Kevin Dibbley - September 15, 2024
"Our Forever King" | Psalm 146
In this sermon, we are going to spend some time considering a glorious psalm of praise - Psalm 146. That psalm begins: “Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, o my soul! I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.” One commentator writes “The believer’s life should be continuous praise.” “Should be” are the operative words. We often find ourselves in a wide array of challenging circumstances. Sometimes, beyond challenging! I was talking to a fellow Christian this week who said that “despair has been afflicting me today.” Has despair been afflicting you lately? There are times when the words of Psalm 146 seem next to impossible. We cannot see a way through the challenges and the brokenness that surround us. Psalm 146 teaches us that there is only One thing that can change our view of every experience. It’s a clear view of the Lord (Yahweh). Hallelujah means “Praise Yah” (short for Yahweh). Our Lord is not a God who is indifferent to our sufferings. He is not distant from our struggles. In fact, He is the One who has climbed right down into the pit with us. Our Lord has entered into our sufferings in order that He might carry us through them and out into endless glory. Our message this week reminds us where our help and our hope come from as Christians. Our sermon is called “Our King Forever” and, praise the Lord, He is!
Scripture References: Psalms 146:1-10
From Series: "Sing to the King"
We are going to study the Psalms in a series called “Sing to the King.” The psalms are a collection of songs and prayers meant to guide Israel through the long struggle with their own sin and their experience of exile without a King to guide and to shepherd them. The Psalms invoke an eager expectation that God is sending a righteous King who will faithfully lead and shepherd His people. These deep hopes and longings are realized in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Much like Israel, we still struggle with personal sin and a world of injustice. We still groan in what sometimes seems like a long season of silence from God. But as New Testament Christians, we have a King who has come, has conquered and who now reigns. That King is also coming soon to make all things new. The psalms are meant to make us look to Jesus as the King who fulfills all the longings and needs of his people. Jesus is the King who saves us from our sins and leads us in triumphal procession. He is coming to reign over all the earth. Come and celebrate and “Sing to the King” with us this summer. It is going to be a blessing to be together and to encourage one another in the Lord.
