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Psalms

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  • Psalm 38

    by Ian Warrell
    1 Thessalonians 1

    Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you.
    We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers.

    We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labour prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
    For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You
    know how we lived among you for your sake.

    You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.
    And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.

    The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia — your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead — Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

    Psalm 38

    O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath.
    For your arrows have pierced me, and your hand has come down upon me.
    Because of your wrath there is no health in my body; my bones have no soundness because of my sin.
    My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear.

    My wounds fester and are loathsome because of my sinful folly.
    I am bowed down and brought very low; all day long I go about mourning.

    My back is filled with searing pain; there is no health in my body.
    I am feeble and utterly crushed; I groan in anguish of heart.
    All my longings lie open before you, O Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you.
    My heart pounds, my strength fails me; even the light has gone from my eyes.

    My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds; my neighbours stay far away.
    Those who seek my life set their traps, those who would harm me talk of my ruin; all day long they plot deception.

    I am like a deaf man, who cannot hear, like a mute, who cannot open his mouth; I have become like a man who does not hear, whose mouth can offer no reply.

    I wait for you, O LORD; you will answer, O Lord my God.

    For I said, “Do not let them gloat or exalt themselves over me when my foot slips.”
    For I am about to fall, and my pain is ever with me.

    I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin.
    Many are those who are my vigorous enemies; those who hate me without reason are numerous.

    Those who repay my good with evil slander me when I pursue what is good.

    O LORD, do not forsake me; be not far from me, O my God.
    Come quickly to help me, O Lord my Saviour.

    Sermon

  • Psalm 37

    by Jesse Huckel
    Romans 3:21-26

    But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.
    This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

    God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished — he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

    Psalm 37

    Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong;
    for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.

    Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
    Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.

    Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this:
    He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

    Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

    Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret – it leads only to evil.
    For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.

    A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found.
    But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.

    The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them;
    but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming.

    The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright.
    But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.

    Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked;
    for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous.

    The days of the blameless are known to the LORD, and their inheritance will endure forever.
    In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

    But the wicked will perish: The LORD’s enemies will be like the beauty of the fields, they will vanish – vanish like smoke.

    The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously;
    those the LORD blesses will inherit the land, but those he curses will be cut off.

    If the LORD delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm;
    though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand.

    I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.
    They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed.

    Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever.

    For the LORD loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off;
    the righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.

    The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just.
    The law of his God is in his heart; his feet do not slip.

    The wicked lie in wait for the righteous, seeking their very lives;
    but the LORD will not leave them in their power or let them be condemned when brought to trial.

    Wait for the LORD and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

    I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a green tree in its native soil,
    but he soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found.

    Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the man of peace.
    But all sinners will be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off.

    The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD; he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
    The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.

    Sermon

  • Psalm 35

    by Roger Stonehouse
    Mark 1:35-39

    Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.
    Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”

    Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else — to the nearby villages — so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.”
    So he travelled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

    Psalm 35

    Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me. Take up shield and buckler; arise and come to my aid. Brandish spear and javelin against those who pursue me. Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.”

    May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those who plot my ruin be turned back in dismay. May they be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the LORD driving them away; may their path be dark and slippery, with the angel of the LORD pursuing them.
    Since they hid their net for me without cause and without cause dug a pit for me, may ruin overtake them by surprise – may the net they hid entangle them, may they fall into the pit, to their ruin.

    Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD and delight in his salvation. My whole being will exclaim, “Who is like you, O LORD? You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them.”
    Ruthless witnesses come forward; they question me on things I know nothing about. They repay me evil for good and leave my soul forlorn.

    Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting. When my prayers returned to me unanswered, I went about mourning as though for my friend or brother. I bowed my head in grief as though weeping for my mother.

    But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee; attackers gathered against me when I was unaware. They slandered me without ceasing. Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked; they gnashed their teeth at me.

    O Lord, how long will you look on? Rescue my life from their ravages, my precious life from these lions.
    I will give you thanks in the great assembly; among throngs of people I will praise you.
    Let not those gloat over me who are my enemies without cause; let not those who hate me without reason maliciously wink the eye.
    They do not speak peaceably, but devise false accusations against those who live quietly in the land. They gape at me and say, “Aha! Aha! With our own eyes we have seen it.”

    O LORD, you have seen this; be not silent. Do not be far from me, O Lord. Awake, and rise to my defence! Contend for me, my God and Lord.
    Vindicate me in your righteousness, O LORD my God; do not let them gloat over me.
    Do not let them think, “Aha, just what we wanted!” or say, “We have swallowed him up.”

    May all who gloat over my distress be put to shame and confusion; may all who exalt themselves over me be clothed with shame and disgrace.
    May those who delight in my vindication shout for joy and gladness; may they always say, “The LORD be exalted, who delights in the well-being of his servant.” My tongue will speak of your righteousness and of your praises all day long.

    Sermon

  • Psalm 34

    by Jesse Huckel
    Romans 11:33-36

    Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgements, and his paths beyond tracing out!

    “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counsellor?”

    “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?”

    For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.

    Psalm 34

    I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.
    My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

    Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.
    I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.
    The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing.

    The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

    Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies.
    Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry; the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

    The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.
    The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all; he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.

    Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned. The LORD redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.

    Sermon

  • Psalm 33

    by Jesse Huckel
    Colossians 1:15-20

    He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
    For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.

    He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

    And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
    For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

    Psalm 33

    Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
    Praise the LORD with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
    Sing to him a new song; play skilfully, and shout for joy.
    For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.
    The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.
    By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
    He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; he puts the deep into storehouses.

    Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere him.
    For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.

    The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
    But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.

    Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance.
    From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth – he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.
    No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength.
    A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save.

    But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.
    We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.
    In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.

    May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you.

    Sermon

  • Psalm 32

    by Jesse Huckel
    Romans 4:1-8

    What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter? If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about — but not before God.
    What does the Scripture say?

    “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

    Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.
    David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

    “Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.”

    Psalm 32

    Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.

    Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.

    When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.

    Selah

    Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD ” – and you forgave the guilt of my sin.

    Selah

    Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him.

    You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.

    Selah

    I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.
    Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.

    Many are the woes of the wicked, but the LORD’s unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him.

    Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!

    Sermon

  • Psalm 31

    by David Hastie
    Hebrews 13:1-6

    Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.
    Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
    Marriage should be honoured by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.

    Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,

    “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

    So we say with confidence,

    “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

    Psalm 31

    In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness. Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me.
    Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me.
    Free me from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge.
    Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth.
    I hate those who cling to worthless idols; I trust in the LORD.
    I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul.
    You have not handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place.

    Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief.
    My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak.

    Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbours; I am a dread to my friends – those who see me on the street flee from me.

    I am forgotten by them as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery.
    For I hear the slander of many; there is terror on every side; they conspire against me and plot to take my life.

    But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.”
    My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me.
    Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love.
    Let me not be put to shame, O LORD, for I have cried out to you; but let the wicked be put to shame and lie silent in the grave.

    Let their lying lips be silenced, for with pride and contempt they speak arrogantly against the righteous.

    How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you.

    In the shelter of your presence you hide them from the intrigues of men; in your dwelling you keep them safe from accusing tongues.

    Praise be to the LORD, for he showed his wonderful love to me when I was in a besieged city.
    In my alarm I said, “I am cut off from your sight!” Yet you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help.

    Love the LORD, all his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful, but the proud he pays back in full.
    Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.

    Sermon

  • Psalm 30

    by Jesse Huckel
    Ephesians 5:15-21

    Be very careful, then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery.
    Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

    Psalm 30

    I will exalt you, O LORD, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me. O LORD my God, I called to you for help and you healed me. O LORD, you brought me up from the grave; you spared me from going down into the pit.

    Sing to the LORD, you saints of his; praise his holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favour lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. When I felt secure, I said, “I will never be shaken.”

    O LORD, when you favoured me, you made my mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed. To you, O LORD, I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy:
    “What gain is there in my destruction, in my going down into the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness? Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me; O LORD, be my help.”
    You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.

    Sermon

  • Psalm 29

    by Jesse Huckel
    Hebrews 12:14-29

    Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. He could bring about no change of mind, though he sought the blessing with tears.

    You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.”
    The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”

    But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
    See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven?
    At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken — that is, created things — so that what cannot be shaken may remain.

    Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”

    Psalm 29

    Ascribe to the LORD, O mighty ones, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
    Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendour of his holiness.

    The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD thunders over the mighty waters.
    The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is majestic.
    The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
        He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, Sirion like a young wild ox.
    The voice of the LORD strikes with flashes of lightning.
    The voice of the LORD shakes the desert; the LORD shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
    The voice of the LORD twists the oaks and strips the forests bare. And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”

    The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD is enthroned as King forever. The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace.

    Sermon

  • Psalm 28

    by Jesse Huckel
    Luke 18:1-8

    Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.

    He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’
    “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!'”

    And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

    Psalm 28

    To you I call, O LORD my Rock; do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who have gone down to the pit.

    Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place. Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who do evil, who speak cordially with their neighbours but harbour malice in their hearts.
    Repay them for their deeds and for their evil work; repay them for what their hands have done and bring back upon them what they deserve. Since they show no regard for the works of the LORD and what his hands have done, he will tear them down and never build them up again.

    Praise be to the LORD, for he has heard my cry for mercy. The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.

    The LORD is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one. Save your people and bless your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever.

    Sermon