July 26, 2020
This will be Christ in the Psalms week six, and we’re in Psalm 107. Christ in the Psalms is an annual series at Park Church. We started in Psalm 1 many years ago and have hit one Psalm per week (until last week, I guess!). So why the Psalms? The Psalms provide a “hymnal” for God’s people, teaching us how to bring the whole range of human emotion before Him in prayer and in worship. We’re excited to continue this week.
Our artwork for Psalm 107 is an acrylic painting by Lou Ann Summers. See the piece and read about the art and artist here. To learn more about our weekly Christ in the Psalms artwork pieces and see them all (they go back as far as Psalm 41!), click here.
Here’s how you can prepare for this Sunday:
1. Read our text, Psalm 107.
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.
Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to a city to dwell in; hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress. He led them by a straight way till they reached a city to dwell in. Let them thank the Lord for His steadfast love, for His wondrous works to the children of man! For He satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul He fills with good things.
Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and in irons, for they had rebelled against the words of God, and spurned the counsel of the Most High. So He bowed their hearts down with hard labor; they fell down, with none to help. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and burst their bonds apart. Let them thank the Lord for His steadfast love, for His wondrous works to the children of man! For He shatters the doors of bronze and cuts in two the bars of iron.
Some were fools through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities suffered affliction; they loathed any kind of food, and they drew near to the gates of death. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress. He sent out His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction. Let them thank the Lord for His steadfast love, for His wondrous works to the children of man! And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, and tell of His deeds in songs of joy!
Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the great waters; they saw the deeds of the Lord, His wondrous works in the deep. For He commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea. They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their evil plight; they reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at their wits’ end. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and He brought them to their desired haven. Let them thank the Lord for His steadfast love, for His wondrous works to the children of man! Let them extol Him in the congregation of the people, and praise Him in the assembly of the elders.
He turns rivers into a desert, springs of water into thirsty ground, a fruitful land into a salty waste, because of the evil of its inhabitants. He turns a desert into pools of water, a parched land into springs of water. And there He lets the hungry dwell, and they establish a city to live in; they sow fields and plant vineyards and get a fruitful yield. By His blessing they multiply greatly, and He does not let their livestock diminish.
When they are diminished and brought low through oppression, evil, and sorrow, he pours contempt on princes and makes them wander in trackless wastes; but He raises up the needy out of affliction and makes their families like flocks. The upright see it and are glad, and all wickedness shuts its mouth.
Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord.
At times life can feel like an exhausting struggle. We wander around on a quest for satisfaction, all the while fighting our own sinful desires and the uncontrollable forces of life. At some point we reach the end of ourselves, and that’s the point where God tends to meet us with His redeeming love. Psalm 107 is a song of thanksgiving that celebrates the different ways in which God has delivered His people from all kinds of distress. The Psalm ultimately points us to Jesus, who has come to meet us in our brokenness and to bring us back to the joy of God’s loving presence.
2. Read, pray, and sing through the service:
Don’t use Spotify? Click the song title below to see song on YouTube.
CALL TO WORSHIP: Psalm 107:1–3:
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.
Psalm 107 (Oh Give Thanks) (Joel Limpic) / Is Is Well (Horatio G. Spafford, Philip P. Bliss)
CONFESSION OF SIN: Based on Psalm 107:
Almighty Father, we confess that each of us have wandered from You. Our sin leads us into desert wastelands with no water. Our rebellion keeps us bound in darkness. Our sinful ways reveal the true foolishness of our hearts. Our prideful hearts pursue endeavors without regard for You. This is not the sort of life we long for.
Hear our cry for freedom and deliverance! Oh God of redemption, meet us in these spaces. We thank You that You’ve shown time and time again that this is the sort of God You are. A God who meets our folly with forgiveness and freedom. A God who turns parched lands into cool springs of water, and who makes a home for the homeless. Help us not forget this reality but rather earnestly consider Your steadfast love today. In Jesus name. Amen.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON: Ephesians 1:7–8
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight…
PASSING THE PEACE
(Click to Read)
When we’ve met as a large group on Sundays, we’ve always had a time of greeting one another after singing. Many churches call this time “passing the peace.” In some church traditions, one person will say to another, “The peace of Christ be with you” to which the other person responds, “And also with you.”
While potentially unfamiliar for some, we felt that “passing the peace” during greeting times at home could be a powerful act in this age marked by very little external peace. In Isaiah 9, Jesus is described as the Prince of Peace. He wants His kingdom to be marked by this very peace! We want to “pass” to one another this peace that only Jesus can give, especially at a time like this.
It might feel a bit cheesy, but we encourage you to actually pray the peace of God over each other during our times. We encourage you to look into each other’s eyes as you say, “The peace of Christ be with you!” and have others respond with, “And also with you.” Be open-hearted to Jesus, asking Him to fill you with His peace.
SERMON & COMMUNION
Reckless Love (Cory Asbury, Caleb Culver, Ran Jackson)