1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:04,120 Praise the Lord. I will extol the Lord with all 2 00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:07,960 my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly. 3 00:00:09,080 --> 00:00:14,240 Great are the works of the Lord. They are pondered by all who 4 00:00:14,240 --> 00:00:18,040 delight in them. Glorious and majestic are his 5 00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:22,000 deeds, and his righteousness endures forever. 6 00:00:22,840 --> 00:00:25,440 He has caused his wonders to be remembered. 7 00:00:26,240 --> 00:00:30,050 The Lord is gracious and compassionate. 8 00:00:31,090 --> 00:00:33,530 He provides food for those who fear Him. 9 00:00:34,210 --> 00:00:36,970 He remembers His covenant forever. 10 00:00:38,490 --> 00:00:41,530 He has shown His people the power of His works, giving them 11 00:00:41,530 --> 00:00:45,330 the lands of other nations. The works of His hands are 12 00:00:45,330 --> 00:00:49,050 faithful and just. All His precepts are 13 00:00:49,050 --> 00:00:52,530 trustworthy. They're established forever and 14 00:00:52,530 --> 00:00:55,850 ever enacted in faithfulness and uprightness. 15 00:00:56,650 --> 00:00:58,490 He provided redemption for His people. 16 00:00:58,950 --> 00:01:01,390 He ordained His covenant forever. 17 00:01:01,550 --> 00:01:07,870 Holy and awesome is His name. The fear of the Lord is the 18 00:01:07,870 --> 00:01:11,830 beginning of wisdom. All who follow His precepts have 19 00:01:11,830 --> 00:01:17,030 good understanding, and to Him belongs eternal praise. 20 00:01:19,510 --> 00:01:23,310 Now if you can see, does anyone recognize this? 21 00:01:24,270 --> 00:01:26,430 If you're under 20, you might not. 22 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:30,120 But believe it or not, pre Google Maps you actually had to 23 00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:34,560 read maps in a book. We actually used one of these on 24 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:37,920 our holiday recently. Well, when I say used it, we 25 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:40,840 gave it to my 18 month old daughter to keep her entertained 26 00:01:40,840 --> 00:01:42,520 in the. Car as we drove back from the 27 00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:45,040 beach, so. You can see that she enjoyed it 28 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:49,320 at least. But yeah, A to Z's did used to 29 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:52,480 come in handy, and might still if your 4G lets you down. 30 00:01:53,610 --> 00:01:57,890 And you could think of Psalm 111 as kind of finding your way 31 00:01:57,890 --> 00:01:59,850 around a certain area and and that? 32 00:01:59,850 --> 00:02:04,850 Area is praise. Being an acrostic as well, it is 33 00:02:04,850 --> 00:02:08,729 its very own A-Z. Each of the 22 lines in the 34 00:02:08,729 --> 00:02:11,770 Psalm is a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. 35 00:02:12,450 --> 00:02:14,690 So you could say that this Psalm is an A to. 36 00:02:14,690 --> 00:02:18,130 Z of Praise. Or if you want to get all 37 00:02:18,170 --> 00:02:20,530 ancient Hebrew and Alephta. Tour of Praise. 38 00:02:23,130 --> 00:02:25,050 To get ready. For looking at this Psalm 39 00:02:25,050 --> 00:02:26,650 together, let's think about the word. 40 00:02:26,730 --> 00:02:29,770 It starts with Hallelujah as Richard. 41 00:02:29,770 --> 00:02:32,650 Said it's translated. For us as praise the Lord. 42 00:02:33,730 --> 00:02:36,650 And and this is a. A phrase that. 43 00:02:36,650 --> 00:02:39,730 We all know we're all familiar with it, and even outside of 44 00:02:39,730 --> 00:02:42,050 Christian circles, you'll hear them. 45 00:02:42,050 --> 00:02:45,410 People will know them more often than not, though you might hear 46 00:02:45,410 --> 00:02:48,650 them spoken sarcastically. As in right. 47 00:02:48,650 --> 00:02:51,730 I'm ready to go. Oh, Hallelujah, It's about time. 48 00:02:54,110 --> 00:02:56,830 Even as Christians, is it fair to say that we really? 49 00:02:56,830 --> 00:02:58,430 Hold this word. Hallelujah. 50 00:02:58,430 --> 00:03:00,030 This phrase. Praise the Lord. 51 00:03:00,430 --> 00:03:03,750 With the reverence it deserves. Hallelujah. 52 00:03:03,750 --> 00:03:06,430 Praise the Lord. Are they simply? 53 00:03:06,590 --> 00:03:08,150 Words that. We say when we come to. 54 00:03:08,150 --> 00:03:11,350 Church, there are lots of words and phrases that. 55 00:03:11,470 --> 00:03:13,070 That can roll off the tongue, aren't there? 56 00:03:13,750 --> 00:03:15,270 Thank you for our food, Lord. Amen. 57 00:03:15,270 --> 00:03:18,590 In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit our 58 00:03:18,590 --> 00:03:23,780 Father who are in heaven. Or maybe we get lazy, but maybe. 59 00:03:23,780 --> 00:03:26,060 We're just really. Tired sometimes. 60 00:03:27,420 --> 00:03:33,860 Perhaps today you're feeling sad, or you're hurting and and 61 00:03:33,860 --> 00:03:36,660 so telling me to. Praise the Lord with a 62 00:03:36,660 --> 00:03:37,860 Hallelujah. Well, I've. 63 00:03:38,140 --> 00:03:39,660 I've just not got it in me today. 64 00:03:40,780 --> 00:03:42,940 Don't ask me to do the impossible. 65 00:03:44,340 --> 00:03:47,980 Does that describe? You sometimes it's definitely 66 00:03:47,980 --> 00:03:51,790 describes me sometimes. And so, preaching, studying this 67 00:03:51,790 --> 00:03:53,390 song really challenged me. How can I? 68 00:03:53,590 --> 00:03:58,630 Preach a call to to praise God. If I sometimes don't feel like 69 00:03:58,630 --> 00:04:02,470 it, but thankfully I've got some really good news. 70 00:04:02,710 --> 00:04:06,070 Praising God doesn't actually rely on us and our feelings. 71 00:04:06,750 --> 00:04:11,430 It relies on who God is and what he has done, which means that we 72 00:04:11,430 --> 00:04:13,830 can praise. God, however, we feel happy. 73 00:04:13,830 --> 00:04:16,470 Or not in whatever place that we're in. 74 00:04:20,170 --> 00:04:22,130 I praise the Lord. We start this song with. 75 00:04:22,890 --> 00:04:24,250 But why? Why? 76 00:04:24,250 --> 00:04:29,530 Praise the Lord, what is praise? It's a bit of a funny thing, 77 00:04:29,530 --> 00:04:31,090 isn't it? We we've kind of both. 78 00:04:31,410 --> 00:04:35,330 Shoo it away. And then sort of want it as well 79 00:04:35,330 --> 00:04:37,970 at the same time. But it was nothing. 80 00:04:37,970 --> 00:04:40,370 Don't mention it. And as Christians in. 81 00:04:40,370 --> 00:04:43,490 Particular we probably. Feel the tension between the 82 00:04:43,490 --> 00:04:47,060 need to be humble. And then wanting good work 83 00:04:47,060 --> 00:04:48,140 maybe. Our good work. 84 00:04:48,300 --> 00:04:53,660 To be recognized, and there's got to be something in it then, 85 00:04:53,660 --> 00:04:54,700 hasn't there? Something good. 86 00:04:54,700 --> 00:04:57,460 There's a certain rightness. To give praise where it's 87 00:04:57,460 --> 00:05:01,700 deserved. Now in the Psalms again and 88 00:05:01,700 --> 00:05:04,940 again we're we're called. To to praise God. 89 00:05:05,860 --> 00:05:07,180 We're thinking about that sort of. 90 00:05:07,180 --> 00:05:09,820 Awkward relationship with. Praise and trying to be humble. 91 00:05:10,980 --> 00:05:13,060 Are we saying that God is just a kind of? 92 00:05:13,060 --> 00:05:15,530 Great Big Glory hog. Why is it? 93 00:05:15,530 --> 00:05:18,890 Okay to ask him for praise and not us. 94 00:05:19,650 --> 00:05:21,930 Why should we praise God like this? 95 00:05:21,930 --> 00:05:25,970 Psalm causes to. It gives us two compelling 96 00:05:25,970 --> 00:05:28,890 reasons, I think. The firstly, that God always 97 00:05:28,890 --> 00:05:31,730 deserves our praise. God is always deserving of our 98 00:05:31,730 --> 00:05:34,970 praise. And secondly, that praising God 99 00:05:34,970 --> 00:05:36,290 is actually. Good for us. 100 00:05:38,850 --> 00:05:41,170 So if God always deserves our praise? 101 00:05:41,520 --> 00:05:43,920 Why? Why does God always deserve our 102 00:05:43,920 --> 00:05:45,200 praise? I've got 4. 103 00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:50,760 Reasons from this Psalm the. 1st is that God's works are great. 104 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:56,320 God has made amazing things and. Great are the works of the. 105 00:05:56,320 --> 00:05:59,760 Lord, they're pondered by all who delight in them, we read in 106 00:05:59,760 --> 00:06:03,040 verse. Two studied, sort out, that's 107 00:06:03,040 --> 00:06:05,400 what. That word pondered, gets at and 108 00:06:05,400 --> 00:06:07,280 we've got a whole section of work and life. 109 00:06:07,280 --> 00:06:09,920 Devoted to. Pondering the works of God. 110 00:06:10,620 --> 00:06:15,220 We call it science, and Christian or not, the wonders of 111 00:06:15,260 --> 00:06:18,020 nature have been studied by people for centuries. 112 00:06:18,860 --> 00:06:19,900 And we're still going, aren't we? 113 00:06:19,900 --> 00:06:22,660 There are constantly new discoveries being made. 114 00:06:22,660 --> 00:06:25,540 God's creation is just an endless source of wonder. 115 00:06:26,100 --> 00:06:28,100 For those curious. To understand I. 116 00:06:30,820 --> 00:06:31,900 Thought it would be helpful to just. 117 00:06:31,900 --> 00:06:37,700 Consider a couple of wonders. Plucked out at random the stars. 118 00:06:33,380 --> 00:06:39,900 So here are. For example, our son there's. 119 00:06:40,340 --> 00:06:43,220 There today, you. Can sort of just see it. 120 00:06:45,100 --> 00:06:48,620 You could fit over a million planet Earths inside the sun, 121 00:06:49,540 --> 00:06:54,140 but it's just one star amongst many in the sky. 122 00:06:43,220 --> 00:06:56,180 It's. If you look up it on a clear 123 00:06:56,180 --> 00:07:01,140 night, you might see about 6000 stars, but that's just a tiny 124 00:07:01,140 --> 00:07:03,340 fraction of how many are out there. 125 00:07:04,860 --> 00:07:06,860 Each star sits within a Galaxy. Which is a. 126 00:07:07,060 --> 00:07:10,240 Massive cluster of stars. And it's estimated that there 127 00:07:10,240 --> 00:07:13,760 are around 2 trillion galaxies in the universe. 128 00:07:14,520 --> 00:07:17,240 If you take our own Galaxy, the Milky Way, here's an example 129 00:07:17,560 --> 00:07:19,640 that has about 100 billion stars in it. 130 00:07:20,760 --> 00:07:22,600 So. If you times that by the number 131 00:07:22,600 --> 00:07:26,600 of galaxies in the universe. That you get you get this. 132 00:07:26,960 --> 00:07:29,080 I wrote it down. I didn't have a long enough. 133 00:07:29,080 --> 00:07:34,680 Piece of paper, but that's two followed by. 23 zeros. 134 00:07:35,600 --> 00:07:37,280 Anyone know the name of that number? 135 00:07:38,670 --> 00:07:40,710 So it's called. A sextillion, apparently. 136 00:07:41,590 --> 00:07:43,630 So yeah. There you go. 137 00:07:43,630 --> 00:07:45,790 You learn a new word. There are a lot of. 138 00:07:45,790 --> 00:07:51,150 Stars in the sky and from the vast to the to the minuscule. 139 00:07:51,630 --> 00:07:53,710 We've probably all heard of. A Hummingbird. 140 00:07:55,150 --> 00:07:58,190 Some species of Hummingbird can flap their wings up to 80 times 141 00:07:58,190 --> 00:08:01,510 a second, and that's nearly 5000 * a minute. 142 00:08:02,770 --> 00:08:06,170 It has a heartbeat of over a. 1000 times a second a minute. 143 00:08:06,170 --> 00:08:10,490 Sorry, compared to you and me. You have a. 60 to 100 per 144 00:08:10,490 --> 00:08:12,330 minute. It's so. 145 00:08:12,330 --> 00:08:15,730 Light that it can weigh less than a penny, and yet, despite 146 00:08:15,730 --> 00:08:18,850 its smallness, some of the. Species have a. 147 00:08:19,490 --> 00:08:25,610 Migration of around 3000 miles. Now if you went up 3000 miles 148 00:08:25,610 --> 00:08:29,090 from here, then you'd almost get to the Wickses and the Harrisons 149 00:08:29,090 --> 00:08:31,090 in Ethiopia. Or the Wallaces. 150 00:08:31,170 --> 00:08:34,690 In Nigeria. The Hummingbid is actually the 151 00:08:34,690 --> 00:08:38,330 fastest animal on the planet. It can reach speeds up to. 58 152 00:08:38,330 --> 00:08:40,809 miles an hour. Which? 153 00:08:40,890 --> 00:08:44,090 Is quite impressive, but when you think about how tiny it is, 154 00:08:45,210 --> 00:08:48,610 it means that it flies nearly 400 times its own body length 155 00:08:48,650 --> 00:08:51,690 every second, which comparatively for its. 156 00:08:52,610 --> 00:08:55,250 Means that it's faster than a space shuttle reentering the 157 00:08:55,250 --> 00:08:59,010 atmosphere. There's not really any other 158 00:08:59,010 --> 00:09:01,170 response to things like that, Then wow, is there? 159 00:09:02,330 --> 00:09:04,530 You'd have to say. Wow to that, even if you don't 160 00:09:04,530 --> 00:09:05,890 believe in a. Creator God. 161 00:09:06,970 --> 00:09:10,730 But if you do that, God. Created such incredible things 162 00:09:10,730 --> 00:09:12,170 should. Fill us with awe. 163 00:09:13,170 --> 00:09:14,850 How incredible. How wise? 164 00:09:14,850 --> 00:09:18,090 How powerful is the mind and the hand behind such creations? 165 00:09:20,770 --> 00:09:24,290 So God's works his. Creations are great at the 166 00:09:24,290 --> 00:09:27,130 secondly, so are his. Deeds his acts. 167 00:09:27,130 --> 00:09:30,330 The things God does. Glorious and majestic. 168 00:09:30,330 --> 00:09:32,050 Are his deeds first three? He says. 169 00:09:32,850 --> 00:09:36,090 That God does incredible things as well as makes incredible 170 00:09:36,090 --> 00:09:39,530 things. And in the next few verses. 171 00:09:39,530 --> 00:09:41,690 We get. At these following references. 172 00:09:42,370 --> 00:09:44,450 The Lord is. Gracious and compassionate, he. 173 00:09:44,450 --> 00:09:47,650 Provides food to those. Who fear him, He's showing the 174 00:09:47,650 --> 00:09:48,610 people. The power. 175 00:09:48,610 --> 00:09:51,450 Of his works, giving them the lands of the nations, he 176 00:09:51,450 --> 00:09:53,410 provided redemption for his people. 177 00:09:55,270 --> 00:09:57,550 The writer of the song probably has in mind here the. 178 00:09:57,550 --> 00:10:00,510 Exodus which is a great story of. 179 00:10:00,510 --> 00:10:04,710 How God saved the nation of Israel, helping them first 180 00:10:04,710 --> 00:10:08,390 escape from slavery in Egypt, keeping them alive through. 40 181 00:10:08,390 --> 00:10:10,870 years of. Wandering through the desert and 182 00:10:10,870 --> 00:10:14,390 then driving out their enemies before them as they settled in 183 00:10:14,390 --> 00:10:18,870 their new home, their promised land and these acts. 184 00:10:18,990 --> 00:10:20,670 Of God. Speak of a God. 185 00:10:20,670 --> 00:10:22,710 Who isn't simply a master Craftsman? 186 00:10:23,740 --> 00:10:27,300 Brilliant but distant, excellent creations, but terrible at 187 00:10:27,300 --> 00:10:32,820 relations, like many human geniuses the the songwriter. 188 00:10:32,820 --> 00:10:36,900 Is quick to to show us that God isn't just a creator God, he's 189 00:10:36,900 --> 00:10:40,500 actually also a provider, a savior, a leader, a. 190 00:10:41,460 --> 00:10:43,900 Of all his. Creation, people included. 191 00:10:45,140 --> 00:10:48,100 Not only has he done great things for us to look at and 192 00:10:48,100 --> 00:10:50,700 wonder. That he he's done great things 193 00:10:50,700 --> 00:10:53,340 for us personally to remember in wonder. 194 00:10:56,420 --> 00:10:58,660 The God deserves our praise. Because he's made amazing 195 00:10:58,660 --> 00:11:01,380 things. He's done amazing things. 196 00:11:02,300 --> 00:11:04,900 But is that? Really enough to not only praise 197 00:11:04,900 --> 00:11:08,020 God like the Psalm, but like the Psalmist to. 198 00:11:08,340 --> 00:11:11,500 Give our whole. Heart in praise to him. 199 00:11:13,060 --> 00:11:15,580 Plenty of people have done amazing things, haven't they? 200 00:11:15,780 --> 00:11:18,380 And done great deeds. They've maybe even saved other 201 00:11:18,380 --> 00:11:21,140 people's lives. And so we come back to that 202 00:11:21,140 --> 00:11:22,340 question. Why does God? 203 00:11:22,380 --> 00:11:28,060 Always deserve our praise. And the answer the Psalm gives 204 00:11:28,060 --> 00:11:30,220 us is that. God will be praiseworthy 205 00:11:30,260 --> 00:11:32,940 forever. God will be praiseworthy 206 00:11:33,020 --> 00:11:37,900 forever. It's funny, isn't it, that I 207 00:11:37,900 --> 00:11:40,140 think we often struggle to. Praise God. 208 00:11:40,820 --> 00:11:43,300 But on the whole, we're. Very quick to praise people. 209 00:11:44,140 --> 00:11:46,180 It seems right, doesn't it? To praise someone for all the 210 00:11:46,180 --> 00:11:49,100 good work that they've done and all the good things that they've 211 00:11:49,100 --> 00:11:51,860 achieved? And I I don't think it's wrong 212 00:11:51,860 --> 00:11:55,180 to praise people, but what it definitely. 213 00:11:55,180 --> 00:12:00,420 Is is risky as I prepared? This silent it made me think of 214 00:12:00,420 --> 00:12:02,740 those kind of sad. Cases recently where. 215 00:12:03,420 --> 00:12:05,780 Well known Christian leaders have turned out not to be. 216 00:12:05,860 --> 00:12:07,260 The people that we thought they were. 217 00:12:09,180 --> 00:12:12,500 And we praised them, didn't we? In particular, when one of these 218 00:12:12,500 --> 00:12:15,820 Christian leaders died recently, I remember seeing the outpouring 219 00:12:15,820 --> 00:12:20,500 of praise that was poured on them, all that they and their 220 00:12:20,500 --> 00:12:24,180 ministry had achieved. And then within months that the 221 00:12:24,180 --> 00:12:26,700 same people were having to retract those statements as 222 00:12:27,180 --> 00:12:32,780 horrible allegations came to. Light praising people is risky. 223 00:12:34,260 --> 00:12:38,340 The Psalm ends with the line. To Him belongs eternal praise. 224 00:12:39,500 --> 00:12:41,540 You could translate. That, as respect for God will 225 00:12:41,540 --> 00:12:45,700 last forever. Now those Christian leaders. 226 00:12:45,700 --> 00:12:47,820 Despite their. Praiseworthiness at the time. 227 00:12:48,140 --> 00:12:49,940 Sadly, they've. Lost the respect. 228 00:12:49,980 --> 00:12:53,140 That they once. Had, but respect for God will 229 00:12:53,140 --> 00:12:56,940 last forever. Praising people is risky 230 00:12:56,940 --> 00:12:58,580 because. People are not gods. 231 00:12:59,300 --> 00:13:01,380 We're not perfect. We're changeable. 232 00:13:02,140 --> 00:13:05,620 We're spoiled by. Sin, unfortunately, but praising 233 00:13:05,620 --> 00:13:08,110 God is never risky. Because he's God. 234 00:13:08,110 --> 00:13:10,750 The same yesterday, today and forever. 235 00:13:12,070 --> 00:13:14,350 And so we get verse. Three telling us that God's 236 00:13:14,470 --> 00:13:18,030 righteousness endures forever, in short. 237 00:13:18,310 --> 00:13:21,190 God is righteous. And therefore all he says and 238 00:13:21,190 --> 00:13:22,990 does. Is righteous forever. 239 00:13:24,870 --> 00:13:27,030 Verses 7 and eight expand on this. 240 00:13:27,470 --> 00:13:31,350 We're told. That three things about God's. 241 00:13:33,270 --> 00:13:34,910 God's. Praiseworthiness lasting 242 00:13:34,910 --> 00:13:39,320 forever. 1st that the works. Of God's hands are faithful and 243 00:13:39,320 --> 00:13:42,120 just. You could say that God's works 244 00:13:42,120 --> 00:13:43,000 are. Right and. 245 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:47,800 True God doesn't lie or deceive. Everything he does is consistent 246 00:13:47,800 --> 00:13:49,800 with his. Faithful. 247 00:13:49,840 --> 00:13:53,720 Just. True and right and secondly, 248 00:13:53,720 --> 00:13:57,520 everything God. Says is trustworthy as well as 249 00:13:57,520 --> 00:13:58,120 truth. There's a. 250 00:13:58,120 --> 00:14:00,280 Faithfulness to all that. God says. 251 00:14:00,960 --> 00:14:03,400 If God makes a promise, then he's going to keep it. 252 00:14:03,970 --> 00:14:06,610 If God says something's good for me, it's good for me. 253 00:14:07,170 --> 00:14:08,330 If he says. Something's bad for me. 254 00:14:08,330 --> 00:14:10,730 It's bad for me. I can trust. 255 00:14:10,730 --> 00:14:14,090 What God says. And then? 256 00:14:14,090 --> 00:14:16,050 Thirdly, what God? Says and does. 257 00:14:16,050 --> 00:14:19,450 Will last forever. They'll stand the test of time. 258 00:14:21,290 --> 00:14:25,050 Other philosophies, movements, TikTok influences. 259 00:14:25,610 --> 00:14:26,970 I'm not on TikTok by the way. I just. 260 00:14:27,130 --> 00:14:31,690 Say it to sound cool. They'll come and they'll go. 261 00:14:32,720 --> 00:14:34,640 But God's word? God in his. 262 00:14:34,640 --> 00:14:38,440 Word they'll be there forever. Proven to be true, Proven to be 263 00:14:38,440 --> 00:14:41,240 faithful, enduring until the end. 264 00:14:42,400 --> 00:14:44,800 God is perfect truth. Faithfulness. 265 00:14:45,160 --> 00:14:49,000 Everlastingness. These are the things that sets 266 00:14:49,000 --> 00:14:51,720 God apart. These are the things that make 267 00:14:51,720 --> 00:14:54,080 him. Worthy for our wholehearted 268 00:14:54,200 --> 00:14:59,590 praise. And then fourthly and lastly. 269 00:14:59,710 --> 00:15:02,830 God. So God is worthy of our praise 270 00:15:02,830 --> 00:15:05,390 always because. His salvation Promise. 271 00:15:05,390 --> 00:15:10,190 Will last forever. What those verses that we just 272 00:15:10,190 --> 00:15:12,430 looked at at? Say about God and his work is 273 00:15:12,670 --> 00:15:14,110 especially important when we come to. 274 00:15:14,110 --> 00:15:19,350 This God's greatest work. His forgiveness of sin, the 275 00:15:19,350 --> 00:15:20,270 verse. Five says that. 276 00:15:20,270 --> 00:15:23,870 God remembers his covenant forever, and verse nine that 277 00:15:23,870 --> 00:15:26,030 he's ordained his covenant forever. 278 00:15:27,440 --> 00:15:30,480 God's covenant is his promise to the nation of. 279 00:15:30,960 --> 00:15:32,080 That he'll be there. God. 280 00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:36,320 And he and they will be his people forever, which is a 281 00:15:36,320 --> 00:15:40,520 promise that He also made to us when we put our faith in Jesus. 282 00:15:42,120 --> 00:15:45,680 Perhaps then, the most important part of God remembering His 283 00:15:45,680 --> 00:15:49,920 covenant is actually forgetting. Forgetting our sins, forgiving 284 00:15:49,920 --> 00:15:52,000 them, actively not remembering them. 285 00:15:54,140 --> 00:15:55,260 That as we look through the Bible. 286 00:15:55,260 --> 00:15:58,380 Countless times the Israelites messed up about. 287 00:15:58,380 --> 00:16:01,980 Each time, God remembers his covenant with them, His promise 288 00:16:01,980 --> 00:16:05,660 to them, not disowning them as they deserve, but rescuing them, 289 00:16:05,660 --> 00:16:09,980 forgiving them, persevering with them, providing for them, and 290 00:16:09,980 --> 00:16:12,180 loving them. He remembered his promise to 291 00:16:12,180 --> 00:16:15,460 them. And it's no different with me, 292 00:16:15,460 --> 00:16:19,180 really, and you if you've been. Rescued by Jesus. 293 00:16:20,390 --> 00:16:23,670 You see, even after my own. Sort of Exodus Where God. 294 00:16:23,790 --> 00:16:26,070 Saved me from a life of sin and death. 295 00:16:27,590 --> 00:16:31,310 Since then I couldn't count the times that I've messed. 296 00:16:31,310 --> 00:16:35,910 Up but. Like the Israelites, I know 297 00:16:35,950 --> 00:16:38,510 that. God is still my God. 298 00:16:39,070 --> 00:16:46,070 That I am still his child, saved and safe because he remembers 299 00:16:46,070 --> 00:16:48,550 the promise that he's made to me through Jesus. 300 00:16:50,520 --> 00:16:56,520 This song then shows us that. If God is faithful, if God is. 301 00:16:56,520 --> 00:16:58,480 Just and what he says and does last. 302 00:16:59,720 --> 00:17:02,240 We can be. Assured that God's rescue of us 303 00:17:02,240 --> 00:17:03,840 his. Forgiveness of our sins. 304 00:17:13,290 --> 00:17:16,050 I can believe what God says about it, because all that he 305 00:17:16,050 --> 00:17:06,599 says is true. His wiping away of our darkness 306 00:17:06,599 --> 00:17:09,920 and our place with him in eternity isn't going to go 307 00:17:09,920 --> 00:17:11,960 anywhere. It's going to last. 308 00:17:17,210 --> 00:17:18,410 He is true. He is. 309 00:17:18,410 --> 00:17:25,290 Faithful and his. Words last forever, so God is. 310 00:17:25,290 --> 00:17:27,690 Always deserving. Of our praise. 311 00:17:29,250 --> 00:17:32,650 And that's a big reason why we should praise him, But secondly. 312 00:17:33,690 --> 00:17:36,330 We should also praise God because it's actually good for 313 00:17:36,330 --> 00:17:38,690 us. It's our duty to praise God. 314 00:17:38,690 --> 00:17:41,530 But actually praising God is also in our interest. 315 00:17:41,530 --> 00:17:44,580 It's good for us. The Psalm says. 316 00:17:44,580 --> 00:17:46,420 That with. Praise comes wisdom. 317 00:17:47,180 --> 00:17:49,340 The fear of the. Lord is the beginning of wisdom 318 00:17:49,380 --> 00:17:52,700 we read in verse 10. Now, wisdom in the Bible isn't 319 00:17:52,700 --> 00:17:55,980 simply knowing lots of stuff. It's about knowing. 320 00:17:56,300 --> 00:18:00,140 The best way to live? About making wise decisions and 321 00:18:00,140 --> 00:18:04,420 then acting on that, living a flourishing life and the Psalm 322 00:18:04,420 --> 00:18:06,140 says. That the way of wisdom, the way 323 00:18:06,140 --> 00:18:09,460 of praise, is the way of. Wisdom praising God will. 324 00:18:09,460 --> 00:18:11,540 Actually help us to live our best life. 325 00:18:13,220 --> 00:18:15,860 And it will. Help us firstly. 326 00:18:16,020 --> 00:18:21,260 Individually, as we followed the Psalm today, we've seen how true 327 00:18:21,260 --> 00:18:24,620 praise of God means that. I have to stop and think about 328 00:18:24,620 --> 00:18:27,700 God. And his amazing works and deeds. 329 00:18:29,020 --> 00:18:31,780 I have to. Remember his amazing kindness. 330 00:18:32,460 --> 00:18:34,740 And what that does is it. It humbles me. 331 00:18:34,980 --> 00:18:38,300 It puts me in my place, stops me from directing my praise and 332 00:18:38,300 --> 00:18:39,220 worship. To. 333 00:18:40,260 --> 00:18:41,660 Other. Places and people. 334 00:18:43,460 --> 00:18:45,940 It it. Warms and softens my heart. 335 00:18:46,740 --> 00:18:50,100 It means that I'm all struck by the right things. 336 00:18:51,260 --> 00:18:54,300 It it makes me weep over my sin. But cry. 337 00:18:54,300 --> 00:18:58,300 With joy over God's mercy, praising God helps me on a 338 00:18:58,300 --> 00:19:02,820 personal, individual level. But it also helps us 339 00:19:03,100 --> 00:19:04,900 corporately. It's also good for us 340 00:19:04,900 --> 00:19:10,140 corporately. Now I love looking at photos and 341 00:19:10,140 --> 00:19:13,660 I love them so much because they bring back memories and without 342 00:19:13,660 --> 00:19:17,940 those reminders, our memory. Quickly gets fuzzy. 343 00:19:18,260 --> 00:19:21,300 Doesn't it? And our spiritual life is is no 344 00:19:21,300 --> 00:19:22,700 different. God. 345 00:19:22,700 --> 00:19:25,700 Knows that without reminders, we're going to forget about the 346 00:19:25,700 --> 00:19:28,540 things that he's done and therefore we're going to lose 347 00:19:28,540 --> 00:19:31,900 sight. Of who he is, so his verse four 348 00:19:31,900 --> 00:19:35,060 says he has caused. His wonders to be remembered. 349 00:19:36,730 --> 00:19:38,930 We have the. Bible written down for for us 350 00:19:38,930 --> 00:19:41,730 all of God's amazing acts. But we also have this. 351 00:19:42,370 --> 00:19:46,250 At Sunday, our church gathering. Now you notice this at the 352 00:19:46,250 --> 00:19:48,570 beginning of the Psalm. The Psalm writer isn't actually 353 00:19:48,570 --> 00:19:51,810 by himself in his. Praise what he says that. 354 00:19:51,810 --> 00:19:53,930 He's going to. Do is praise. 355 00:19:53,930 --> 00:19:57,530 In the assembly among the congregation, he's going to 356 00:19:57,530 --> 00:20:01,450 praise amongst God's people, and as he does so, he'll be 357 00:20:01,450 --> 00:20:04,770 reminding them of God's goodness and greatness. 358 00:20:05,700 --> 00:20:08,340 And that's just what we. Do when we get together as a 359 00:20:08,340 --> 00:20:11,980 church community, hearing and seeing each other praising God. 360 00:20:11,980 --> 00:20:16,420 Together stops us forgetting the good things that God has done in 361 00:20:16,420 --> 00:20:19,460 our lives. Praise isn't just between me and 362 00:20:19,460 --> 00:20:20,940 God. It's something that we share in 363 00:20:20,940 --> 00:20:25,940 together and and so we meet and we praise God and as we do we 364 00:20:25,940 --> 00:20:28,180 constantly remember remind each other. 365 00:20:28,860 --> 00:20:30,820 That God is true. That He's faithful. 366 00:20:31,180 --> 00:20:34,740 That he's everlasting and so. Are his works praising God? 367 00:20:34,740 --> 00:20:37,100 Is good for us corporately as well. 368 00:20:38,700 --> 00:20:41,660 And thirdly and lastly, praising God is also good. 369 00:20:41,660 --> 00:20:43,380 For us because it reminds us of our. 370 00:20:43,380 --> 00:20:49,220 Glorious future and the sum ends with the line. 371 00:20:49,260 --> 00:20:55,140 To Him belongs eternal praise. Not only do we praise God here 372 00:20:55,140 --> 00:20:56,940 and now, but we're actually going to. 373 00:20:56,940 --> 00:21:02,860 Praise God forever in eternity and thinking back to that in 374 00:21:02,860 --> 00:21:05,260 verse 4. That God has caused his wonders 375 00:21:05,260 --> 00:21:08,740 to be remembered. Just hold that in mind a second. 376 00:21:09,620 --> 00:21:11,900 Because have you Have you ever wondered what heaven is going to 377 00:21:11,900 --> 00:21:24,380 be like? The places from this life. 378 00:21:13,740 --> 00:21:16,180 Have you ever wondered what you'll be like in heaven? 379 00:21:16,180 --> 00:21:21,260 Do you think you'll remember the things? 380 00:21:21,420 --> 00:21:26,620 The. Will you still be you? 381 00:21:26,620 --> 00:21:29,380 Will you still feel like you and? 382 00:21:30,420 --> 00:21:33,810 Or will you kind of be some kind of holy robot stuck in an 383 00:21:33,810 --> 00:21:36,690 endless church service going through Heaven's song sheet? 384 00:21:37,690 --> 00:21:41,210 I'll be honest that sometimes I picture it like that and and 385 00:21:41,210 --> 00:21:42,930 kind of glorious as it might look it. 386 00:21:43,050 --> 00:21:45,810 It's not all that attractive. I I still want to be me in 387 00:21:45,810 --> 00:21:48,450 heaven. Getting rid of all of the bad 388 00:21:48,450 --> 00:21:50,930 stuff, definitely, But. I still want to be me. 389 00:21:51,970 --> 00:21:56,330 And the wonderful news is that God wants me to be me as well, 390 00:21:56,330 --> 00:22:00,890 and He wants you to be you. And how does this Psalm help? 391 00:22:00,890 --> 00:22:03,490 Us to see that. Well, thinking of those two 392 00:22:03,490 --> 00:22:05,690 those. Verses that God has caused his 393 00:22:05,690 --> 00:22:08,010 wonders to be remembered and that we're going to. 394 00:22:08,010 --> 00:22:11,610 Praise God forever in eternity. How can we? 395 00:22:11,610 --> 00:22:15,490 Wholeheartedly praise God with some kind of holy memory wipe. 396 00:22:16,290 --> 00:22:18,650 That's not going to happen. We're going to remember the 397 00:22:18,650 --> 00:22:20,650 wonders that God has done in this life. 398 00:22:20,650 --> 00:22:25,210 None more so than the miracle that He achieved in us forgiving 399 00:22:25,210 --> 00:22:27,370 our sins, making us a new creation. 400 00:22:27,880 --> 00:22:30,080 We're going to remember the grace and the mercy. 401 00:22:30,080 --> 00:22:33,640 That God showed us personally in this life for the. 402 00:22:33,640 --> 00:22:37,560 Ways he used this for his glory, for the love that he showed us 403 00:22:38,560 --> 00:22:41,240 and and we'll do that for eternity. 404 00:22:41,240 --> 00:22:44,880 Remembering God, remembering all the the good things that he's 405 00:22:44,880 --> 00:22:51,520 done as I finish and the sun comes out. 406 00:22:51,760 --> 00:22:53,360 I hope that this Psalm has helped us. 407 00:22:53,360 --> 00:22:57,200 To see that, you don't have to feel happy to praise God. 408 00:22:57,850 --> 00:22:59,850 If you are, that's brilliant. Praise God. 409 00:23:00,450 --> 00:23:03,210 But you don't have to be. You don't even have to do it 410 00:23:03,210 --> 00:23:05,650 with a smile. You could be really struggling, 411 00:23:05,730 --> 00:23:09,450 but you can. Still, praise God, and you could 412 00:23:09,450 --> 00:23:12,650 simply sit there and still. Quiet or at the majesty. 413 00:23:12,650 --> 00:23:13,850 Of God. That's praise. 414 00:23:14,490 --> 00:23:19,210 You could sit there and quietly pray a simple Thank you to God 415 00:23:19,210 --> 00:23:23,330 for promising himself to you. That's praise you could share 416 00:23:23,330 --> 00:23:24,850 with someone what God's been doing in your. 417 00:23:25,330 --> 00:23:31,340 That's praise this song. Causes to praise God because we 418 00:23:31,340 --> 00:23:35,500 should, because he deserves our praise, but also because it's 419 00:23:35,500 --> 00:23:40,220 good for us. It's the best way to live and so 420 00:23:40,220 --> 00:23:42,940 look then at his works. And how they reveal his 421 00:23:42,940 --> 00:23:45,900 character, how he's fundamentally different from us 422 00:23:45,900 --> 00:23:49,660 and worthy of praise that remember His works no more so 423 00:23:49,700 --> 00:23:52,620 than the His forgiveness of your sin through the death of. 424 00:23:52,700 --> 00:23:54,720 Jesus. And you'll find yourself 425 00:23:54,720 --> 00:23:57,960 praising him in whatever way comes naturally to you, in 426 00:23:57,960 --> 00:24:01,960 whatever place you're in today. Amen.