"The Beauty of the LORD" - Psalms 27-29
With Passion Week in the rearview mirror, we turn our eyes and our hearts back to the Psalms, specifically Psalms 27-29.
When you think about or describe God, what words come to mind? Power? Holiness? Wrath? Grace? Love? Forgiveness? How about "beautiful"? We might you that word to describe a woman, but rarely a man, and even more rarely used in connection to God. Beauty usually describes outward appearances based on an accepted standard.
Both Psalms 27 and 29 mention the beauty of the LORD. In Psalm 27, David is dealing with fear in his heart as he thinks about the beauty of God. In Psalm 29 he is reflecting on the sheer power and greatness of God. The beauty is connected with holiness, of all things, and not any physical appearance.
Culturally, I think you would agree that are are too hung up on outward appearances and external aesthetics, which inevitably fade. We get no physical description of Jesus except that he was not noticeably attractive to people. In fact People Magazine would have overlooked Him for their "Sexiest Man Alive" issue. He didn't have a cult following because he was dashing and dapper or attractive. To be attracted to Jesus, you need to care about substantial things.
The beauty of the Trinity lies in the character of the LORD. How do holiness and beauty go together? Why does David declare that the one thing he cares about is beholding the beauty of the LORD? Do you find the LORD to be beautiful? I am excited to work through these Psalms with you tonight!
....View and See!
Steve
Psalms 27-29
April 20, 2022 • Pastor Steve Feden • Psalm 27, Psalm 29, Psalm 28
Psalm 1
January 9, 2022 • Pastor Steve Feden • Psalm 1
"How to Find Happiness" We will open our Bibles to Psalm 1, which is familiar territory for many of God's people. Psalm 1 will serve as our intro to our year-long study of the Book of Psalms which will be on Wed nights, starting Jan 12. But for now..... Psalm 1 is simple, clear, and makes no demands. Instead, the Psalmist present two choices and urges the reader to make a decision based on what is presented. The big question is, what kind of life do you want to live? The Declaration of Independence guarantees people of America the right to pursue happiness. Donald Trump promised to "Make America Great Again", but couldn't make Americans happy again. In terms of national "happiness", people from Finland topped the 2018 survey, with Norway, Denmark, Iceland, and Switzerland rounding out the top 5. Those are some cold yet happy people! Brrrr. What about America? A humble 18th place and dropping each year. Regardless of national happiness, and how that is determined, the opening statement of Psalm 1 is "Oh how happy is the man......". And the Psalm goes on to describe the life of a happy man and compare his [or her] life to the opposite. Throughout the Psalm we will see some themes repeated from our recent study of Philippians while asking the questions, "Am I happy?", and "Who is responsible for my happiness?" This is a simple and great Psalm that may help get things on track for 2022. Lord knows, we need it! View and See.....!!!
Psalms 2-3
January 12, 2022 • Pastor Steve Feden • Psalm 2, Psalm 3
"The Heart of Worship" Tonight, after an intro to the Psalms and a little fun, we will start the ball rolling with Psalms 2 and 3. Psalm 2 is quoted a number of times in the NT, and could be title "Rebellion is No Joke". If you have ever thought to yourself, "What's the deal with the world? Why are people so set against Jesus?", then Psalm 2 is for you. I have often taught from Psalm 2 at Megiddo in Israel, just above the Valley of Armageddon. Wanna know why? You will understand after tonight! Psalm 3-5 seem to all be connected together and to an event in the life of King David. A very tough time when his Son Absalom "stole the hearts of the people of Israel". His leadership was undermined by his own good-looking, charismatic, and somewhat bitter son. How does he handle it all as his approval ratings plummet and he is forced off the throne. He is a laughingstock whom people are gossiping about. How would you feel? How would you handle it. The Psalms are full of raw emotion and heart. I believe the fruit of our study will be a return to the heart of worship. May God put a song in our hearts! If your life is dry, and your praise is flat, and you need Psalm-thing to sing about, then..... http://....view AND SEE! Steve