30. June 2010 by Rose Southwell.

Call to worship: (Based on Psalm 66:5-8)

Come and see what God has done: awesome deeds in our world 
God turned the sea into dry land; 
        our ancestors passed through the river on foot. 
So, let us rejoice in the LORD,
        who rules by this might forever, who keeps watch on the nations -
Bless our God, let the sound of God’s praise be heard!

First Hymn: 422 God, Whose Giving Knows No Ending

Prayer of Confession:

Loving God, who hears all prayers, we confess that we have not acknowledged you acting in our everyday lives. We ignore the small blessings and everyday miracles, expecting you to only interact in our lives in big ways. We disregard your hands working with us on a daily basis.  We sometimes believe that our day to day activities are insignificant to you, and forget how deep your love really is. Forgive us for our blindness to your work in our lives and those around us. Help us to call to mind that we are your beloved children; who you listen to, care for, and interact with in all things.

(Silent confession)

We ask these things in your Holy Name.

Amen

Old Testament reading: Psalm 66:8-20

New Testament reading: Philippians 4:4-13

Sermon Title: Strength is not only for Popeye and spinach

Second Hymn: 369 I’m Gonna Live So God Can Use Me

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15. June 2010 by Rose Southwell.

Preached June 6th 2010, Mt. Pleasant Presbyterian Church. Text: Psalm 146

Psalm 146 is the first of five Halleluiah psalms that bring the Psalter to its conclusion. This Psalm is one of Rejoicing in God’s greatness, It celebrates God’s creation, It acknowledges the unique relationship of God’s Power and human choices.This  psalm is one that names God as the God of Justice. This psalm has some very beautiful descriptions’ of God and God’s actions in it. In short, this psalm Rocks! Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord O my soul! 

This is not a simple introduction to a psalm, this is an cry from the psalmist soul. Their depth, their very essence. The psalmist is praising God from the core of their being (snap) right of the bat.  

The English Standard Version says in Verse two “I will sing praises the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have being”…  Suggesting: While there is still breathe in my body, while I have being, I sing praises to the Lord.

This is a powerful statement. While I have being. On Good days and bad days the psalmist will sing praises. No matter one’s position in life, I will sing praises. No matter the trouble in the news, I will sing praises.  No matter the bill that passes, I will sing praises to my God All my life long. .. That Alone, is a challenge to us from this psalm. 

Two verses in and we have a big challenge on our hands. I know that it is not easy to sing praises all the time. I know that it can seem superficial. I know that it can seem impossible at times. The psalms are riled with prayers that cry out. Poetry of true pain. But they end in praise. They end in praise because we know, know where to put our hope. Even when we are in the depths. One place. To put our hope. God.

The Psalmist warns in v.3 “Put not your trust in princes, in morals, in whom there is no help.” Some translations say, in whom there is no SALVATION. What prince is over our lives? What person in power, can save us?

…. Humans, they are humans….. 

We know that we are flawed, as mortals,  we know that we too often put our trust in others… or if your like me, ourselves. Isn’t that what our society teaches us? To put trust in ourselves, for our salvation, for our survival,  for our help.

What about these princes? Who are they? This morning we are installing elders and deacons, leaders and ministers for the church. Who alone, are mortals. But with God, they can be tools. Instruments, for ministry. For God’s ministry.

But in Princes, In Presidents, and CEO’s, in Mortals, in whom there is no salvation The psalm tells us Put NOT your trust there.

It goes on to say.When their breath departs, they return to the earth…They return to creation to what is already God’s.  on that very day their plains perish. Their plans… human plans perish. Whatever plan we have to hold on toWhen we try and save ourselves or the world. Those plans Perish. 

Happy are those… the psalm says, whose help is in the God of Jacob. Help. Who’s assistance, is in God. Someone who realizes not on their own abilities, But on God’s ability to HELP.Who’s hope is in the Lord their God. Hope,Someone who can know and have faith that God is with them. Who prays, know that God hears. Who desires for the world to be rescued from its own plans. Whose Hope is in God!!

That is where salvation is. That is where there is help. That is where to put your trust. In God.

God Who in v 6 made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them; The creator God that made all things . that is where to put your trust. Our psalm says God, who keeps faith forever….

let me say that again. God KEEPS faith forever… (BEAT. BEAT. BEAT)

Sometimes we have trouble keeping faith. And that’s ok. Because God keeps faith, forever. That is a God of grace. Faith, allegiance, dependability. Faithfull, God is faithful and dependable. We find this understanding elsewhere in scripture. God makes a covenant with the people. God delivers the people from Egypt God brings the people back from exile. God sends the Holy spirit to keep the church alive. God sent God’s only son to redeem the world.Faithful.  

There is a discussion in scholrship of how to translate a perticular phrase in the Greek. the phrase  psisis xristou  The discussion of wheather it is  ’Faith in Christ’ or ‘Faith of Christ’. Both are techincaly correct, but the meaning is very differnt.  I’m in the faith OF Christ camp.  I do not think that is our faith in God, but God’s faith in us.

Which makes Galatians 2:16 read in this way. “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ,” …. Going on to say, “that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”  We mortals can’t do it on our own. We need a faithful God.

We find in  Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Friends, God keeps faith. So that we can continue to hope.

Psalm 146  shows us some of the ways that God keeps faith. God  who v 7,  executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free; ⁸the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous.⁹The Lord watches over the strangers or sojourners; he upholds the fatherless and the widow, A laundry list of Justice.

As Gary stated last week the nine words associated with justice are listed here in this psalm as ways in which God keeps faith. Ways in which God intervenes on behave of the beloved creation.

I’m going to list them again, and I want you to think about how God Intervenes on behave of creation in these ways.

executes justice for the oppressed; 

gives food to the hungry.

sets the prisoners free;

opens the eyes of the blind.  

lifts up those who are bowed down;

 loves the righteous.

⁹watches over the sojourners;

he upholds the fatherless

 and the widow,

Here you go! If you have been looking for a mission here’s you a list Straight out of scripture. Here are nine things that you know you can put your trust in. We as humans cannot do them all, as individuals we cannot do them completely. But God does all these, and more.

This psalm helps us to discover that apart from God we have no power, *But with God we can transform the world. *

So remember brothers and sisters, God keeps faith FOVERVER. You have a dependable deity. And as our psalm concludes: ¹⁰The Lord will reign forever, your God, (O Church), for all generations. Praise the Lord!   Amen!  Ascription at the end of the Service:My friends, this life is not a rehearsal. Every day and each week is precious.Here and now is blessed reality; each day can be claimedand know that God’s Faith goes with you! To the God that is far more capable than we are, All praise and Glory be given, this day and ever more!

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