concludes with calls to prayer, asking God to restore and lead His people.
Outline
The message in plain words, in the order it unfolds. Select a time to jump the video to that moment.
Why do the wicked prosper and the righteous suffer?Psalm 73 deals with the age-old question of why wicked people prosper while righteous people suffer, and Asaf shares his honest struggles with jealousy until he entered God's presence.
Concerns for God's church and the lack of prophetsPsalm 74 laments the destruction within God's house, noting that a clear sign of God forsaking a people is the absence of a prophet or prophetic voice.
Looking to God alone for promotion and sanctuary waysBelievers are reminded not to seek human promotion or waste time with jokers, but instead to find God's ways in the sanctuary where wholehearted fellowship is found.Psalm 75:6–7
Opening your mouth wide to receive from GodPsalm 81 encourages believers to open their mouths wide in prayer and desire great things, noting that many lack simply because they do not ask.Psalm 81:10
Crying out for revival and unified heartsPsalms 85 and 86 offer prayers for revival, mercy, truth meeting at Calvary, and a heart united solely to fear the name of the Lord.
Moses' psalm on numbering our daysPsalm 90, written by Moses, reminds us to number our days so we can acquire wisdom and seek the beauty of the Lord upon our lives.
Hating evil rather than just avoiding itPsalm 97 teaches that those who love the Lord must hate evil with all their heart, which is the true way to overcome sin.Psalm 97:10
Serving the Lord with gladness and a perfect home lifePsalm 100 calls believers to serve the Lord with gladness, while Psalm 101 emphasizes walking with a perfect heart inside one's own home.
Old Covenant benefits versus New Covenant realitiesPsalm 103 outlines Old Covenant benefits like forgiveness and physical healing, contrasting them with the deeper New Covenant gospel of victory over sin and partaking of God's nature.
Respecting God's anointed and the testing of JosephPsalm 105 warns against speaking evil of God's anointed and highlights how Joseph's time in irons was meant to let iron enter into his soul.Psalm 105:15
Praise as the true proof of faithPsalm 106 shows that true faith overflows into praise, because the mouth is the overflow valve of the heart.
Redeemed voices and a fixed heartPsalm 107 instructs the redeemed to speak out, and Psalm 108 pictures a fixed heart that continuously sings and gives praise to God.
The supreme value of God's word in Psalm 119Psalm 119 emphasizes hiding God's word in our hearts, using it as a lamp to our feet, and seeking deliverance from sin's dominion.
The Songs of Ascent and waiting upon the LordThe Psalms of Ascent (120 to 134) were sung on the journey to Jerusalem, teaching believers to look to the Lord for help and to wait upon Him like a servant or watchman.
God's word magnified above His namePsalm 138 reminds us that God has magnified His word above all His name, reinforcing the importance of taking every written word of God seriously.Psalm 138:2
The grand finale of Psalm 150The book of Psalms concludes with Psalm 150, a grand finale where everything that has breath is commanded to praise the Lord continually.
