GATHERING
RESPONSIVE CALL | Matthew 6:19–24
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,
but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light,
but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.
If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and money.
ASSURANCE | Psalm 121:1-2 [ESV]
I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
My help comes from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
SING: Gloria Patri [sheet music] [demo recording]
Glory be to the Father
And to the Son and to the Holy Ghost
As it was in the beginning
Is now and ever shall be world without end
Amen Amen
WORD
Read: Psalm 10 & 11
“Why, O Lord, do you stand afar off?” (v.10:1)
“The LORD is in his holy temple.” (v.11:4)
These two fairly short psalms are different, but complimentary. Psalm 10 begins with the question to God, “Why do you stand far off? The psalmist then contemplates the confusion of the wicked prospering (v.2-13.) The psalm then pleads with God to act and bring down the evildoers (v.14-15), and closes with statements of assurance of God’s intentions to bring justice to the “fatherless and oppressed (v.18.) But Psalm 11 provides a different perspective. The primary focus of Psalm 11 is God. God is enthroned in his holy temple (vs. 11:4.) God acts to test the righteous and to judge the wicked.
We live in a world were wicked people often seem to prosper. Sometimes God seems to be hiding. We often don’t understand why God is not answering our prayers. The psalms take that concern seriously, but direct our attention to God seated in his holy temple. He is able to save. We can take refuge in him (v.11:1.) These psalms can help us to lift out eyes to heaven and meditate upon the living God who rules over all things through his sovereign power.
ABIDING
SING | Psalm 121
- Metrical Psalter 121 [MUSIC] [demo recording]
- Psalm 121 | I Lift My Eyes [MUSIC] [recording]
Lectio Divina
READ | Psalm 121 Spend time understanding and memorizing the outline of the Psalm, taking special note of the flow or transition points. If you are in a group, discuss the main themes and emphasis together.
SENDING
LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your Name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever,
Amen.
COMMISSION | Psalm 121:7–8 [ESV]
The LORD will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
The LORD will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time forth and forevermore.