My life, my dominion

Right passage in focus: Psalm 40 : 1-3
1 I waited patiently for the LORD;
he turned to me and heard my cry.

2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.

3 He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear
and put their trust in the LORD

Questions to consider:
a. Where was I?
b. Where am i now?
c. How did i get here?
d. Why am i here?

This sermon started out as being for non-christians but as it progressed it was more believers oh well.
Anyhow, main summary, the psalmist is recounting his life through the trials that he has faced.

a. Where was I?
v.2a. We were all once in a slimy pit filled with mud. Our lives were miserable, a Life without God.
Questions for non-believers:
How are you coping with the certainty of death?
- what is life about, does it have any purpose, if we're all going to die why live at all?
How are you coping with the injustices in the world?
- There are things that make us angry, cause us to fight each other, strife. for what purpose? is a life filled with all this worth living?
How do you cope with the God-shaped hole in your heart?
-Do you live for yourself? Are you satisfied when you achieve your goals or do you always want more? have youfallen into the trap that material success will bring you more happiness?
How do you cope with being not all that you can be.
- You were designed for a purpose by God

with all this in mind, can one really be happy? Of Christians, all these truths should be apparent to you. DO you recognise how your life would have been without God? LIfe would be dark and meaningless without God.

b. Where am I now?
v.2b. on a firm ground, a rock.

The rock is jesus. Why?
Because he has saved us. But why is it only Jesus who can do this? Because he is God, and he can forgive and he IS man so he can represent our sins and die for us.
Because Jesus loves sinners and does what no one else would, die for our sins
Because he is the only blameless person to have ever lived and only his death is good enough
Because he was rose from the dead and the Resurrection proves our forgiveness. Our salvation is secure
Jesus is the new life, the life out of the hole and onto the firm rock.

c. How did/do i get here/there?

the important thing to remember is that GOD did it, not us.'He lifted' 'he set'. Its all through the grace of God that we are where we are today. He joins us in a holy union with himself through Jesus' death and now through the Holy Spirit. Through faith we are united again with God on the firm rock.

d. Why am i here.
v.3 we are here to sing God's praise and to tell of his goodness. We are here so that other's may hear the good news and not be stuck in their pits.

i'm not trying to say that anyone's life is wretched.What i am saying is that there exists something that might feel the empty feeling that you may get sometimes. God is here, not just out there, and he's waiting for your reply to let him fill your life with meaning and purpose and most imporantly, JOY.

Labels: Sermons