Text:
Psalms 118:23:
This is the LORD’S doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.
Theme:
God’s Will
Introduction:
- The Book of Psalms is the 19th book of the Old Testament and 2nd of the books of poetry. It is known to be the longest book of the bible with 150 chapters and contains the longest chapter of the bible, the 119th chapter of Psalms. Psalms is also organized in five divisions.
- The author is David, the God-Appointed King and originator of the Davidic line of Kingship and rule in Israel.
- Psalms is a book of praise and song consisting of verses that were rhythmically relayed in song as in poetry.
- Psalms can be divided into 6 classes based on their content:
- Hymns of praise to Jehovah
- Temple hymns
- Religious and moral songs of a general character
- Elegiac psalms, that is, lamentations, psalms of complaint, generally united with prayer for help
- Messianic psalms
- Historical psalms
- The 118th chapter where lies our text is believed to have been written by David after having gained possession of the full kingdom. His long arduous battle was complete.
- He gathers others to celebrate with him.
- He acknowledges God as the one who made this all possible and complete.
This is the LORD’S doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.
- David knew that it was his being ANOINTED by God that ORDAINED his being ruler over the kingdom. What does it mean to be ORDAINED?
- It was already set to happen à Habakkuk 1:12, “Art thou not from everlasting, O LORD my God, mine Holy One? we shall not die. O LORD, thou hast ordained them for judgment; and, O mighty God, thou hast established them for correction.”
- God programmed it to happen à Isaiah 26:12, “LORD, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us.”
- God planned it to happen à Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
We, also, must acknowledge God for what He does!!
- God has His hand in more than sometimes we want to admit!
- The GOOD things à Psalms 9:1, “I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.”
- The BAD things à Romans 8:36, “As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
- This brings us to our text and theme. Regardless of whether it is good or bad, pretty or ugly, right or wrong, gentle or painful….GOD’S WILL is always the sovereign power!
This is the LORD’S doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.
Body:
- God has three (3) types of will acting upon our lives each and every day.
- God’s Active Will – God does what He wants to do, when He wants to do it, and how He wants it done.
- How does God do it?
- God is OMNIPOTENT à He is All-Powerful
- God is OMNISCIENT à He is All-Knowing
- God is OMNIPRESENT à He is Everywhere at Every Time
- He does WHAT He wants to do
- As God told Job in Job 38:4, “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.”
- He does it WHEN He wants to do it
- As the old gospel song says, “He may not come when you want Him, but He is always on time!”
- He does it HOW He wants it done
- John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
- How does God do it?
- God’s Active Will – God does what He wants to do, when He wants to do it, and how He wants it done.
- God’s Permissive Will – God allows certain things to happen
- GOD ALLOWS à Man’s FREE WILL
- The Doctrine of the Freedom of the Will of mankind is the “manward” component of the Doctrine of Salvation where the Doctrine of Election is the “Godward” component.
- Election à God Elects some but allows WHOSOEVER
- John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
- Matthew 22:14, “For many are called, but few are chosen.”
- Free Will à Man has the freedom to make choices independent of God’s direction/power
- John 1:12, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:”
- God allows us to have a choice
- Because of Free Will, GOD ALLOWS à SIN
- The heart and mind of man is what is used to make choices, but Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”
- We all will sometimes choose sin!
- Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
- Election à God Elects some but allows WHOSOEVER
- God sometimes ALLOWS what He would not actively will or provide…but it is still within His Will for us in our lives
- God through GRACE will ALLOW what the LAW will not.
- God through SOVEREIGNTY will ALLOW what the CONSCIENCE will not.
- God through OMNISCIENCE will ALLOW what the MIND will not.
- The Doctrine of the Freedom of the Will of mankind is the “manward” component of the Doctrine of Salvation where the Doctrine of Election is the “Godward” component.
- GOD ALLOWS à Man’s FREE WILL
- God’s Providential Will – God provides for and to His children by establishing blessings.
- God provides in spite of us
- In spite of our expressions à Romans 8:26-27, “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”
- In spite of our ability or resources à Philippians 4:19, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
- In spite of our “record” à Matthew 5:45, “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”
- God provides in reaction to our expressed desire à Prayer
- Prayer changes things
- Prayer is “the soul’s sincere desire for change…unspoken…unuttered”
- Prayer presupposes a belief in the personality of God, his ability and willingness to hold intercourse with us, and his personal control of all things and of all his creatures and all their actions.
- Three types/components of “prayer”
- Prayer à Outpouring of the soul
- Supplication à Realized and consequently expressed needs of the individual
- Thanksgiving à Expressions of gratitude to God
- God provides in spite of us
Conclusion:
- It may not always seem like God and sometimes it is not God…BUT know that God is in control!!!
- God is sovereign à Psalms 97:9, “For thou, LORD, art high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods.”
- Stop trying to do it for God à Psalms 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God….”
- No matter what the situation…GOD CAN WORK IT OUT!!!
- Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
- This is why David ended the verse in our text with è “it is marvelous in our eyes”
- No matter how rough or bad or ugly you thought that it was, it all can work together for GOOD!!
- When others look at what we thought was our messed up life, they see something MARVELOUS!!
- God’s Will changed my life…turned my life around…placed my feet on SOLID ground!
- THANK YOU for DOING IT
- THANK YOU for ALLOWING IT
- THANK YOU for PROVIDING IT
- This is why David ended the verse in our text with è “it is marvelous in our eyes”
- Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
#360
