"God Himself Is Judge" -- A Sermon on Psalm 50

A Sermon on Psalm 50

Courtroom scenes on television or in film often make for good drama–especially when the case takes a surprising turn, or when justice itself in on the line.  In Psalm 50 we have a dramatic courtroom scene in which YHWH himself summons the whole world to the foot of Mount Zion to appear before his divine tribunal.  But when the charges are read, those assembled in the court realize that the defendant is not who or what we expect.  Judgment begins in the house of the Lord.

As we continue our series on select Psalms, we will take up Psalm 50, one of twelve Psalms attributed to Asaph.  So far in our series the Psalms we’ve covered Psalms written by David, Moses, and the Sons of Korah.  We now add a Psalm to our list attributed to the aforementioned Asaph (whose name, in addition to Psalm 50, is also attached to Psalms 73-83).   During our time in the Psalter, have we covered Psalms of praise, Psalms of trust, royal Psalms, wisdom Psalms, and Psalms used during worship in the temple.  Psalm 50 (which appears in Book Two of the Psalter–which includes Psalms 42-72) is yet another genre (or type) of Psalm called a prophetic (or oracular) Psalm, because in this Psalm, God appears in a theophanic vision, apparently to accuse the nations and warn them of a judgment certain to come, before calling them to repentance.

As we have done throughout this series, we begin by looking at the setting and historical background of the Psalm.  We’ll then go through the text of the Psalm, before we make a number of points of application.  As we have also done throughout this series I’ll assign you a bit of homework (read Psalms 46-53), and then we’ll sing this Psalm, a distinctive practice of confessional Reformed and Presbyterian churches who believe that the Psalter is the primary hymn book for the people of God.

We begin by looking at this Psalm’s place in Book Two of the Psalter.  Psalms 46-49 speak of God’s rule over his creation from a cosmic perspective.  In Psalm 50, God declares that he has no human limitations.  He does not hunger.  He does not need sacrifices.  He hates pious platitudes and self-righteous religious speech.  Psalm 51 (which, Lord willing, we’ll cover in several weeks) speaks of human sinfulness and guilt before God, as well as reminding us of God’s forgiveness and mercy.  Psalm 52 contrasts human folly and God’s wisdom, while Psalm 53 mocks the fool who says in his heart, “there is no God.” 

To read the rest of this sermon:  Click Here

This Week at Christ Reformed Church (June 9-15)

Sunday Morning (June 15):  I am preaching on Psalm 32.  Our Lord's Day worship service begins at 10:30 a.m.

Sunday Afternoon:  I am continuing with my series on the Canons of Dort.  We are covering the third/fourth head of doctrine, articles 9-10, which deal with why some believe the gospel and others do not. The catechism service begins @ 1:15 p.m. 

Wednesday Night Bible Study (June 11, 2014):  In our "Studies in the Book of Revelation," we have come to Revelation 20 and continue our discussion of the "thousand" years (the millennium).  Bible Study begins at 7:30 p.m.

Friday Night Academy:  Lord willing, the Academy will resume in the fall of 2014.  Our first class will be a reading/discussion format centering on Dr. Robert Godfrey's book, John Calvin:  Pilgrim and Pastor (Crossway, 2009) and Mike Horton's book, Calvin on the Christian Life, (Crossway, 2014).  If you plan on attending, you may want to start reading now.

If you wish to catch-up and review the previous lectures "In the Land of Nod" dealing with the two kingdoms, you can find them here: Audio of Academy Lectures

For more information and directions, check out the Christ Reformed website:  Christ Reformed Church

"O Lord, My Rock, and My Redeemer" -- A Sermon on Psalm 19

Here's the audio from this morning's sermon

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This Week's White Horse Inn

Giving  Up Gimmicks

If you visit a typical youth program at the average evangelical church, you’ll no doubt observe an emphasis on fun and entertainment. Yet most Christian teens are ignorant about the basic message of Scripture, and statistics show that the majority of them will abandon church after high school. Youth ministry in a society driven by entertainment—that’s the subject I’ll be discussing with Brian Cosby, author of Giving Up Gimmicks: Reclaiming Youth Ministry from an Entertainment Culture (original air date, May 6, 2012).

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Audio from Friday Night's Academy Lecture (6/6/14)

This lecture concludes this year's spring Academy session.  I'll continue the series "In the Land of Nod" (dealing with the two kingdoms) in the fall or spring of next year. 

This lecture is entitled, "The Rise of the Beast:  The Dark Side of the State" (part two): The Beast: The Dark Side of the State

Who Might This Be?

This young man was a gunner's mate on the USS Bayfield (APA-33) on June 6, 1944, and participated in the D-Day invasion. 

He is now a household name.

Leave your guess in the comments section below.

Friday Feature -- A Thief In the Night!

The buzzing razor, the scream, the hokey music . . .  Brings back many bad memories

"My Shepherd" -- A Sermon on Psalm 23

A Sermon on Psalm 23

With the possible exception of John 3:16, there is perhaps no more familiar portion of the Bible than the 23rd Psalm.  Many people memorize it as children, and the text of the 23rd Psalm set against the backdrop of a pastel landscape adorns the stock funeral program in virtually every mortuary in the United States.  As the most famous of all the Psalms, the “shepherd’s Psalm” has been set to music by Bach, Shubert, and Williams.  It is recited by characters in countless movies and novels whenever the plot requires proof that someone is a Christian or generically religious.  But the 23rd Psalm is beloved by Christians because of its simple confidence in God’s goodness, and because of Jesus’ identification of himself as the “good shepherd” who accompanies us as we walk through the valley of the shadow of death. 

As we continue our series on select Psalms, we now take up the 23rd Psalm, which is classified a “Psalm of trust” reflecting the believer’s confidence in God’s tender care of his people.  So far in our series on the Psalms we have considered Psalms written by David, Moses, and the Sons of Korah.  We have considered royal Psalms, Psalms used in temple worship, and wisdom Psalms.  As we have done throughout this series, we will put this Psalm in its historical context, go through the text of the Psalm, and then we will look at how this particular Psalm (and the Shepherd imagery it contains) is applied to Jesus, and used by John in the Book of Revelation, making several points of application as we do so. 

The 23rd Psalm is attributed to David (Israel’s shepherd-king), although no title or authorship is attached to the Psalm itself.  Found in the First Book of the Psalter (which includes Psalms 1-41), Psalm 23 draws on the familiar image of the Lord (YHWH) as a shepherd who cares for his sheep (the people of Israel).  Shepherd imagery was very familiar to everyone living in Israel at the time of David, and in fact, reflects David’s own experience as a shepherd responsible for the care of his flock.  In 1 Samuel 17:34-35, we read, “but David said to Saul, `Your servant used to keep sheep for his father.  And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth.  And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him.”  David knew what was involved in the care of sheep, and in this Psalm he depicts God as the true shepherd of Israel.  Some scholars contend that the Psalm reflects David’s time in the wilderness when he was hiding from Absolom–which may or may not be the case.  But this Psalm does reflect a sense of readiness to face trials, difficulties, and danger because of our confidence in the Lord’s presence with us, especially in light of the fact that being in the presence of the Lord for all of eternity is every Christian’s hope.

To read the rest of this sermon, Click Here

This Week at Christ Reformed Church (June 2-8)

Sunday Morning (June 8):  I am preaching on the Nineteenth Psalm.  Our Lord's Day worship service begins at 10:30 a.m.

Sunday Afternoon:  I am continuing with my series on the Canons of Dort.  We are covering the third/fourth head of doctrine, article 8, which deals with the call of the gospel. The catechism service begins @ 1:15 p.m. 

Wednesday Night Bible Study (June 4, 2014):  In our "Studies in the Book of Revelation," we have come to Revelation 20 and a discussion of the "thousand" years (the millennium).  Bible Study begins at 7:30 p.m.

Friday Night Academy (June 6):  We are concluding this section of our series In the Land of Nod (dealing with the two-kingdoms).  This lecture is entitled, "The Rise of the Beast:  The Dark Side of the State."  Note:  This is the last Academy lecture until the Fall.

If you wish to catch-up and review the previous lectures in this series, you can find them here:  Audio of Academy Lectures

For more information and directions, check out the Christ Reformed website:  Christ Reformed Church

Audio from Friday Night's Academy Lecture (5/30/14)

Here's the audio from Friday's Academy lecture.  My lecture is entitled, "A Church-Driven Purpose:  The Marks and Mission of Christ's Church" (Part Two), and "The Dark Side of the State" (Part One).

The Marks and Mission of the Church; The Rise of the Beast