Psalm 86

Psalms 86

Hello Project Ezra!  I pray that you are all doing well.  This week we will be reading from Psalm 86, and this is another instance where the focus will be on God’s nature and character.  The chapter does not address the gospel specifically, but focuses largely on God’s goodness, mercy and patience.  I am suggesting that you take those truths and contrast them to His wrath and judgment.  It seems like in the Psalms in particular, some will focus very much on one of the other side of this issue.  Some are very much about God’s love, such as Psalm 86, and others, like Psalm 7, which is noted in our reading, deal with His wrath.  I think it’s important to note that both were written in the same book by the same man, and both express essential truths about who God is.  In fact, it is in response to the counterpoint of these two aspects of God’s character that we get the cross, which is the perfect expression of both God’s mercy, and His justice.

I have included links below to a couple powerful messages from Tony Miano and Andrew Rappaport.  They were two of the speakers at our recent evangelism conference, Norcal Fire, here in California.  These messages are from Jersey Fire, our sister conference in New Jersey, and are from last year, but I think they are truths that are essential for those who actively share their faith.  They will also give you a taste of what we are trying to accomplish through the Fore conferences. We are hoping to add more Fire conferences each year, around the country and perhaps beyond, and would appreciate your prayers.  If you would consider hosting a Fire evangelism conference in your area, please let us know as well.  The conferences are specifically for equipping the body of Christ to share their faith in a Biblical manner. 

The Danger of Pride and the Preacher – Andrew Rappaport

The Evangelist’s Responsibility to the Local Church – Tony Miano

Thanks for being part of Project Ezra, and I pray that God blesses your evangelism efforts this week.

All for His glory,

Dan

INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND THE GROUP

Want to encourage you to think about important questions most people try to avoid

Christian God tells us to serve Him with all our heart, but also with all our minds

Thinking about what you believe is not only a good idea, but is a command

Some big questions for you to consider

Who am I?

What is my purpose in life?

Where am I going when I die?

Is there a God, and if so, what is He like?

Though many will not acknowledge it, some of these questions we all already know.

We all know there is a God.  That God has chosen to reveal Himself to us in the Bible.

This chapter tells us some things about who He is and what He is like

Please consider these truths, and what they tell you about reality.

READ PSALMS 86

A God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness

This comes from the book of Exodus, and the words come from God’s own mouth

He says other things as well.  He says:

Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me

Preserve my life, for I am godly

Save your servant who trusts in you - you are my God

Be gracious

I cry to You all day

Gladden the soul of your servant

To You I lift up my soul

He believes in a God who is good, and patient, and loving.  He believes that God listens when he calls out to Him and cares for him

He is very correct, but God is not only a God of love, patience and mercy.  There is more than one side to His character.

He is also a God of justice, anger and even hate.

Some would say God cannot hate or judge, because He is love.  But be careful not to ignore what He tells us about Himself.

He tells us He will by no means clear the guilty. (Exodus 34)

He tells us He is angry with the wicked every day (Psalm 7)

We are told He hates all who do evil (Psalm 5)

And we are told that the judge of all the world will do right. (Genesis 18)

And we are told it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10)

If this doesn’t bother you, it should.  When God talks about the wicked and the guilty, He is talking about us.

We are told that all mankind are by nature children of wrath (Ephesians 2)

And there are none righteous, not one. (Romans 3)

Look at yourself in light of God’s law, in light of what He says sin is.

USE GOD’S LAW TO GIVE SOME EXAMPLES.  THE TEN COMMANDMENTS IS A GOOD PLACE TO START, BUT MANY OTHER PASSAGES COULD BE USED.  THE GOAL IS TO SHOW THEM THEIR TRUE CONDITION IN LIGHT OF GOD’S HOLY AND PERFECT STANDARD SO THEY SEE THEIR NEED OF HIS MERCY AND GRACE.

If we look at ourselves in truth, we will find we are all deserving of God’s judgment.

And God has declared that those that those who have rebelled against Him will send eternity in a place called hell.

Hell is a place of fire, and darkness, and pain that last for eternity.

This truth is not meant to be a scare tactic.  It’s just reality.  And it’s a reality better faced on this side of eternity.

But judgment is only half of the truth about eternity.  The other truth is the fact that we can be forgiven of our sins, and spend eternity with God in heaven

Even though we deserve nothing but judgment and hell, God has made a way for justice to be satisfied so we can go free.

We are set free only by the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary (Rev 1:5)

Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, came to early more than two thousand years ago (John 1)

He lived the only perfect life any man has ever lived

Then He willingly went to a Roman cross

And on that cross the wrath and anger and hatred of God was poured out on Him, so it didn’t have to be poured out on us.

Then He rose three days later, as He had prophesied He would, and is now seated at God’s right hand in heaven.

Now if we will repent, turning from sin, and fix our eyes on Christ, trusting in Him and in Him alone to save us, then we will cleansed of our sins and made right with God.

God demonstrated His love in that we were still sinners, Christ dies for us.

Both God’s mercy and His wrath were satisfied on the cross.

Have you turned from your sins and turned to Christ?

Have you put your whole trust in Him, and the sacrifice He made on that cross?

If not please do so today.  None of us is promised tomorrow, and don’t want to see you die in your sins.

Turn to Christ today, and be saved!

 
Then you, like David in this Psalm, will give thanks with your whole heart, and glorify His name forever!