Grace Community Bible Church Sermons

Charles Sebold: Psalm 88

1. The God of the despairing is a God with attributes
1. He is the God of the Psalmist’s salvation (v. 1)
2. He hears prayer if He chooses to do so (v. 2)
2. The Psalmist sees no difference between his plight and death
1. His soul has nothing but troubles; he draws near to Sheol (v. 3)
2. Others see him strength wasting away as if he were dying (v. 4)
3. He has no power or choice (v. 5a)
4. It is as if God no longer remembers him (v. 5b)
3. God has sovereignly and righteously brought this affliction upon the Psalmist
1. God has placed him into this dark place (v. 6)
2. This is a natural consequence of God’s wrath, and it overwhelms those who are not blind to it (v. 7)
3. The crutches of companionship are removed, and the author is alone (v. 8a)
4. Nothing the Psalmist does avails (v. 8b)
5. His joy and zest for life are flickering and going out (v. 9a)
4. God hears the prayers of His people
1. Daily the Psalmist calls upon God, offering nothing to Him (v. 9b)
2. In the despair of death, the Psalmist questions whether God can do anything for the dead (vv. 10-12)
1. Miracles?
2. Love declared?
3. Righteousness?
3. Every morning the Psalmist cries out to God (v. 13)
5. The Psalmist has faith in God’s love and mercy
1. God “hides His face” and “casts his soul away” — implying that if God faced the Psalmist, He would show mercy (v. 14)
2. The Psalmist’s need is a chronic one, but he knows it is from the Lord (v. 15)
3. The Psalmist admits that God’s wrath is backing him into a corner (vv. 16, 17)
4. No human is left who can be of any comfort (v. 18)
6. Light from the New Covenant
1. Our high priest can sympathize with our weakness (Heb. 4:14-16)
2. God laid His wrath upon Christ (Is. 53:4-6, 10, 11)
3. Power to overcome despair is from God (2 Cor. 4:7-18)
1. The treasure that we carry in these jars of clay is the gospel (vv. 3-7)
2. If we are speaking from faith, then we have an eternal hope that conquers death (vv. 13-15)
3. Afflictions are external only; the inner man can be renewed daily, as we focus on the cross of Christ and not our own lives (vv. 16-18)
4. Jesus Christ is the revelation that causes Psalm 88 to make sense, and to be hopeful; the Psalmist described the imperative without having the complete indicative revealed. Because Christ has come, we can be renewed daily; the wrath falls, not on us, but on Him.

Sorry, but I need to get the audio for the sermon on the 15th back out of the church computer, and I won’t get to that until the 29th. In addition, the audio for the 22nd was bad; we only got 30-35 minutes of a 70-minute sermon.

Still, I hope to get both of these up next week. Sorry about the delays.

Charles Sebold: Psalm 122

Note: the audio died after about half an hour. Sorry about that.

1. Exclusivity: the “place where God’s name dwells” (Deut. 12:1-7)
1. You may not worship wherever you like, but only in the place God chooses (vv. 1-4)
2. Seek the place He chooses (v. 5)
3. Make your sacrifices there (v. 6)
4. Eat and rejoice (v. 7)
2. Worthiness: “your Son shall build my house” (1 Kings 8:15-21)
1. No city from the tribes of Israel was chosen (vv. 15, 16)
2. David chosen to be king, but not chosen to build God’s house (vv. 17-19a)
3. Solomon chosen to build God’s house (vv. 19b, 20)
4. A place for the covenant to dwell (v. 21)
3. Shadow: Solomon’s Temple (Psalm 122)
1. Joy (v. 1)
2. Stability and security (vv. 2, 3)
3. God’s kingdom, partially fulfilled (vv. 4, 5)
4. Peace to God’s seat of government for the sake of Israel (vv. 6-8)
5. The chosen place of worship as the center of God’s kingdom (v. 9)
4. Fulfillment: Jesus (John 2:13-22)
1. Zeal for God’s “shadow” house demonstrated (vv. 13-17)
2. God’s real dwelling place among His people proclaimed in His death and resurrection (vv. 18-22)
5. Already and not yet: The Church (Rev. 21:1-4, 22-27)
1. The church as the Bride (vv. 1, 2)
2. The church as the dwelling place of God in Christ (vv. 3, 4)
3. Christ as the Temple (v. 22)
4. Illuminated by Christ, peaceful, secure (vv. 23-27)
6. Christ in us, the hope of glory (Psalm 122)
1. We find our joy in seeking Christ (v. 1)
2. We find security in Christ (vv. 2, 3)
3. We long for God’s kingdom, perfect with Christ on the throne (vv. 4, 5)
4. We pray for peace in the church for the sake of brothers and sisters in Christ (vv. 6-8)
5. We act in the best interest of the church for Christ’s sake (v. 9)

Pastor Rob Davis: Matt. 12:15-21

In Matthew 12:15-21, as Jesus is withdrawing from the plotting Pharisees and healing the many (vs. 15-16), Matthew presents Jesus as the fulfillment (v. 17) of the first of Isaiah’s servant songs by applying 7 characteristics of God’s Servant to Jesus.

1. Jesus is God’s chosen Servant (v. 18a).
2. Jesus is God’s beloved Servant (v. 18b).
3. Jesus is God’s Spirit-filled Servant (v. 18c).
4. Jesus is God’s Servant on mission (v. 18d).
5. Jesus is God’s humble Servant (v. 19).
6. Jesus is God’s compassionate Servant (v. 20a, b).
7. Jesus is God’s salvation Servant in Whom the nations hope (vs. 20c, 21).

Pastor Rob Davis: Matt. 12:1-14

In Matthew 12:1-14 Jesus is accused by the legalists of violating 2 tenets of their man-made Sabbath laws.

1. Violation #1: Reaping, threshing & winnowing.
1. The Act: Picking grain to eat (v. 1).
2. The Challenge: “It is not lawful” (v. 2).
3. The Response: “I am Lord of the Sabbath.”
1. Exhibit A: David broke temple & Sabbath laws but was innocent (vv. 3-4).
2. Exhibit B: Priests broke Sabbath laws to serve in the temple but were innocent (v. 5).
3. Exhibit C: The Pharisee’s misunderstood intent of the Sabbath (v. 7).
4. Conclusion: Jesus is greater than the temple & Lord of the Sabbath (vv. 6 & 8).
2. Violation #2: Unnecessary healing on the Sabbath.
1. The Setting: A synagogue on the Sabbath (vv. 9-10a).
2. The Challenge: “Is it lawful?” (v. 10b).
3. The Response: “Yes! Doing good on the Sabbath is lawful.”
1. Exhibit A: You would save the sheep from the pit, wouldn’t you? (v. 11).
2. Conclusion #1: Man is more valuable than a sheep (v. 12a).
3. Conclusion #2: Doing good on the Sabbath is good (v. 12b).
4. The Act: Jesus heals by His word (v. 13).
5. The Rejection: We must kill Him! (v. 14).

Pastor Rob Davis: Matt. 11:25-30

In Matthew 11:25-30 Jesus reveals two truths about His Kingdom.

1. The revelation of the truth of His kingdom is sovereignly controlled by God.
1. The truth is hidden from the self-sufficient ones (v. 25a).
2. The truth is revealed to the dependent ones (v. 25b).
3. The truth is revealed in a way that pleases God (v. 26).
4. The truth is centered on Christ (v. 27).
2. The offer of the kingdom is to rest.
1. Rest for those who are weary and burdened who come to Christ (v. 28).
2. Rest for those who take Christ’s yoke and learn from Him (vv. 29, 30).