I want to Echo, Jasper. I thank you for being here this
morning. Thank you for coming and
worshipping with us this morning.
And that's what we're going to continue to do.
Here we came, we've we've worshipped through song, we've
worship through giving. Now we will continue to worship
and praise through through God's word, we will be in Psalm 66
this morning, we will be continuing with the psalm series
that we have started. Aligning our hearts with God's
heart, and I've Loved all the Psalms up to this point.
And this one is no different than than the rest.
It's it's going to show us how to, how to another another step
to align our hearts with God's heart.
Here in Psalm 66. My Bible says, how awesome are
you needs talks about this? This is a Thanksgiving Psalm.
Psalm 66 Thanksgiving for God, God's answering To the prayer of
a particular member of God's people will get into that really
in verses 18, and 19 of the text.
Since perhaps it was, especially suited to the occasion, or which
a worshiper brought various sacrifices to express his thanks
and consecration. The Marvel.
This Psalm is the is the way in which the first half roughly
verses 1 through 12 with this references to us as to the
people of God as a whole and to all the earth and its recounting
of God's awesome needs for Israel.
It sets God's Deeds for the particular person in into the
context of his commitment to the people as a whole.
So, the biblical worldview does not require a choice between the
corporate. And then to the particular
person, rather, the particular person experiences God's love.
As a member of God's people. And us today coming together
corporately. We can say the same thing that
we came, we praise. We can come worship God
corporately. But at the same time, each and
every one of us as we're worshipping corporately can
worship personally at the same time and that's kind of what's
going on in this Psalm Charles Spurgeon said, this of Psalm 66.
He said it may be either said or song.
It is a marvellous poem, If it be but red.
But set to suitable music. It would be.
It must have been one of the noblest rains ever heard by the
Jewish people. He continues and says, Praise of
the topic and the subject for the lure for subject.
For the song or the Lord's, great works.
His gracious benefits. His faithful deliverances and
all his dealings with his people brought to a close.
My personal testimony to special kindness received by the prophet
himself. And we don't know who wrote
Psalm 66. It's not specifically mentioned,
a lot of people think that it's it was written by David.
This is, it's in, in a block of Psalms that are considered the
davidic, Psalms that was written by David and then this is one of
the Psalms kind of put right in the bunch right in the middle of
these that We really don't know who wrote it, but it could have
been wrote written by David. But either way is a praise, that
is a Thanksgiving to God. And as we come to our clothes,
in this in this chapter will see that.
The reason that God did this. For this, for this person, he
thinks he's given Thanksgiving. He's giving praise.
He's giving glory to God for what God has done.
Done for him personally. We find out.
It's it's God has done this because of the condition of his
heart. So this morning of entitled, The
Lesson, the teaching this morning, honoring God with a
pure heart. Honoring God with a pure heart.
And we're going to be dividing the scripture up into four
sections this morning for, I see a kind of natural separations.
The first three coming with the word sayla, now this word
carries two possible meanings in this in this psalm, It.
The first it could mean to lift up or to exalt so it was a Tom
to lift up, praise or exalt God's name.
It's also a musical term and it could have meant a pause or
interruption. Which they could go
hand-in-hand, that it could be a pause or Interruption for the
people to ponder. What they just heard up to that
point and in to stop and to ponder on God's goodness, Ponder
on what the singer is has just sung.
And in that pondering moment, it could have been a time of
silence or it could have been in time of loud worship by the
corporate body. So, either way it was, whether
it's, it was quiet contemplation or is the time for loud,
Jubilation, praise and worship by the corporate body.
It's still means a time to ponder what they just heard.
So let's let's get ready to dive into Psalm 66. and I want you
to, Want you to think about this, this morning we was
mentioned earlier, we've praise God with song, we praise God
through worship of giving and I were praising God.
With open it up. God's word.
I really wants to thank this morning on the significance of
what praise does. For praise moves, the heart of
God. Praise moves, the heart of God.
There was a reason why the Psalms are in a bottle.
There's a reason why these songs of praise are here for us to
read. And learn and expound on there
was a reason why King Jehoshaphat sent put the singers
out in front of the Army in second Chronicles chapter 20,
when the nation of Judah were seemingly going out to be
slaughtered by 3. Invading armies.
It was a reason why he put the singers in the praisers out
because he knew praise moved the heart of God.
And if you read and second chronicles, as the as they went
out to face this impending Army of three different nations
coming against them. It says as the prey as a singers
and as the prayer appraisers saying and worship God, God said
and bushman's against these people and they caused eat.
They cause these three armies that turn on each other and kill
each other. Before the army, ever got to the
battle. And I want you to think about
that, praise moves. The heart of God.
Praise moves, the heart of God. Let us never forget, the
significance of praise. When we don't feel like it,
praise God. When you're struggling.
Praise God. That's why James could write
kind of doll Joy. When you're going through
various trials and tribulations. Because those would bring what?
It would bring. Person to be complete.
Perfect complete and lacking nothing.
So, when we don't feel like it, praise God.
Anyway. Amen.
When, when everything is Rosy, praise God.
When everything is scary. Praise God.
Because praise moves the heart of God.
And let's stand this morning, if you're able and we're going to
read Psalm 66. Psalm 66 verse 1, it says Shout.
For joy to God all the Earth, sing the glory of his name.
Give him glorious. Praise say to God.
How awesome are your Deeds? So great is your power that your
enemies come cringing to you all the Earth worships you and sings
praises to you. They sing praises to your name
C'est. Le This is the pause.
To ponder what we just heard. How awesome are his deeds.
All the Earth worships him. Verse 5, it says, come and see
what God has done. He is awesome in his deeds
towards the children of, man, he turned the sea into dry land.
They passed through the river on foot.
They did, we there did we rejoice in him who rules by his
might forever, whose eyes keep watch on the nation's.
Let not the rebellious exhaust themselves.
Salo. Once again, a time to ponder why
God has done for the nation as a whole.
Verse 8. It says bless our God o
people's. Let the sound of his praise.
Be heard who has kept our soul among the living.
It has not let our feet slip for you.
Oh God, have tested us. You have tried us as silver is
tried. You brought us into the net.
You later crushing burden in our backs.
You let me and ride over our heads.
We went through fire and through water yet.
You have brought us out to a place of abundance.
I will come into your house with with burnt offerings our perform
my vows to you that which my lips uttered and my mouth
promised when I was in trouble. I will offer to you burnt
offerings of fat and animals with a smoke of the sacrifice of
rams. I will make an offering of bulls
and goats say Allah. And he finishes here in verse
16. It says coming here.
All you here Fair God and I will tell you what he has done for my
soul. I cried to him with my mouth and
High Praise was on my tongue if I had cherished iniquity in my
heart. The Lord would not have listened
but truly God has listened. He is attended to the voice of
my prayer blessed be God because he has not rejected my prayer or
removed his steadfast love for me.
You made me see you this morning.
Starts off how awesome are his deeds.
How awesome his needs verse verse 1.
It says shout for joy to God all the Earth.
This phrase shout for Joy means to the praise and honor.
To God. And this this there's word here
is the word Elohim Elohim. It is the one true God.
It's also the plural name of God, which represents the Triune
nature of God. God the Father, the Son, and the
Holy Spirit, So shout for joy to God.
All the Earth sing the glory of his name.
Give him glorious praise. Why?
Verse 3, it says say to God, how awesome are your Deeds.
So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you,
these Deeds that are that are talked about here.
These are Deeds of judgment and deeds of Deliverance.
So he is worshipping his telling the people to worship
corporately. On the awesome Deeds of God, the
awesome deliverances of God, but also even worshiping and
thinking for the judgments because because the Judgment
gets get has got them where they are now. you know, the judgments
gets us where we need to be. Amen. so, his deeds are not just
The Deeds of Deliverance but it's the Deeds of Correction.
The gentle Corrections and sometimes the not-so-gentle
corrections that gets us where we need to be with God.
But we should we need to worship God for all his deeds.
It says, the enemies of God will come cringing to you.
This word cringing means to come with fake Allegiance.
It means to that they're found as Liars.
And they are found insufficient. so, you have the nation of
Israel. God's people.
And then you have the enemies of God that come cringing out of
fake. Fake.
Praise fake worship, but God knows.
God knows that they're liars and they're in Sofia there.
Insufficient only pretending to obey and this will be huge later
on as we get into Verse 18. Then we have the word saila,
which as I said means to ponder. Ponder, what his awesome Deeds.
Ponder. His Deliverance has Ponder his
his judgment, his correction. Because it's all of those
combined. That's got the nation of Israel
to this point and verse 5 it says come and see.
Come and see. So we honor God.
Here. Because he has delivered us out
of bondage, into Freedom. This is coming CC, wild more,
the Deeds of Deliverance. These are specifically, the
Deeds of Deliverance for Israel verse 6.
It says he turned the sea into dry land.
They passed through the river on foot there.
Did we Rejoice him? This is referencing the children
of Israel being able to cross over the Red Sea on drug and And
the children of Israel being able to cross over into the
promised land crossing over the river.
When they crossed over the river into the promised, land Over the
River. Jordan, when the hot, when the
priests that were carrying the Ark of the Covenant feet Touch
the Water. The Bible says, then the waters
receded allowed, the children of Israel crossover.
So here in verse 6, he the poet is referencing these things.
The Deeds of provision. That God has done for the nation
of Israel. Verse 7.
He says that God keeps his eyes. He keeps his eyes, keep watch on
the nation's, let not the rebellious exalted themselves.
This this phrase on the nation's is talking about the non Hebrew
people. Talking about the one that that
come cringing before him with fake obedience.
He tells them, let not the rebellious exalt themselves, not
to be lofty, not to raise or Puff themselves up.
And this is, this is their pride.
This is foreshadowing. This is foreshadowing.
The New Testament when they crossed over into the promised
land. It's foreshadowing us Crossing
from death over to life when we accept Christ, as they as they
were taken from Bondage. And walk through the Wilderness
and ended up where God had promised them to be.
We can have that same freedom from the from from bondage as
same Deliverance through the name of Jesus Christ.
You look going to verse 8. It says, bless our God o
peoples. And this is honoring God.
For his Deliverance, has even through the difficult times.
Let's read here in verse 8, it says, bless our God o people's.
Let the sound of its praise. Be heard, who has kept our soul
among the living. He has not let our feet slip for
you. Oh God, have tested us.
You have tried, as silver is tried.
You brought us into the net. You later crushing burden on our
backs. You let me in right over our
heads. We went through fire and Through
water yet. That's a big word to be.
So little yet you have brought us into a place of obedience.
I will come to your house with burnt offerings.
I will perform my vows to you that, which my lips uttered and
my mouth promise. When I was in trouble, I were
offered to you. Burnt offerings, a fatted
animals. With the smoke of the sake
fragrance, sacrifice of rams. I will make an offering of bulls
and of goats. This word in a and verse 8,
says, bless our God. This word blessed means It's the
attitude of the heart, it means to kneel.
It means that Neal with and as an act of adoration to add or to
worship. Praise God.
That's what it means. So when he says bless our God,
it is the heart's condition. It is the heart condition of
that person a lot in their heart up with God's heart as they as
they adore God as they praise God, as they worship, God in the
good times and in the bad, but it is the condition of the
heart. As they worship God.
They don't, they don't come with fake praise and come with
sincere praise. And it is, this is this reaction
is in total contrast of lifting your own self up.
We come humbly before. God, Amen.
But once again, we ask the question, as in the very first
of the, of the psalm. Why bless God?
His deeds have lived of Deliverance and his deeds of
judgment. Verse 9.
He says it's kept our soul among the living and has not let our
feet slip from the beginning. Satan has desired to destroy
God's people. By Elohim, the one true God has
always preserved. A people is his people, and
that's why we can say we're sitting in this building this
morning because we're his people They were tested in verse 10 and
they were tried as silver. Silver goes through a refining
process that goes through a forging process and fire.
We're in the fire. In the impurities in it are
separated Separate is separated from from the silver so that the
silver is pure and undefiled. It's not as popular now.
But how many knows maybe you have it or maybe your parents
have it. They have that big curio
cabinet. With their van child and they're
fine. Silver up there for display
behind the glass. You can't touch it, can't use
it. You know, it's tough but it's
their fine china. That's what we are to God.
When Tommy, the angel comes by and God says Tom.
Hey Tommy. Hey, look behind there.
That's my, that's my kid. That's my kid.
Look how pretty he is. He's look at how fond he is, why
because I would find him as silver.
And I know that silly but that's how God looks at us.
We are his people. Because we have went through the
refining process. Amen.
We have went through. We've went through the dirty
words of Christianity. Testing and trials, tribulations
suffering and sacrifice. There was the those of the dirty
words of Christianity, a joke that those are the curse words
of Christianity. but every single one of them, of, as of
those refine us to get us where he wants us to be in, this, this
is the foreshadow men of the Holy Spirit, sanctification
process, That we are Justified at the moment of Salvation.
And from that moment, the Holy Spirit begins his work in our
life to set to sanctify us to refine us so that God can tap on
on Tommy shoulder. And Heaven, say hey, look at my,
look at my children. Because they are, we find I
refine them as silver, they let me do that.
And now they are perfect. Complete lacking nothing.
We are seated with God in Heavenly places according to
Ephesians chapter 1 and chapter 2.
Why? Because we're Justified.
We're in his presence, because we're Justified.
We may still be here on Earth. Messing up all the time in the
in the physical. But spiritually we are with God.
We are seated with him in Heavenly places.
Verses 11 and 12, he talks about how God has allowed certain
things, a burden, a crushing burden, the poet writes and Men
riding over their heads. They were ruled by men.
Lots of times. They were ruled by me and
because of their stubbornness Their unwillingness to do what
God wanted them to do. Their continued Disobedience to
follow him. But the last part of verse 12,
that word, yet yet, God brought them and he will bring us into a
place. That would be of abundance.
He'll bring us into a place of abundance if we allow him to.
If we allow the Holy Spirit to sanctify us, raise up beauty
from ashes. And sanctify us and we faunus is
silver. And that leads us into honoring
God. In the last four verses of this
text. We honor God.
By the intentions of our hearts. my wife last few months, she's
And talking about different scriptures.
She's been reading and all connecting to the fault of the
intentions of man's heart. You think about that?
We see on the outside. Since and I know, I've been
using this term a lot lately, but this is where Divine
discrimination comes in God's Divine discrimination.
Because he can look at two things and see, one is a value,
and one is not one is different than the other.
And in our worldly mom, we can't we can't wrap our mind around
that. But God is the only one who is
just enough to do that. And it's because he can see the
intentions of our hearts. This look over verse 16 and
through 20, it says coming here. See earlier, he said, come and
see, come and see what God has done for us corporately.
But now we get into that particular person.
The poet in this text says coming here.
All you who fear God And I will tell you what he has done for my
soul. I cried to him with my mouth and
and High. Praise was on my tongue.
Here it is in verse 18. If I had cherished iniquity in
my heart. The Lord would not have listened
but truly God has listened. He has intended to the voice of
my prayer blessed, be God because he is not rejected my
prayer or removed. His steadfast love from me.
Is this term cherished iniquity in verse 18 means to aim at it.
In the in context, it refers to praying for God's help, to be
able to commit some form of sin, a practice the truly Pious
reject. Therefore It would be a
misinterpretation to read this. As implying.
That absolute sinlessness is a condition for answered prayer
and everybody says amen. It reminds the faithful to pray
for God's help in order to give him.
Thanks and to serve him better. We look at this.
And once again, the the why question comes in, why does God,
why does God listen? First we said, why do we praise
God? Because of his awesome Deeds.
Now, why does God listen to us on an individual basis?
Because God understands the intentions and the motives of
our hearts. the book of Hebrews chapter 4, Verse 1 through 13.
It says therefore while the promise of entering his rest
still stands, let us fear. Lest any of you should seem to
have failed to reach it for good news, came to us just as to them
who is them? It says the children of Israel.
that left Egypt, went was in the wilderness, headed on,
originally were supposed to go into the promised land, but the
messages says They heard did not benefit them because they were
not United by faith with those who listened for, we who have
believed enter that rest. As he said, as I swore in my
wrath, they shall not enter my rest.
Although his Works were finished from the foundation of the world
for he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way, and
God rested on the seventh day, from all his works.
And again In this passage, he says, Had they should not enter
my rest. since therefore, it remains for some to enter it and
those who formally received the good news, Failed to enter
Because of Disobedience. Again, he appoints a certain day
today saying through David so long afterward in the words
already quoted today, if you hear his voice, do not Harden
your hearts, fourth Joshua had given them rest.
God would not have spoken of another day.
So, if Joshua taken that people of Israel across the river,
Jordan into the promised land would have given them rest.
It says that God would not have spoken of another day later on.
So then there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God for
her ever has entered God's rest as also rested from his works as
God did from his We are Justified.
By faith a man, we enter that rest, let us therefore strive to
enter that rest so that no one may fall by the sword of
disobedience. For the word of God is living
and active sharper than any two-edged sword.
Piercing the division of the Soul, and Spirit and joints, and
Marrow, and Discerning the thoughts, and intentions of the
heart. And no creature is hidden from
his sight. But all are naked and exposed in
the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
James Chapter 4, verses 1 through 10, says this what
causes quarrels and fights among you?
Is it not this that your passions are at War within you?
You desire and do not have you. So you murder, you covet and
cannot obtain. So you fight and quarrel you do
not have because you do not ask you ask and do not receive why?
Because you asked wrongly to spend it on your passions.
You, adulterous people. Do you not know that friendship
with the world is enmity with God?
Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes
himself if an enemy of God, Or do you suppose it is to no
purpose. That the scripture says he
yearns jealousy jealously over the spirit that he has made to
dwell in US, God's holy spirit. Yearns.
To communicate with our spirit. Even to the point of jealousy.
Verse 6 but he gives more grace. Therefore it says God opposes
the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
Submit yourselves therefore to God, resist the devil and he
will flee from you draw near to God and He will draw near to.
You cleanse your hands, you Sinners and purify.
Your hearts. You double-minded be reached
retched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to
mourning and your joy to Gloom humble yourselves before the
Lord, and He will exalt you. This is in total contrast.
With those that come cringing to God.
Which Ritchie he warns? That God keeps his eyes over
the, over the people's, and let not the rebellious exalt
themselves. But let us come humbly before
God and then he will lift us up. As we come, we're not with
iniquity in our heart. But with humbleness become with
him, with a pure heart, we worship God, we honor him with a
pure heart. so, this morning, The question is, what is your
aim? Is your aim to lift yourself up?
To be vile as it this, this word iniquity in.
Psalm 66 means morally bad Wicked.
Of little value of little worth. Is it your will or God's will?
I encourage you. Let's look at verse 20, it says
blessed be God. Because he has not rejected my
prayer. Or removed his steadfast love
from me. Once again, this is a condition
of the heart. just like in verse 12, Bless.
To Neal, adoration to praise and to honor.
The port writes that God has not rejected his prayer.
Like he has those in we read about in James 4:4 because they
they ask and did not receive because they asked for wrong
with wrong motives. But this this poet is somnus, he
wrote here, he's saying he praised, he honored god with
correct motives, why? Because he was honoring God with
a pure heart, that's the praise team can go ahead and come.
I invite you to stand this morning.
Once again, verse 20, it says blessed be God because he has
not rejected my prayer or removed.
His steadfast love for me. God's ultimate goal is to bring
us into his presence. However, the only way God can do
that is if we have pure motives and pure hearts, there will come
a day when scripture tells us if there is coming a judgement day,
God will look at some and say depart from me.
I never knew you scripture says it writes it records.
It declares. God didn't do this in your name.
God didn't I do that in your name?
God, I never knew you. They might have looked the part.
But God knew that there was a difference.
So I encourage you this morning. Don't don't come cringing.
because out of fear out of fake obedience, but come to God every
day, With pure hearts and pure motives to worship Him.
As your God and your savior. God will use his deeds, his
awesome Deeds. Sometimes it's correction.
A lots of times that correction and lead you to blessing.
And as the, as the port wrote Here in verse 12. even though
all these things happen, he said yet you have brought us out out
of out of that, out of The trials out of the tribulations,
out of the testing. To a place of abundance and God
can do the same thing for us. John 10:10.
Jesus gives us his mission statement.
He said, I've come to give you life.
Part one, I've come to give you life to the for or Abundant Life
as part two. We can be.
A born-again believer. and live a miserable life, if we want to
Or. We can allow God to bring us to
that place of abundance. Where he wants us to be.
It's up to us. We determine our own life
quality. So I encourage you to let God
use his deeds in your life, whether they are Deliverance or
Corrections, Because they're all going to lead you to the same
place that place of abundance. Men.
As for this morning Father, I praise you.
I magnify you. God, I just thank you.
That we can adore you. For who you are.
And yes, for what you've done. God, let us always come to you.
With pure motives. And a pure heart father.
Well I just ask that you father as we draw close to you as your
word declared in James chapter 4 that your draw close to us.
As we submit ourselves, we resist the devil, we submit to
you. We come before you humbly
father. With a heart attitude.
Of worship, praise. Father, you will lift us up.
Follow you declare and Isaiah 57:15 that you dwell in the high
and lofty place. With those of a concrete
contrite, and broken spirit. Father, help us to come before
you with that with that motive. With that mentality.
God, your you will draw is you were Right.
Raise us up. Father, we won't dwell with you.
And we can experience, father life the way that you intended.
Father, just I just pray for this corporate body. that, that
would be our posture before you and every day.
Let us always praise you. Praise you through the good.
Praise you through the bad. Father would just give you honor
and Glory. Amen.