Psalm 121 - A Song of Ascents
Psalm 121 - A Song of Ascents
Jerry Williams, 4-10-16
Red Stone Church
Review Psalms of Ascents 120-134
· Song for the journey to and from Jerusalem 3x per year to worship & celebrate
· Some say the priests sang these Psalms as the went up each step in the court of the priests to the temple
· V. 8 embodies these Psalms...Songs for the journey (vacation/travel!)
· Step 1 of our journey was addressing moments of distress, lying & deceitful tongues, being honest with our prayers, etc.
Focus: Discipleship...and DISCIPLE MAKERS In heart, just like a song, and give away to others.
Today: Step 2 of our Journey
*Discipleship is a JOURNEY and today on our pilgrimage we’re going to see the Lord as our KEEPER (Preserver, Guardian) (Key Word)
READ PS 121
I. Lift Your Eyes (Our responsibility...faith, belief, obedience) ONLY IN V.1 DO WE SEEK THE FOCUS ON MAN AND OUR RESPONSIBILITY. AFTERWARD, IT’S ALL HIM...WHO HE IS... AND WHAT HE DOES..
EYES
Where do your eyes go when in distress (remember from last week)? What/Whom do you look to for help or deliverance? Who do you first go to to pour out your heart?
WHAT ? Lift eyes! Do you naturally lift your eyes up or look down? Even the simple act of lifting the eyes is a show of faith . Righteous live by faith . Think Peter walking on the water. And
WHEN do your eyes look? Do we go to Him first...or as a last resort. “I guess all we can do now is pray.”
WHERE do your eyes look?
HILLS What images do you have of “the hills?”
Remember, t he hills lead to Jerusalem...the City of Peace
Gandalf in Lord of the Rings ( "Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth day, at dawn look to the east ." And we later see him dressed in a white robe riding a white horse...showing up just in time) Aslan in Chronicles of Narnia ( Lucy always looking up into the hills for her beloved Aslan ) Calvary... the most important hill we should look to for salvation. l
My favorite The one lost lamb in the hills looking for Shepherd...and the Shepherd leaves the 99 to come retrieve His lost lamb and carries him home over His shoulder.
II. Understand Who it is that you’re lifting your eyes to
TO WHOM/WHAT DO YOU LOOK
Our nation? Politics? (Touch on) Looking to a politician? Carson, Cruz, other? (**Good word from Andy Stanley this week)
Looking to Spencer?
Looking to a spouse...or any other person?
All of these will fail you and bring disappointment. Look to the Hills...Fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of your faith.
We should look to the Creator instead of to a created being. Contrast the “maker of heaven and earth” with Ps 106:20 “exchanged the Glory of God for the image of a bull...that eats grass”. Fools we are to cling to worthless idols & saviors.
III. We look to Him because HE IS OUR KEEPER (Presever, Guardian)!!!!! (Look at passage v. 38… count the # of times you see the word “keep” or “keeper.” (6!)
PROTECTION
Safety? What kind of safety are you looking for?
V.3 Won’t let your foot be moved/slip Discuss HIS plans prevailing. May look like a slip to us, but not him. Prov 16:9 Man plans his course, but he Lord determines his steps. He will protect us from true evil (v.7), but that doesn’t mean He’ll steer our steps on the easy path. We may call our obstacle evil, but he may call it necessary...sanctification (James 1:24) *Dr. Enuf bottle thrown through your dining room window at 5:00 a.m.. Are we expecting that by praying and believing Ps. 121 that these kinds of things won’t happen? Or that my dear pastor friend won’t die of cancer?
Reference 1 Pet 1:67,
I Pet 5:611
(. Lord allows...for a season ...for His purposes) TRUST HIM. HE REALLY IS IN COMPLETE CONTROL
The Glory of PS 121 is His Activity More Than it is Ours.
HE is our keeper...and does not sleep!!!!!
Look at v.4 ...Remember, He sings over you when you sleep (Zeph) and is NOT a tired parent. (Spurgeon p. 20 & p. 21 stories). The focus is on what HE does, not just what we do.
KEY VERSE 7B
“HE WILL KEEP YOUR LIFE ”
***MAIN POINT Discipleship & DISCIPLE MAKERS Can’t tell others the importance of the Word of God if you don’t believe it and practice it yourself. Likewise, can’t be a discipler of others telling them to have faith and lift their eyes to Him as KEEPER (Preserver, Guardian ) unless you’re lifting your own eyes unto Him first and unless we continue to believe that He is indeed our Keeper...at all times...no matter what. Let these songs get inside of your heart.
*V. 12 should be said over and over...needs to be in your heart...a memorized song on your pilgrimage.
Closing For some, the one final hill to consider the HILL of CALVARY (Discuss Gospel)
Pray