Summer Psalms // “Great are the works of the LORD” (Psalm 111)

Praise the Lord. I will extol the Lord with all

my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly.

Great are the works of the Lord. They are pondered by all who

delight in them. Glorious and majestic are his

deeds, and his righteousness endures forever.

He has caused his wonders to be remembered.

The Lord is gracious and compassionate.

He provides food for those who fear Him.

He remembers His covenant forever.

He has shown His people the power of His works, giving them

the lands of other nations. The works of His hands are

faithful and just. All His precepts are

trustworthy. They're established forever and

ever enacted in faithfulness and uprightness.

He provided redemption for His people.

He ordained His covenant forever.

Holy and awesome is His name. The fear of the Lord is the

beginning of wisdom. All who follow His precepts have

good understanding, and to Him belongs eternal praise.

Now if you can see, does anyone recognize this?

If you're under 20, you might not.

But believe it or not, pre Google Maps you actually had to

read maps in a book. We actually used one of these on

our holiday recently. Well, when I say used it, we

gave it to my 18 month old daughter to keep her entertained

in the. Car as we drove back from the

beach, so. You can see that she enjoyed it

at least. But yeah, A to Z's did used to

come in handy, and might still if your 4G lets you down.

And you could think of Psalm 111 as kind of finding your way

around a certain area and and that?

Area is praise. Being an acrostic as well, it is

its very own A-Z. Each of the 22 lines in the

Psalm is a letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

So you could say that this Psalm is an A to.

Z of Praise. Or if you want to get all

ancient Hebrew and Alephta. Tour of Praise.

To get ready. For looking at this Psalm

together, let's think about the word.

It starts with Hallelujah as Richard.

Said it's translated. For us as praise the Lord.

And and this is a. A phrase that.

We all know we're all familiar with it, and even outside of

Christian circles, you'll hear them.

People will know them more often than not, though you might hear

them spoken sarcastically. As in right.

I'm ready to go. Oh, Hallelujah, It's about time.

Even as Christians, is it fair to say that we really?

Hold this word. Hallelujah.

This phrase. Praise the Lord.

With the reverence it deserves. Hallelujah.

Praise the Lord. Are they simply?

Words that. We say when we come to.

Church, there are lots of words and phrases that.

That can roll off the tongue, aren't there?

Thank you for our food, Lord. Amen.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit our

Father who are in heaven. Or maybe we get lazy, but maybe.

We're just really. Tired sometimes.

Perhaps today you're feeling sad, or you're hurting and and

so telling me to. Praise the Lord with a

Hallelujah. Well, I've.

I've just not got it in me today.

Don't ask me to do the impossible.

Does that describe? You sometimes it's definitely

describes me sometimes. And so, preaching, studying this

song really challenged me. How can I?

Preach a call to to praise God. If I sometimes don't feel like

it, but thankfully I've got some really good news.

Praising God doesn't actually rely on us and our feelings.

It relies on who God is and what he has done, which means that we

can praise. God, however, we feel happy.

Or not in whatever place that we're in.

I praise the Lord. We start this song with.

But why? Why?

Praise the Lord, what is praise? It's a bit of a funny thing,

isn't it? We we've kind of both.

Shoo it away. And then sort of want it as well

at the same time. But it was nothing.

Don't mention it. And as Christians in.

Particular we probably. Feel the tension between the

need to be humble. And then wanting good work

maybe. Our good work.

To be recognized, and there's got to be something in it then,

hasn't there? Something good.

There's a certain rightness. To give praise where it's

deserved. Now in the Psalms again and

again we're we're called. To to praise God.

We're thinking about that sort of.

Awkward relationship with. Praise and trying to be humble.

Are we saying that God is just a kind of?

Great Big Glory hog. Why is it?

Okay to ask him for praise and not us.

Why should we praise God like this?

Psalm causes to. It gives us two compelling

reasons, I think. The firstly, that God always

deserves our praise. God is always deserving of our

praise. And secondly, that praising God

is actually. Good for us.

So if God always deserves our praise?

Why? Why does God always deserve our

praise? I've got 4.

Reasons from this Psalm the. 1st is that God's works are great.

God has made amazing things and. Great are the works of the.

Lord, they're pondered by all who delight in them, we read in

verse. Two studied, sort out, that's

what. That word pondered, gets at and

we've got a whole section of work and life.

Devoted to. Pondering the works of God.

We call it science, and Christian or not, the wonders of

nature have been studied by people for centuries.

And we're still going, aren't we?

There are constantly new discoveries being made.

God's creation is just an endless source of wonder.

For those curious. To understand I.

Thought it would be helpful to just.

Consider a couple of wonders. Plucked out at random the stars.

So here are. For example, our son there's.

There today, you. Can sort of just see it.

You could fit over a million planet Earths inside the sun,

but it's just one star amongst many in the sky.

It's. If you look up it on a clear

night, you might see about 6000 stars, but that's just a tiny

fraction of how many are out there.

Each star sits within a Galaxy. Which is a.

Massive cluster of stars. And it's estimated that there

are around 2 trillion galaxies in the universe.

If you take our own Galaxy, the Milky Way, here's an example

that has about 100 billion stars in it.

So. If you times that by the number

of galaxies in the universe. That you get you get this.

I wrote it down. I didn't have a long enough.

Piece of paper, but that's two followed by. 23 zeros.

Anyone know the name of that number?

So it's called. A sextillion, apparently.

So yeah. There you go.

You learn a new word. There are a lot of.

Stars in the sky and from the vast to the to the minuscule.

We've probably all heard of. A Hummingbird.

Some species of Hummingbird can flap their wings up to 80 times

a second, and that's nearly 5000 * a minute.

It has a heartbeat of over a. 1000 times a second a minute.

Sorry, compared to you and me. You have a. 60 to 100 per

minute. It's so.

Light that it can weigh less than a penny, and yet, despite

its smallness, some of the. Species have a.

Migration of around 3000 miles. Now if you went up 3000 miles

from here, then you'd almost get to the Wickses and the Harrisons

in Ethiopia. Or the Wallaces.

In Nigeria. The Hummingbid is actually the

fastest animal on the planet. It can reach speeds up to. 58

miles an hour. Which?

Is quite impressive, but when you think about how tiny it is,

it means that it flies nearly 400 times its own body length

every second, which comparatively for its.

Means that it's faster than a space shuttle reentering the

atmosphere. There's not really any other

response to things like that, Then wow, is there?

You'd have to say. Wow to that, even if you don't

believe in a. Creator God.

But if you do that, God. Created such incredible things

should. Fill us with awe.

How incredible. How wise?

How powerful is the mind and the hand behind such creations?

So God's works his. Creations are great at the

secondly, so are his. Deeds his acts.

The things God does. Glorious and majestic.

Are his deeds first three? He says.

That God does incredible things as well as makes incredible

things. And in the next few verses.

We get. At these following references.

The Lord is. Gracious and compassionate, he.

Provides food to those. Who fear him, He's showing the

people. The power.

Of his works, giving them the lands of the nations, he

provided redemption for his people.

The writer of the song probably has in mind here the.

Exodus which is a great story of.

How God saved the nation of Israel, helping them first

escape from slavery in Egypt, keeping them alive through. 40

years of. Wandering through the desert and

then driving out their enemies before them as they settled in

their new home, their promised land and these acts.

Of God. Speak of a God.

Who isn't simply a master Craftsman?

Brilliant but distant, excellent creations, but terrible at

relations, like many human geniuses the the songwriter.

Is quick to to show us that God isn't just a creator God, he's

actually also a provider, a savior, a leader, a.

Of all his. Creation, people included.

Not only has he done great things for us to look at and

wonder. That he he's done great things

for us personally to remember in wonder.

The God deserves our praise. Because he's made amazing

things. He's done amazing things.

But is that? Really enough to not only praise

God like the Psalm, but like the Psalmist to.

Give our whole. Heart in praise to him.

Plenty of people have done amazing things, haven't they?

And done great deeds. They've maybe even saved other

people's lives. And so we come back to that

question. Why does God?

Always deserve our praise. And the answer the Psalm gives

us is that. God will be praiseworthy

forever. God will be praiseworthy

forever. It's funny, isn't it, that I

think we often struggle to. Praise God.

But on the whole, we're. Very quick to praise people.

It seems right, doesn't it? To praise someone for all the

good work that they've done and all the good things that they've

achieved? And I I don't think it's wrong

to praise people, but what it definitely.

Is is risky as I prepared? This silent it made me think of

those kind of sad. Cases recently where.

Well known Christian leaders have turned out not to be.

The people that we thought they were.

And we praised them, didn't we? In particular, when one of these

Christian leaders died recently, I remember seeing the outpouring

of praise that was poured on them, all that they and their

ministry had achieved. And then within months that the

same people were having to retract those statements as

horrible allegations came to. Light praising people is risky.

The Psalm ends with the line. To Him belongs eternal praise.

You could translate. That, as respect for God will

last forever. Now those Christian leaders.

Despite their. Praiseworthiness at the time.

Sadly, they've. Lost the respect.

That they once. Had, but respect for God will

last forever. Praising people is risky

because. People are not gods.

We're not perfect. We're changeable.

We're spoiled by. Sin, unfortunately, but praising

God is never risky. Because he's God.

The same yesterday, today and forever.

And so we get verse. Three telling us that God's

righteousness endures forever, in short.

God is righteous. And therefore all he says and

does. Is righteous forever.

Verses 7 and eight expand on this.

We're told. That three things about God's.

God's. Praiseworthiness lasting

forever. 1st that the works. Of God's hands are faithful and

just. You could say that God's works

are. Right and.

True God doesn't lie or deceive. Everything he does is consistent

with his. Faithful.

Just. True and right and secondly,

everything God. Says is trustworthy as well as

truth. There's a.

Faithfulness to all that. God says.

If God makes a promise, then he's going to keep it.

If God says something's good for me, it's good for me.

If he says. Something's bad for me.

It's bad for me. I can trust.

What God says. And then?

Thirdly, what God? Says and does.

Will last forever. They'll stand the test of time.

Other philosophies, movements, TikTok influences.

I'm not on TikTok by the way. I just.

Say it to sound cool. They'll come and they'll go.

But God's word? God in his.

Word they'll be there forever. Proven to be true, Proven to be

faithful, enduring until the end.

God is perfect truth. Faithfulness.

Everlastingness. These are the things that sets

God apart. These are the things that make

him. Worthy for our wholehearted

praise. And then fourthly and lastly.

God. So God is worthy of our praise

always because. His salvation Promise.

Will last forever. What those verses that we just

looked at at? Say about God and his work is

especially important when we come to.

This God's greatest work. His forgiveness of sin, the

verse. Five says that.

God remembers his covenant forever, and verse nine that

he's ordained his covenant forever.

God's covenant is his promise to the nation of.

That he'll be there. God.

And he and they will be his people forever, which is a

promise that He also made to us when we put our faith in Jesus.

Perhaps then, the most important part of God remembering His

covenant is actually forgetting. Forgetting our sins, forgiving

them, actively not remembering them.

That as we look through the Bible.

Countless times the Israelites messed up about.

Each time, God remembers his covenant with them, His promise

to them, not disowning them as they deserve, but rescuing them,

forgiving them, persevering with them, providing for them, and

loving them. He remembered his promise to

them. And it's no different with me,

really, and you if you've been. Rescued by Jesus.

You see, even after my own. Sort of Exodus Where God.

Saved me from a life of sin and death.

Since then I couldn't count the times that I've messed.

Up but. Like the Israelites, I know

that. God is still my God.

That I am still his child, saved and safe because he remembers

the promise that he's made to me through Jesus.

This song then shows us that. If God is faithful, if God is.

Just and what he says and does last.

We can be. Assured that God's rescue of us

his. Forgiveness of our sins.

I can believe what God says about it, because all that he

says is true. His wiping away of our darkness

and our place with him in eternity isn't going to go

anywhere. It's going to last.

He is true. He is.

Faithful and his. Words last forever, so God is.

Always deserving. Of our praise.

And that's a big reason why we should praise him, But secondly.

We should also praise God because it's actually good for

us. It's our duty to praise God.

But actually praising God is also in our interest.

It's good for us. The Psalm says.

That with. Praise comes wisdom.

The fear of the. Lord is the beginning of wisdom

we read in verse 10. Now, wisdom in the Bible isn't

simply knowing lots of stuff. It's about knowing.

The best way to live? About making wise decisions and

then acting on that, living a flourishing life and the Psalm

says. That the way of wisdom, the way

of praise, is the way of. Wisdom praising God will.

Actually help us to live our best life.

And it will. Help us firstly.

Individually, as we followed the Psalm today, we've seen how true

praise of God means that. I have to stop and think about

God. And his amazing works and deeds.

I have to. Remember his amazing kindness.

And what that does is it. It humbles me.

It puts me in my place, stops me from directing my praise and

worship. To.

Other. Places and people.

It it. Warms and softens my heart.

It means that I'm all struck by the right things.

It it makes me weep over my sin. But cry.

With joy over God's mercy, praising God helps me on a

personal, individual level. But it also helps us

corporately. It's also good for us

corporately. Now I love looking at photos and

I love them so much because they bring back memories and without

those reminders, our memory. Quickly gets fuzzy.

Doesn't it? And our spiritual life is is no

different. God.

Knows that without reminders, we're going to forget about the

things that he's done and therefore we're going to lose

sight. Of who he is, so his verse four

says he has caused. His wonders to be remembered.

We have the. Bible written down for for us

all of God's amazing acts. But we also have this.

At Sunday, our church gathering. Now you notice this at the

beginning of the Psalm. The Psalm writer isn't actually

by himself in his. Praise what he says that.

He's going to. Do is praise.

In the assembly among the congregation, he's going to

praise amongst God's people, and as he does so, he'll be

reminding them of God's goodness and greatness.

And that's just what we. Do when we get together as a

church community, hearing and seeing each other praising God.

Together stops us forgetting the good things that God has done in

our lives. Praise isn't just between me and

God. It's something that we share in

together and and so we meet and we praise God and as we do we

constantly remember remind each other.

That God is true. That He's faithful.

That he's everlasting and so. Are his works praising God?

Is good for us corporately as well.

And thirdly and lastly, praising God is also good.

For us because it reminds us of our.

Glorious future and the sum ends with the line.

To Him belongs eternal praise. Not only do we praise God here

and now, but we're actually going to.

Praise God forever in eternity and thinking back to that in

verse 4. That God has caused his wonders

to be remembered. Just hold that in mind a second.

Because have you Have you ever wondered what heaven is going to

be like? The places from this life.

Have you ever wondered what you'll be like in heaven?

Do you think you'll remember the things?

The. Will you still be you?

Will you still feel like you and?

Or will you kind of be some kind of holy robot stuck in an

endless church service going through Heaven's song sheet?

I'll be honest that sometimes I picture it like that and and

kind of glorious as it might look it.

It's not all that attractive. I I still want to be me in

heaven. Getting rid of all of the bad

stuff, definitely, But. I still want to be me.

And the wonderful news is that God wants me to be me as well,

and He wants you to be you. And how does this Psalm help?

Us to see that. Well, thinking of those two

those. Verses that God has caused his

wonders to be remembered and that we're going to.

Praise God forever in eternity. How can we?

Wholeheartedly praise God with some kind of holy memory wipe.

That's not going to happen. We're going to remember the

wonders that God has done in this life.

None more so than the miracle that He achieved in us forgiving

our sins, making us a new creation.

We're going to remember the grace and the mercy.

That God showed us personally in this life for the.

Ways he used this for his glory, for the love that he showed us

and and we'll do that for eternity.

Remembering God, remembering all the the good things that he's

done as I finish and the sun comes out.

I hope that this Psalm has helped us.

To see that, you don't have to feel happy to praise God.

If you are, that's brilliant. Praise God.

But you don't have to be. You don't even have to do it

with a smile. You could be really struggling,

but you can. Still, praise God, and you could

simply sit there and still. Quiet or at the majesty.

Of God. That's praise.

You could sit there and quietly pray a simple Thank you to God

for promising himself to you. That's praise you could share

with someone what God's been doing in your.

That's praise this song. Causes to praise God because we

should, because he deserves our praise, but also because it's

good for us. It's the best way to live and so

look then at his works. And how they reveal his

character, how he's fundamentally different from us

and worthy of praise that remember His works no more so

than the His forgiveness of your sin through the death of.

Jesus. And you'll find yourself

praising him in whatever way comes naturally to you, in

whatever place you're in today. Amen.