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October 12, 2014

High, Holy, Humble

Series: Psalms for the City Passage: Psalm 113:1–113:9

Deuteronomy 33:26-27, NASB: “There is none like the God of Israel,Who rides the heavens to your help, And through the skies in His majesty. The eternal God is a dwelling place, And underneath are the everlasting arms.”

1. We must praise and worship God because He is God. In all times, Psalm 113:1-2, in all places, Psalm 113:3, over all the nations and other so-called gods, Psalm 113:4-5, we must worship God. We dare not import our own ideas of who God is. Our Sovereign God cannot be domesticated, tamed, trivialized, dismissed, minimized, belittled, housetrained or controlled. He is awesomely transcendent, unequaled, unmatched, magnificent and superior in every way. This means that God abhors hubris, pride and glory given to any other, James 4:6; Daniel 4:37; Isaiah 42:8. The failure to think about and worship God rightly is the cause of thousands of lesser sins and grief's.

Isaiah 46: 8:11, NASB: “Remember this, and be assured; Recall it to mind, you transgressors. 9 Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, ‘My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’; 11 Calling a bird of prey from the east, The man of My purpose from a far country. Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it.”                                                

2. We must praise and worship God because of His glorious grace. Our majestic, enthroned, transcendent, stunning God humbly stooped to save, Psalm 113:5-6; 2 Corinthians 8:9.

Isaiah 57:15, NASB: “For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, ‘I dwell on a high and holy place, And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit
2 In order to revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of the contrite.’”

17 For the Lord your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality nor take a bribe. 18 He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the alien by giving him food and clothing. 19 So show your love for the alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt. 20 You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him and cling to Him, and you shall swear by His name. 21 He is your praise and He is your God, who has done these great and awesome things for you which your eyes have seen. Deuteronomy 10:17-21 NASB

To the Praise of His Glorious Grace (six thoughts on dying to selfie)

1. When you are forgotten, or neglected, or purposely set at naught, and you don't sting and hurt with the insult or the over sight, but your heart is happy, being counted worthy to suffer for Christ, that is dying to self.

2. When your good is evil spoken of, when your wishes are crossed, your advice is disregarded, your opinions ridiculed, and you refuse to let anger rise in your heart, or even defend yourself, but take it all in patient, loving silence, that is dying to self.

3. When you are content with any food, any raiment, any climate, any society, any solitude, any interruption by the will of God, that is dying to self.

4. When you never care to refer to yourself, in conversation, or to record your own good works, or itch after commendation, when you truly love to be unknown, that is dying to self.

5. When you can see your brother prosper and have his needs met, and can honestly rejoice with him in spirit and feel no envy nor question God, while your own needs are far greater and you are in desperate circumstances, that is dying to self.

6. When you can receive correction and reproof from someone of less stature than yourself, and can humbly submit inwardly as well as outwardly, finding no resentment or rebellion rising up in your heart, that is dying to self. 

  • someone who has something you want
  • someone who has been honored instead of you
  • someone who has an honor you want
  • someone you dislike who is in authority over you
  • someone with a position you wanted
  • someone who enjoys material goods you covet
  • a sibling your parents like better
  • someone who plays first string to your second

 

Community Group Discussion Guide

1. What is the most glorious nature scene you have ever seen? How does it point to God?

2. We are accustomed to saying the name of the Lord is really the fame of the Lord? What do we mean by fame?

3. Name as many of the attributes of God as you can. What are the implications of each one?

4. What does the phrase ‘cultural narcissism’ mean?

5. Discuss, “To the Praise of His Glorious Grace, (six thoughts on dying to selfie)”.

6. Is it really grace if God is obligated to extend it to everyone? Why or why not?

other sermons in this series

Oct 26

2014

The Sweetness of the Book

Passage: Psalm 19:7–19:14 Series: Psalms for the City

Oct 19

2014

Just How Glorious is He?

Passage: Psalm 19:1–19:14 Series: Psalms for the City

Oct 5

2014

How to Stop Being a Mule

Passage: Psalm 32:1–32:11 Series: Psalms for the City