Speaking Hope to the Weary Heart
Psalm 42
(with reference to 43)
Rev. Bruce Brown
I. The Psalmist's Sorrow (verses 1-4, 6-10)
II. The Psalmist's Strength (verses 5, 8, 11)
III. The Psalmist's Salvation (verses 1-4, 6)
"There are countless lessons to learn from this Psalm... but perhaps the most urgent is this, the psalmist grieves, remembers, and composes himself with a sermon to his soul, not once, or even twice, but three times! The psalmist never felt as if he were being needlessly repetitive or that his pleadings were akin to nagging. Rather, he was spiritually relentless, refusing to concede the battle to his enemies, knowing that his God was the kind of God who quenches the thirst of those who faithfully seek him for the water of renewal and hope." ~ Sam Storms
A Confident Heart in a Corrupted World
Psalm 36
Rev. Bruce Brown
I. The Corruption of the Human Heart (verses 1-4)
II. The Character of the LORD's Heart (verses 5-9)
III. The Confidence of the Believer's Heart (verses 10-12)
“Unbelievers do not acknowledge that it is in God they live, move, and have their being, but rather imagine that they are sustained by their own power; but David, on the contrary, here affirms from the experience of the godly, that the fountain of life is in God. By this he means, that there is a not a drop of life to be found without him, or which flows not from his grace… true godliness springs from the knowledge of God, and again, the light of faith must necessarily prepare us to uprightness of heart. At the same time, we ought always to bear in mind, that we only know God aright when we render to him the honor to which he is entitled; that is when we place entire confidence in Him.” ~ John Calvin
Fight, O Lord!
Psalm 35
Rev. Bruce Brown
I. David's Ignorance and Prayer for Protection (verses 1-10)
II. David's Intention and Prayer for Rescue (verses 11-18)
III. David's Innocence and Prayer for Vindication (verses 19-28)
"Those who criticize David for his imprecatory prayer in verses 4-8 should remember that first he prayed for their help and healing. Saul’s men “tore David apart” with their wicked words (v. 15). Like court jesters, at their meals they made him the butt of their vicious jokes (v. 16; and see 69:12)… David’s experience reminds us of Jesus Christ, the son of David, who was also hated without a cause (John 15:25) and falsely accused and attacked by those for whom He had shown nothing but truth and love. God delivered David from his enemies, but the Father “spared not his own Son” (Rom. 8:32) but willingly gave Him to die for the sins of the world." ~ Warren Wiersbe
“Rejoicing in the LORD’s Unfailing Love ”
Psalm 33
Rev. Bruce Brown
I. The Joy of the LORD is Our Strength (verses 1-3)
II. Rejoicing in His Work of Creation (verses 4-9)
III. Rejoicing in His Work in History (verses 10-15)
IV. Rejoicing in His Work Amidst Difficulty (verses 16-22)
"However loving and skillful a human father might be there are always dangers in life that are beyond us, and no one is able to guarantee the physical, much less spiritual safety of another. Yet with God there can be no misplacing of confidence, no error of trust. How could there be? God has made the entire universe by his mere word and by the breath of his mouth. He foils evil plans, not merely of individuals but of nations. God's purposes prevail. His plans prosper. He constantly looks upon the affairs of the world to care for His people -- to bless, defend, preserve, and prosper them. No one who trusts in the LORD is ever disappointed." ~ J. M. Boice
“The Way to Joyful Relief”
Psalm 32
Rev. Bruce Brown
I. The Misery with Silence (verses 3-4)
II. The Miracle of Forgiveness (verses 1-2, 5)
III. The Mercy in Instruction (verses 6-11)
“God will continually watch over us… I am glad God promises to do that for us. For great as forgiveness is, the one who has sinned and been forgiven does not want to repeat the sin or again fall into error but rather wants to go on walking in the right way and so please our heavenly Father. How are we to do that unless God continues to keep His eye on us? If we ignore that care and refuse that counsel, we will be like brute beats that have no understanding (vs. 9). If we persist in our folly, we will be like the wicked who experience many woes (vs. 10). But if we listen to God, obey him, and so walk in his right way, we will be able to rejoice in God. And we will be able to teach others also, which is what David has been doing in this psalm.” ~ James M. Boice
A Prayer of Rest
Rev. Bruce Brown
Psalm 23
January 31, 2021
I. Resting in a Competent Shepherd (verses 1-3)
II. Resting with a Comforting Companion (verse 4)
III. Resting in His Complete Provision (verses 5-6)
"It is interesting that the psalm begins at this point ("I shall not want"). We might expect it to begin with motion, with some kind of activity either by the shepherd or the sheep. But strikingly, it begins with rest. It is a reminder that the Christian life also begins with resting in God revealed in Christ. Along the way there will in time be many things for us to do. But we begin by resting in Him who has done everything for us. Are you resting in Christ? Have you found Jesus to be the perfect provider of all your many needs?" ~ James M. Boice
Prayer on the Run
Rev. Bruce Brown
Psalm 17
January 24, 2021
I. Prayer on the Run Requires Integrity (verses 1-5)
II. Prayer on the Run Rests in the LORD’s Love (verses 6-12)
III. Prayer on the Run Remains Expectant of Rescue (verses 13-15)
“Let a man who is thirsty be brought to an ocean of pure water, and he has enough. If there be enough in God to satisfy the angels, then sure there is enough to satisfy us. The soul is but finite, but God is infinite. Though God be a God that satisfies, yet he does not over indulge us. Fresh joys spring continually from his face; and he is as much to be desired after millions of years by glorified souls as at the first moment. There is a fulness in God that satisfies, and yet so much sweetness that the soul still desires.” Thomas Watson.
Strong Faith When the Foundations Shake
“Strong Faith When the Foundations Shake”
Rev. Bruce Brown
Psalm 11
January 17, 2021
I. The Question that Faith Receives (verses 1-3)
II. The Answer that Faith Gives (verses 4-7)
III. The Hope that Faith Holds (verse 7)
“Set against the necessary hatred of God towards the violent wicked is the love of God for justice. God is determined that his world shall be a place of moral order, justice, goodness and fairness. And he will ensure that happens. To join with the church of Christ in speaking verses 4-7 ought to deepen our confidence that, against all appearances, the church of Christ and the law of God are not doomed to failure, but rather they are bound to triumph in the end, as we know with even greater assurance since the bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus and his ascension to the place of cosmic authority at the right hand of the Father.” Christopher Ash
The Glory of the Church
Rev. Bruce Brown
October 25, 2020
Psalm 87
I. The Glory of Zion (verses 1-3)
II. The Congregation in Zion (verses 4-6)
III. The Joys from Zion (verse 7)
"Everything that makes life worth living comes from membership of Zion. Everything. We do not sing that some of what rejoices our hearts comes from what we may be proud of in this life - our citizenship, or education, or career success, or family - and that there is a little room at the end for a measure of joy that we find in belonging to the church of Christ. No! All the fountains that feed my life and give me joy come from being a member, by new birth, of the church of Jesus Christ." ~ Christopher Ash
Blessed to be a Blessing
Rev. Bruce Brown
Psalm 67
October 18, 2020
I. God’s Blessings on the Church to the Nations (verses 1-2)
II. God’s Blessings to the Nations Brings Praise (verses 3-5)
III. God’s Blessings and the Harvest (verses 6-7)
Our eyes, when we see the bounty that God has heaped on us, can never be focused simply upon our enjoyment of the bounty that God has given to us nor even in our thanksgiving to God for that bounty that He has given to us…but our eyes must turn to the nations. We must ask the Lord, like the Psalmist, that the nations too would share in His bounty. And so the believer longs for God to be served and praised through the salvation of people from every tribe and tongue and nation. This is an expression of the church's desire for the salvation of the nations." ~ Ligon Duncan
The Victory Psalm
April 12, 2020
Rev. Bruce Brown
Psalm 22:22-31
I. The Risen LORD Leads Heavenly Praise (Vss. 22, 25)
II. The Risen LORD Seeks Your Praise (Vss. 23, 26)
III. The Risen LORD Proclaims Worldwide Praise (Vs.. 27-31)
“But there is this element too: those who believe will also be witnesses. At the start of this section Jesus said that he would declare the name of God to his brothers. But here, as the psalm closes, it is the future generations who will come to Christ who have become his witnesses: “They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn.” That is our task. To trust and tell others – until Jesus comes again.” ~ J. M. Boice
The Good Friday Psalm
Rev. Bruce Brown
Psalm 22:1-21
April 5, 2020
I. The Christ Forsaken by God (verses 1-5)
II. The Christ Despised of the People (verses 6-11)
III. The Christ Cursed in Crucifixion (verses 12-21)
“His (Jesus’) prayers are answered, but in accordance with the will and timing of the Father. Was he delivered before death? No. Was he delivered out of death? Yes. Was he delivered on Good Friday? No. Was he delivered on Easter Sunday? Yes. It was a better time and a better way… There comes a time, when one is reading certain passages of God’s Word, that commentary must yield to contemplation. May God impress deeply on your heart the profound reality that the Son did this for you.” ~ Sam Storms
Sheltering In God Most High
Rev. Bruce Brown
March 29, 2020
I. Sheltering in the LORD (verses 1-2)
II. God’s Shelter Provides Peace (verses 3-13)
III. God’s Promise for Those Who Shelter in Him (verses 14-16)
“Try to envision God’s power as forging His love into a strong and impregnable fortress. God doesn’t build us a shanty out of leaves and rotting wood. God’s love is our shelter! He Himself is our hiding place! His presence is our peace, our protection, our refuge… God is our permanent refuge in whom we abide while at work or at school or wherever. We never have to leave God and go home. He is our home. It is in Him and in His love that we live and move and have our being (cf. Acts 17:28).” ~ Sam Storms
Taste and See the Lord's Goodness
Psalm 34
Rev. Bruce Brown
I. Testimony to the Lord’s Goodness (verses 1-7)
II. Living Out the Lord’s Goodness (verses 8-14)
III. Assurance of the Lord’s Goodness (verses 15-22)
"Note well: they look to "him," not just ideas or speculative theories about what he's like. They settle for nothing less than the intimacy of spiritual eye contact. The result is that they are never ashamed (vs. 5b). When we seek God this way he promises never to shame us or humiliate us or mock our feeble efforts. God will never belittle or demean you for coming to him. Just think of it: no shame for those who seek God!" ~ Sam Storms
The Grace of Confession
Rev. Bruce Brown
Psalm 51
January 19, 2020
I. Confession Relies on God’s Mercy (verse 1)
II. Confession Seeks Christ’s Cleansing (verses 2-7)
III. Confession Brings Spiritual Renewal (verses 8-12ff)
“Mercy is the sole basis of any approach to God by sinners. We cannot come to God on the basis of his justice; justice strikes us with fear and causes us to hide from him. We are not drawn to God by his wisdom; wisdom does not embolden us, though we stand in awe of it. No more does omniscience, omnipotence, or omnipresence. The only reason we dare come to God and dare hope for a solution to our sin problem is his mercy.” ~ James Montgomery Boice
Praying Our Sorrow
Rev. Bruce Brown
Psalm 13
January 12, 2020
I. The Problem: Sorrow and Delay (verses 1-2)
II. The Plea: Strong Arguments (verses 3-4)
III. The Praise: Steadfast Hope (verses 5-6)
“God’s love for you always shines bright. But if clouds of pain and rejection and sorrow have for the moment blackened the sky, rest assured that gracious winds will again blow strong, and the warmth of his passionate love will renew you… in anticipation, go ahead and sing like David did. Who knows, you just might hear God join you with a song of his own (see Zeph. 3:17).” ~ Sam Storms
Wholehearted Gratitude
Rev. Bruce Brown
Psalm 138
December 1, 2019
I. Gratitude Produces Godly Courage (verses 1-3)
II. Gratitude Lives in God’s Mission (verses 4-5)
III. Gratitude Accomplishes God’s Purpose (verses 6-9)
“Our hope of final perseverance is the final perseverance of the God we love and serve. Because His mercy endures for ever, His work in and for us will continue until we are perfected when we see Him in all His perfection.” Herbert Lockyer
Our Mighty Fortress
Rev. Bruce Brown
Psalm 46
Our Only Strength (verses 1-3)
Our Greatest Need (verses 4-7)
Our lasting Peace (verses 8-11)
“In spite of the worst possible scenarios, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (vs. 1). Though the basis of all things visible should convulse, though the most solid and stable of all things created should shake or fall headlong into the sea, our God remains steadfast and faithful. There is no earthquake of any sort, whether natural, moral, physical, financial, or spiritual, that can shake us out of his loving arms.” ~ Sam Storms
Who is The King of Glory?
Rev. Bruce Brown
Psalm 24
September 29, 2019
I. The King of Glory Owns the Fullness (verses 1-2)
II. The King of Glory Sets the Terms (verses 3-6)
III. The King of Glory is Mighty in Battle (verses 7-10)
“This Psalm teaches us that…. as children of God, we belong to three worlds: the world of creation around us, the world of the new creation within us (2 Cor. 5:17), and “the world to come” of the wonderful final creation that will be our home for eternity (Rev. 21-22).”
Warren Wiersbe
Who Will Live With God?
Rev. Bruce Brown
June 23, 2019
Psalm 15
I. The Question that Matters Most (verse 1)
II. The Answer that Searches Hearts (verses 2-5)
III. The Promise of God (verse 5)
“Not worthy, Lord! To gather up the crumbs
With trembling hand that from Thy table fall,
A weary, heavy-laden sinner comes
to plead Thy promise and obey Thy call.
I am not worthy to be thought Thy child,
nor sit the last and lowest at Thy board;
too long a wand’rer and too oft beguiled,
I only ask one reconciling word.
~ Edward H. Bickersteth