Worthy of Our Praise (Sermon & Song) - DJ Dickerson - 3/29/26

This evening, our sermon and song

service, the theme that I've chosen is

uh is our is worthy of our praise. And

we're going to be looking specifically

from Psalm 9. Psalm 9. Uh it's actually

one of the chapters that we've had in

our yearly uh year annual Bible reading

here. And I'll submit to you that as we

go through this as these scriptures,

uh, when you read Psalm 9, if you can

remember back when we read that in our

reading plan this year, Psalm 9 is is

actually it's a song of praise born out

of conflict, confidence, and conviction.

And David is not writing from a place

where life is easy.

uh he's writing as one who has seen

enemies, trouble, oppression, and

injustice. Yet, what I found interesting

about this psalm and why I wanted to use

this as a theme tonight for us is in the

middle of all of it, he lifts his eyes

higher than his circumstances

and says in essence, God is still

worthy.

Worthy of our praise.

And that's one of the great lessons of

the Christian life. And I believe that

pre praise is not merely the language of

convenience. Uh praise is the language

of faith. Uh anyone can praise when the

when the road is smooth. Uh when the

bank account is full and you know all

those things, the family's healthy and

everything goes according to what we

consider to be our plan or plans. But it

takes a heart that's anchored in God to

praise him when life has bruised the

soul. And Psalm 9, as you'll find,

teaches us that God's people can still

sing in a broken world because God has

been faithful in the past. God is

reigning in the present and God will not

fail in the future. The child of God

does not praise because he has no

problems. He praises because his

problems do not dethrone his God.

That's a great danger, I believe, is

allowing trouble to become louder than

truth. Because if we're not careful,

burdens will preach to us more than the

Bible does. Trials will begin to define

our outlook. Fear will begin to set our

theology, but Psalm 9 calls us back to a

steadier place. It reminds us that our

God is not absent. He is not indifferent

and he is not defeated. So with that in

mind, let's go to our first scripture

reading. Psalm 9:es 1 and two. Psalm 9

Psalms 9:1

verses 1 and two. And following the

scripture reading by brother Matt

Mining, Brother Kyle Copelan will lead

us in our first song, Magnify, O

Magnify.

Psalm 91 1 and 2.

I will praise you, oh Lord, with my

whole heart. I will tell of all your

marvelous works. I will be glad and

rejoice in in you. I will sing praise to

your name, oh most high.

Let's

stand for

magnify.

Oh, magnify.

Oh, magnify

our God and Father.

Magnify.

Oh magnify,

oh magnify

our God.

He has made us in his glorious

image.

We ever strive to be like him.

He alone is holy.

He alone is rightous.

Cry aloud with gladness our joy in him.

Magny,

oh magnify,

oh magnify

our God and father.

Magnify.

Oh magnify.

Oh magnify

our God.

He has given us his son to save us now

reconciled to be like him.

Give him praise forever

and renew him out with gladness our joy

in him.

Cry out with gladness our joy in him.

Magny

magnify.

Oh magnify

our God and father.

Magnify,

oh magnify,

oh magy

our God.

He will bring us to his

glory

to perfect fellowship with him.

We will see his wonder.

We will see his beauty.

Cry aloud with gladness our joy in

cry with gladness our joy in him.

I would say there's enough in those two

verses that brother Matt Mining read to

reshape an entire life. The first thing

I want to point out from those verses

that praise must come from the whole

heart. David says, "I will praise you,

oh Lord, with my whole heart." That's

not casual. I don't believe you see that

as casual. That's not half-hearted

devotion. That's not what we'd say as

routine worship. That's a a a man fully

engaged in the praise of God.

There's a difference between saying

words and offering worship.

A person can be present in the assembly

and absent in spirit.

If you don't think that's true,

think about how you might have been in

math class. I use that one as my

example. You were there, but you weren't

there. You know what I mean? tell me

that's not true or what other subject

you might have.

Now, we can sing the right notes uh

while our heart is far away. We can pray

familiar phrases while our mind is

chained to earthly things. But David

says with my whole heart, God has never

has never been impressed with divided

devotion. He does not want leftovers. I

think that made clear in Malachi for

certain. He doesn't want a fragment of

our affection. He is worthy of the whole

heart.

Magnify, oh magnify, as we've just sang.

So often, how much time and energy do we

give the world versus God?

Think about that.

Our enthusiasm, our attention

over what over what God so certainly is

worthy and praise.

But true worship is not God getting the

scraps and the leftovers of our of our

life. It's God receiving the first and

the best of who we are.

Friends, a a heart that is full of God

has no room left to make idols out of

lesser things.

Think about a the wedding day. On

wedding day, a husband does not say, "I

give you part of my love, a part of my

loyalty, a part of my life.

Well, that wouldn't be a covenant, would

it?

That would actually be an insult.

Love worthy of a vow demands wholeness.

And in an even greater way, our covenant

relationship with God demands the whole

heart. Isn't that what it's for seeing

here? So, we ask that question. We

worship, we worship out of habit, or is

it from from the heart? Do I praise God

only when I feel like it? Or do I allow

distractions and discouragement and sin

to divide my devotion?

Because the Lord deserves more than

attendance. He deserves affection. He

deserves reverence. He deserves

wholehearted praise. I believe this song

that we're about to sing certainly does

that for us. How Great Thou Art. Let's

sing How Great Thou Art with Mike Burton

will lead us in all verses of this song.

Oh Lord my God,

when I in awome wonder

the world I hands.

I see the stars.

I hear the rolling thunder.

I grew up

the univerior

God to thee.

How great thou are.

and sings my soul,

my savior God to thee.

How great thou are.

How great

are

through the woods

and forest

I wonder

and hear the bird

sing sweet sleep sweet sleep sweet sleep

sweet sleep sweet sleep sweet sleep sweet sleep in my dreams

when I down

from the mountain grand

and hear the

fleavior

God to thee.

How great thou are,

how great thou are.

Then sings my soul,

myior

God to thee.

How great thou are.

How great

are

God?

I s

on the cross

my burden gladly

he

died

to take away my s

Then sings my soul,

my savior God to thee.

How great thou are.

This is my soul,

my

God to thee.

How great thou

great

when Christ come

with shout

and take me home.

What joy shall fill my heart

when I shall

incl

my soul. Oh

myior

God to thee.

How great thou are.

How great thou are

my soul.

Myior

God to thee.

How great thou are.

How great

thou,

you know, we think about these songs.

When the heart is fully given to God, it

it not only praises him inwardly, it

does something else. It begins to speak

openly about him outwardly. That's what

you find that scripture as well is God's

people must tell of his marvelous works.

I will tell of all of your marvelous

works. So when you think about praise,

praise is not meant to be private.

Think about that. Gratitude that is real

eventually becomes something we we might

use that word testify or testimony.

And David did not just feel thankful.

What did he do? He spoke of God's works.

I want you to think about over the last

week, how many of us spoke of God's

works.

How many of us did that? Because one of

the saddest realities among God's people

is that we are often more vocal about

well you can name any category you might

want politics or sports or frustrations,

stress, work, right? Daily

inconveniences and again the list could

go on and on and on

than we are about the goodness of God.

We can describe a bad meal in detail.

Can we not do that? We can we can tell

you all about the bad meal stuff, but

then struggle in to describe the

faithfulness of God with the same

energy.

David said, "I will tell."

There's something powerful about a mouth

that remembers what God has done. And

I'm not saying that this is uh meaning

emotional exaggeration

or some type of manufactured story or

anything like that. It means that we

intentionally speak of his providence,

his mercy, his deliverance, his truth,

his saving grace. Those are several

things. And God's marvelous works. I

mean, just think about it. We see it in

creation every day

and providence and judgment, his

covenant dealings supremely in

redemption through Jesus Christ.

Friends, what I'm submitting to you is

what David is sharing with us. Even from

a heart that a silent

Christian in a noisy world has forgotten

how much God has done.

Imagine a man who's rescued from a

burning house.

He barely made it out alive. His family

was saved because someone rushed in and

brought them out. You think that that

man would spend the rest of his life

never mentioning the one who came and

rescued him and his household? You think

that? Never even think of that guy ever

say anything about him?

I think we know the answer to that. Of

course not.

Because here's the thing. The greater

the rescue, the louder the gratitude

ought to be.

I thought of the many who put on Christ

in baptism in the book of Acts that

we've studied so far even and one of

those we studied not too long ago is the

Ethiopian unic. I want us to read that

passage there from Acts chapter 8. The

Acts 8 · chapter mention

Scottet is going to read Acts 8:es

34-39.

Listen to these words.

So the unic answered Philillip and said,

I ask you, of whom does the prophet say

this, of himself or of some other man?

Then Philip opened his mouth and began

at the scripture, preached Jesus to him.

Now as they went down the road, they

came to some water. And the unic said,

see here is water. What hinders me from

being baptized? Then Philip said, if you

believe with all your heart, you may.

And he answered and said, "I believe

that Jesus Christ is the son of God." So

he commanded the chariot to stand still.

And both Philip and the unic went down

into the water, and he baptized him. Now

when they came up out of the water, the

spirit of the Lord caught Philip away,

so that the unic saw him no more, and he

went on his way rejoicing.

Don't notice anything particular in that

verse 39 even what it what did the

Ethiopian unic do? He came out of that

watery grave. You know from Romans 6 to

walk in newness of life

in Christ.

It says he went on his way doing what?

Rejoicing. You think he went and told

some people? I think we know the answer

to that. What what what am I pointing to

again? What I mentioned a moment ago.

The greater the rescue, the louder the

gratitude ought to be. That one who has

been rescued from sin, from

condemnation, from hopelessness, apart

from Christ, how can we not tell of his

wondrous and marvelous works?

What we see here is we speak of God in

our homes.

We speak of God to our children.

We speak of God to our brethren. We

speak of God to our neighbors, our

co-workers. We speak of God when we are

afraid. We speak of God when we are

thankful. And the list again could go

on. The tongue that complains constantly

has forgotten

how to speak joyfully.

Next song we'll sing that right along

with our theme tonight. Brother Kyle

Copel will lead us in number 48 on

Zion's glorious summon. Holy, holy, holy

Lord God Almighty which was and is and

is to come. Revelations 4 and verse 8.

And following this song, Brother Bill

Rose will lead us in our scripture

reading from Psalm 9:es 3-8.

Z glorious

hosting

by blood. I am the king in strings.

I heard the song and

joy.

I heard the song and

here all who suffer

for true Lord Jesus

name

and hail.

Amen.

And bow before the great

I

am.

and

before the great

everlasting

age

and sings of forever.

You

rises

to

holy

Holy,

holy

Lord

God of host on high

mighty

Holy,

holy,

holy

Lord

I host.

I adore.

When my enemies turn back, they shall

fall and perish at your presence. For

you have maintained my right and my

cause. You sat on the throne in judging

and righteousness. You have rebuked the

nations. You have destroyed the wicked.

You have bladed out their name forever

and ever. Oh enemy and destructions are

finished forever. and you have destroyed

cities, even their memory has perished.

But the Lord shall endure forever, as he

prepared his throne for judgment. He

shall judge the world and righteousness,

and he shall administer judgment for the

peoples and and upright uprightness.

As David remembers and speaks of God's

works, he then grounds his confidence in

this truth. And the truth that he shared

right here is as brother Aiden Mosley

just read for us is God is not merely

active.

He is reigning. That God still sits on

the throne reigning. What verse seven

just said, "But the Lord shall endure

forever. He has prepared his throne for

judgment." I think it's quite we're

quite aware that David had enemies.

Uh he saw wickedness.

He knew oppression of man. Yet his

confidence was rooted in the unchanging

throne of God. That is the great

stabilizing truth of scripture that God

has not surrendered his throne.

Earthly thrones, they've changed hands,

don't they? Governments, they rise and

they fall. We see that throughout

history. Cultures shift.

Nations tremble. Courts, they fail.

Men disappoint, but what do we see David

saying? God still

reigns.

I think about even last week I was

seeing how the world looks so chaotic,

doesn't it?

It's chaotic

because what we see is movement on the

surface. That's what we see.

Psalm 9 reminds us to look above the

surface. Above all earthly confusion is

a heavenly throne occupied by a

righteous judge.

What does that mean for us today living

in 2026?

Evil is not ultimate.

Injustice is not unnoticed.

History is not random. And the people of

God are never abandoned to chance.

Friends, when we

when our hearts when they forget the

throne of God, you know what it does? It

begins bowing to the fears of men.

Some are overwhelmed by what they see in

society,

shaken by what they see in the family.

Some are burdened even by what they see

in their own life. But Psalm 9 says

that yes, there's enemies, no doubt.

But it says there is a greater king.

Not denying trouble

but declares a throne. Does not ignore

injustice

but simply reminds us of righteous

judgment.

And I would submit to you that the

church must never act as though the

future of truth depends on the strength

of man. Truth rests securely in the

reign of God. Because what the psalmist

is reminding of it reminding us tonight

is that our God, he is alive. We're

going to sing this song. Brother Roland

Morris is going to lead us in all verses

of number nine. Our God, he is alive.

And then brother Keith Weise will lead

us in our next scripture reading after

this song, Psalm 9:es 9 and 10. If you

will please stand for this song as well.

All four.

There is beyond the edge of

the rock.

He lifted

and break the world with his great mind.

There is a

>> we

promise our God our God

is our God. He is our God.

There was a long long time ago

the prophets heard.

He is the God that we should know

who speaks from his inspired

word.

There is our God.

>> There is our God. He alone

we

survive from the star.

>> From the star.

He is our God.

I am

s

from

God holders

they cannot find

for God alone does

understand

There is a God.

He is alive. He is

we

from our God.

He is our God. We are God.

Our God

upon the tree.

All

that

from sin might set them free.

Ever

within

there is a God.

from our God. Our God

is our God. He is our God.

And that's Psalm 9 9-10. The Lord also

will be a refuge for the oppressed, a

refuge in times of of trouble. And those

who will know your name will put their

trust in you. For you, Lord, have for

have not forsaken those who seek you.

Because God reigns. His

people do not have to live in despair

because as we just see there from that

passage, they can make him their refuge.

I think that's a very precious truth

that God is not merely a ruler over all.

He's a refuge for his people. A refuge

as we think know is a place of safety.

It's a shelter. Some might call it a

stronghold.

somewhere you run when danger is real.

And David says the Lord is that refuge.

Notice that the text does not say his

people never experienced oppression.

They never experienced troubles. It says

what? They have somewhere to go.

Faith does not erase all storms,

but it gives the soul an anchor in the

storm.

And notice the connection between

knowledge and trust. It says that those

who know your name will put their trust

in you.

The more deeply we know God, the more

confidently we trust him.

Weak trust, what that does often comes

from shallow acquaintance.

The soul that spends no time with God

finds it hard, finds it very difficult

to lean on him when the winds arise.

Friends, what we run to in trouble

reveals what or whom we truly trust.

Because trouble reveals whether God has

been our true refuge or merely a Sunday

concept.

Let me ask you, where do you run when

your heart is heavy? Maybe a marriage is

strained,

when your body is hurting, when your

mind is burdened, when your future seems

uncertain. Where do you go?

Some run to anger, some run to

distraction, some run to pleasure, some

run to bitterness,

some run to the opinions of men.

But the child of God is called to run to

the Lord. Why is that?

Because there's hope there in that

refuge

just as in the song that we'll sing.

Next is because he lives.

Because he lives. Number 610. We'll sing

this song together to remind us. Brother

Kyle Hill will lead us in all verses of

this song and then brother Kyle Hill

will lead us in our next scripture

reading of Psalm 9 19 and 20.

Number 610.

>> God's son

Jesus.

He came to you

and forive.

He lived and died

to bind my

empty gra

to prove ourior

because he lives

tomorrow

because he lives

is

because I know

he holds a future

and life is worth living

because he lives.

How sweet to

our newborn baby.

and build the

enjoy

but gurent

because he lives

he

I can face tomorrow

because he lives.

All fear is gone.

Because I know

he holds a future

and light is worth

because he liv

my I s

with pain

and

death

to victory.

I'll see the light of glory and the

glory

because he lives

tomorrow

because he lives

because I know

he holds a future

and his word

just because he liv

reading out of Psalm versus ES 19- 20

Arise, O Lord, and do not let man

prevail. Let the nations be judged

before thee. Put them in fear, oh Lord,

and let the nations know that they are

but men.

When God becomes our refuge, what David

is saying is that praise deepens. We do

not merely ask him for help. We remember

that he does not forget his people.

My last point that I'll give you

tonight, there were several other ones

that I had obviously and you might be

thinking, well, missed a gap in the

verses there,

but one I wanted, final one I wanted to

give you is this. Man is frail, but God

is final.

that passage

that brother Kyle just read.

I think this is a fitting conclusion

because David calls on God to act so

that mankind will remember its limits.

You know that one of man's oldest sins

is selfexaltation.

Humanity keeps trying to live as though

it's sovereign.

answerable to no one,

accountable to no throne higher than

itself.

But yet Psalm 9 reminds us that men are

just that,

but men.

Put them in fear, oh Lord, that the

nations may know themselves

to be but men, say,

I think that's humbling.

I think it's corrected. I think it's

needed

because we live in a world that is well,

if I use the word drunk on human ability

because men boast in power, technology,

influence, wealth, intellect, military,

strength, self-exression. That list

could keep going.

But yet all of it's fragile, isn't it?

All of it's fragile.

Because let me submit something to you.

One disease,

one accident,

one crisis,

one breath withheld.

And proud man is reminded of how small

he really is.

David reminds us tonight, God alone is

ultimate. God alone is eternal. And God

alone is judge.

Friends, the beginning of wisdom,

fear God.

Beginning of wisdom is to remembering

that we are not God

and we never were.

As I was thinking about our fragility,

a picture came into my mind. I had to

search for one because, you know, this

is the idea that I had in my mind is of

a sand castle.

Now, I did not build that obviously.

Make sure that's clear.

But you know that sand castle looks

quite impressive on the shore.

The towers,

walls,

designs,

all the detail may all be there.

But when the tide comes,

its weakness is revealed.

So much of human pride

is like that sand castle.

It's impressive. No doubt it's

impressive

only until it meets the tide of reality.

But the one who builds on God stands on

that which outlasts the tide.

What Psalm 9 has done is binds us and

calls us to humility. It calls sinners

to repentance. It calls saints to

dependence. And it calls all people to

reverence before God. We must never

build our lives on human strength. We

must build on

God Almighty, our creator and sustainer

of all things. So friends, in this time

that we spent looking at these few

scriptures and the theme that we

consider tonight in our sermon and song

lesson, Psalm 9 is a psalm for troubled

spirits,

troubled hearts, faithful lips. It

teaches us to praise God wholeheartedly,

speak of his marvelous works, trust his

throne, run to him as refuge, rest in

his remembrance, and humble ourselves

before his final authority.

Because the great need of our time is

not simply more information.

It's deeper God centeredness.

Because we are surrounded by voices that

magnify men, that magnify fear, that

magnify outrage, that magnify self. But

even the song that we started out with

was magnify, oh magnify our God. And

Psalm 9 did just that. Magnified God.

And when God is rightly magnified,

everything else is seen

more clearly.

As I close, I give you one last thing,

something else to imagine.

If you've ever had the wonderful

privilege and opportunity to stand at

the base of a mountain, quite

impressive. I'll never forget the first

time I went to Colorado.

It was just magnificent.

I've seen pictures of the mountains all

the time, but I have that one time just

to be able to see the mountain the first

time, stand at the base of it,

but then if you are to hold a small coin

close to your eye,

that tiny coin can block your view of

the mountain entirely.

Is it because the coin is bigger? I

think we know the answer to that. It's

not because the coin is bigger, but

because it is closer.

You know, that's what trouble often

does. It moves so close to our thoughts

that it seems bigger than God. What's

David telling us in Psalm 9?

Psalm 9 has essentially pulled the coin

away from our eyes and let us see what

the mountain

truly is. Here's the point. God was

always greater. It's just we had simply

lost perspective.

It's my hope in this lesson or the

imagery that we've given in the sermon

and the songs that we sang, the

scriptures read, the prayers offered has

reminded us that the strongest life is

not the one with the fewest troubles.

Friends,

but the one that has learned to make

much of God in every single season.

If you're not a Christian,

if you haven't put on the body of Christ

in baptism tonight, you can do that.

The greatest marvelous work God has done

for you is Christ Jesus for all of us

through his death, burial, and

resurrection, the way of salvation has

been opened, access has been given. And

if you believe in Christ, what do we

find in Acts chapter 8, our reading? If

Acts 8 · chapter mention

you believe with all your heart, thou

mayest. He says, here's what h me from

being baptized. If you believe with all

your heart, thou mayest. If that's if

you believe, then you can put on the

body of Christ in baptism, repenting of

your sins, confessing Jesus, be buried

with him, bapt to rise and walk in

newness of life as Romans 6 3 and 4

says,

so you can be added to his church we

talked about this morning.

Or as a disciple of Christ, maybe you

have allowed fear, distraction, sin, or

discouragement to silence your praise.

Today is a good day to return to the God

who still reigns because what Psalm 9

has taught us in the songs that we've

sang as well is the Lord is still

worthy. The Lord is still refuge. The

Lord still remembers and the Lord still

saves.

Let us never forget that he is worthy of

our praise.

Song of invitation is without him.

At that time you were without Christ,

having no hope and without God in the

world. Ephesians 2 and verse 12. The

song says and speaks volumes to what we

talked about tonight.

Without him I could do nothing. Without

him I surely fail.

Don't go another day. Not another moment

without. If you're a sub invitation

call, won't you come as we stand to sing

the song that's been

Without

him I could do nothing.

Without

him, my surus

Oh Jesus,

you know him today.

Do not turn him away.

Oh Jesus,

what

I will be.

Without

him I would be dying.

Without

him I beave.

Without

him I would be homeless.

But with Jesus

and God

Today

they're not turning

the way

Jesus.

Oh Jesus

how

I

>> Please seated.

song before the Lord's supper number 186

I stand all four verses before

I stand

in the present.

in the

for

my will but

he cried with tears in his sorrow

and swelled drops of

mine.

He took my sins and my sorrows.

He made him his

own.

He bore the bread to

suffer and died alone.

And with the ransoming glory,

this face I am shall sing.

Will be my joy through the ages

to sing of his love for me.

Oh, how marvelous.

Oh, how wonderful

my song shall ever

be.

How marvelous,

how

wonderful

is my

love for me.