In Sunday’s sermon, “If You Wanna Be Happy for the Rest of Your Life…,” Ryan preached from Psalm 1 about the blessed life. The word, “blessing,” may create any number of impressions in our mind based on how we’ve heard the word used. But “blessing,” is roughly equivalent to what we might mean by “happy.” Psalm 1, Ryan said, “tells us how to be happy no matter who you married, no matter where you live, or how much you make, or what you do for work, or whether you have the family you envisioned. It tells us the pathway to true happiness even amidst hardships and difficulties.”

As we’ve mentioned over the past few weeks, our series through the Psalms coordinates with the release of a new DSC album, Psalterium, at our next Cause for Praise concert, Friday, October 21. Psalterium is a 5 track album of various Psalms set to song. Here are the lyrics to Psalm 1, a song we’ve been singing for several weeks now, based on the first Psalm and composed by Matt Jones:

Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way
of sinners or of scoffers who are seated,
but finds his delight
in meditation day and night
on the law of the Lord.

He is like a tree
planted by the streams of living water;
In season it will be
bearing fruit and its leaves do not wither;
In all that he does
he will prosper as he goes,
for the Lord knows his way.

Many if not all of the Psalms were originally set to music as a means of helping God’s people internalize God’s Word. Of course, in translation we’ve lost the original meter and any rhyming patterns. But songs like this help deliver the Psalms to our hearts and heads in a way similar to how they were originally received.

This Sunday began our new series in the book of Psalms, Pour Out Your Heart to Him: A Study in The Psalms. Ryan’s message, titled, “An Invitation to the Psalms,” answered a number of questions important for the beginning of a series like this. For example:

• Where are the Psalms?
• What are the Psalms?
• What’s unique about the Psalms?
• What is the layout or structure of the Psalms?
• How should we use the Psalms today?

Some of Ryan’s answers were developed at some length, and so we’ve made detailed notes from his sermon available as a pdf download here.

In the course of his sermon, Ryan noted how clearly the Psalms speak about the Word of God. In fact, in the Psalms we have some of the clearest teaching about the nature and purpose of God’s Word. Three Psalms are worth meditating on, especially if they are unfamiliar to you: Psalm 1, 19, and 119.

Consider the words of David in Psalm 19:7-11:

The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul;

the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;

the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;

the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;

the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;

the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether.

More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold;

sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.

Moreover, by them is your servant warned;

in keeping them there is great reward.

As we read this, we should consider that that David did not just write these because they were true, but he actually knew them to be true in his experience. Let’s pray for this to be true for us as well.

This past Sunday ended our summer long series, God Speaks, We Listen: Through the New Testament in 90 Days.

This Sunday’s sermon, “God Speaks in the Book of Revelation,” addressed a book of the Bible that is as important as it is misunderstood, or at least underappreciated. It seems we’re either a fanatic about Revelation, paralyzed by the book, or we’re ambivalent and don’t really care. Some of us have been each of these at different times, and others of us are all of them at the same time. But John opens his letter by saying that this book is a “revelation of Jesus Christ” and that those who hear and take this book to heart are “blessed’ by God. It’s to be understood. It is for our joy in God.

So, we simply must care about the book of Revelation. The fanatic needs to be focused on the book’s center, to see the book as having the same ultimate purpose as all of Christian Scripture – to lead us to Christ. The paralyzed needs to relax. We can’t wait until we understand the book of Revelation before we start reading. We only get the book through repeated reading and familiarity over time. It eventually has its way with us. In fact, even if you were to read a great volume of material on the book, you still wouldn’t ultimately get it, since the book was meant to be received in the form in which it was given. And the ambivalent need to be made excited about the book of Revelation. After all, God gave it to us.

And all of that is what a sermon is for. So, if you missed Sunday’s sermon, give it a listen, and then pick up the book of Revelation and start reading.

If you’re interested in exploring the book further, here are some helpful resources:

• Audio Lectures: From Symbolism to Significance: The Book of Revelation, G.K. Beale
• Audio Sermons: Revelation 1-3: What Jesus Has to Say to The Churches, Ryan Kelly
• Bible Study: Revelation: The Triumph of Christ, John Stott
• Short Commentary: The Returning King: A Guide to The Book of Revelation, Vern Poythress

In Sunday’s Sermon, “God Speaks in the Book of Hebrews,” we considered the high priestly work of Jesus Christ. By his blood, Hebrews says, we’re able to “draw near [to God] with a true heart in full assurance of faith” (Hebrews 10:19-22).

In coordination with the sermon, we closed the service with an importnat song, “Before the Throne of God.” The words express well the good news written about in the Book of Hebrews. Perhaps you’ll use it to aid your prayers this week.

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea.
A great high Priest whose Name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on His hands,
My name is written on His heart.
I know that while in Heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free.
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me.

Behold Him there the risen Lamb,
My perfect spotless righteousness,
The great unchangeable I AM,
The King of glory and of grace,
One in Himself I cannot die.
My soul is purchased by His blood,
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ my Savior and my God!

Words: Charitie L. Bancroft, 1863

The song leaders from Sojourn Community Church in Louisville, KY, recently recorded this song. You can listen here and purchase from Amazon here.

In Sunday’s sermon, “God Speaks in the Book of Ephesians,” Ron provided an overview of what is one of the New Testament’s most theologically majestic books.

Ron began his sermon with an important point: “All the battles that count are spiritual battles.”

Before the fall of humankind into sin there was no such thing as “battle.” Every struggle of every kind is a reminder that we are in a fallen world. For Christians, every struggle is a reminder of what Christ came to end. That’s why Paul begins his letter by reminding his Christian readers about all that God has won for them in Christ. He writes, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (1:3).

In the eleven verses which follow, Paul expands on what he means by “every spiritual blessing.” Here’s a list of how God has blessed us “in Christ”:

• “He chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him” (1:4)
• “In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved” (1:5-6)
• “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace…” (1:7)
• “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory” (1:11-12)
• “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory” (1:13-14)

If our prayers to God or thoughts about Him are becoming routine, this package of blessings gives us high thoughts and rich words to enliven our affections for Him.

In his sermon, Ron read a quote, “We do not fight for victory. We fight from victory.” That’s significant. All of the spiritual blessings that we know in Christ have been decisively won for us, and enjoying them is the fuel for the fight of the Christian life. That’s why Paul says at the start of chapter 4, “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called” (4:1).

For more information about our plan to listen through the New Testament in 90 days and for a listening schedule, visit the God Speaks: We listen landing page.