What can you give God
Psalms 116:1-19
What can you give God?
Psalms 116:1-19, I love the Lord, because He has heard My voice and my supplications. 2 Because He has inclined His ear to me, Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live. 3 The pains of death surrounded me, And the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me; I found trouble and sorrow. 4 Then I called upon the name of the Lord: “O Lord, I implore You, deliver my soul!” 5 Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; Yes, our God is merciful. 6 The Lord preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me. 7 Return to your rest, O my soul, For the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. 8 For You have delivered my soul from death, My eyes from tears, And my feet from falling. 9 I will walk before the Lord In the land of the living. 10 I believed, therefore I spoke, “I am greatly afflicted.” 11 I said in my haste, “All men are liars.” 12 What shall I render to the Lord For all His benefits toward me? 13 I will take up the cup of salvation, And call upon the name of the Lord. 14 I will pay my vows to the Lord
Now in the presence of all His people. 15 Precious in the sight of the Lord Is the death of His saints. 16 O Lord, truly I am Your servant; I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant; You
have loosed my bonds. 17 I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving, And will call upon the name of the Lord. 18 I will pay my vows to the Lord Now in the presence of all His people, 19 In the courts of the Lord’s house, In the midst of you, O Jerusalem. Praise the Lord!
Loving people. Sheep & Goats! People want to take not to give!
Church service is it for you? Or God? Pastor is not there then people are you not coming to church? Worship is not what I can get rather what I can give it to God?
What can I give it to the Lord? Psalms 113-118 Hallel songs Hebrew name literally means “praise,” Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! These songs were sung during the Passover! In ancient times Jews recited these hymns on the three Pilgrim Festivals, when they offered their required sacrifices in the Temple of Jerusalem.
Remembering the deliverance what the Lord had done.
- 10 plagues
- Passover
- Red Sea crossing
- Manna
- Protection
- Provision
- Milk & honey
- Own country
Walk down the memory lane.
What comes out of your mouth? Benefits of walking with God V 1, I love the Lord, because He has heard My voice and my supplications God answered my prayers!
- Don’t know what to pray
- God answers what you did not ask
- God did not answer the wrong prayers
- God did answer when I did not do my part.
I love the Lord
Prayers are rendered through love! God answered me more than what I asked of Him. V 7, Return to your rest, O my soul, For the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. Abundance!
Ephesians 3:20, Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,
God has been merciful to me! V 5, Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; Yes, our God is merciful. But for His mercy we would have been gone astray! We have fallen short of the requirement. Not doing right according to God.
Yet His mercy protected me! Times we were stupid, yet God protected me. V 6, The Lord preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me. Simple meaning stupid.
When you write a CV there are merits you would like to add but there are some huge black marks on mine! God did answer the prayer by protecting me. V 8, For You have delivered my soul from death, My eyes from tears, And my feet from falling.
Soul from death! Feet from falling. Let me ask you a question now what can you give it to the Lord? Imagine if God must write an invoice for you will you be able to pay?
For the air you breath?
For the water you consumed?
For the life you got?
For the health you had got?
For the salvation?
1. Take the cup of salvation
V 12-13, What shall I render to the Lord For all His benefits toward me? 13 I will take up the cup of salvation, And call upon the name of the Lord.
What could you possibly pay?
Genesis 14:22, But Abram replied to the king of Sodom, "I have raised my hand to the LORD God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth,
Deuteronomy 10:14, Behold, to the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, and the earth and everything in it.
Psalms 24:1, The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell therein.
Giving by taking? Receive the eternal life Accept the offer of salvation Illustration: Someone inviting you for a meal and offending them by not eating. Sacrificial giving of Praise. God came as Jesus Ultimate sacrifice of Himself.
Jesus who took a sip in the cup who had. You must take a sip of the sacrificial cup.
2. Lift up my cup
V 13, I will take up the cup of salvation, And call upon the name of the Lord. Let everyone know that you are a Christian. I am not ashamed.
Romans 1:16, For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
Are you silent? How can you be silent when God’s name is been blasphemed?
What is your testimony?
Have you shared it with others? Do your colleagues know that you are a Christian? Go public!
Psalms 23:4-5, Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.
3. Call on the name of the Lord
V 1, I love the Lord, because He has heard My voice and my supplications V 13, I will take up the cup of salvation, And call upon the name of the Lord. I will call again. First, he started to call, and God answered! Again, call upon the Lord.
V 1, the Hebrew word means that God heard my silent prayer. Private prayers got the answer publicly. V 2-3, more grace Because He has inclined His ear to me, Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live. 3 The pains of death surrounded me, And the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me; I found trouble and sorrow.
Is prayer being the last thing in your life? What to do we have nothing more to do anything so we will pray? Is that what you do?
Is prayer being the 1st in your priority list? V 11, I said in my haste, “All men are liars.” I can’t trust men but God. 3 Bid system to fulfil your request.
4. Pay my vow
V 14, I will pay my vows to the Lord Now in the presence of all His people. Vow- Promise I will pay back my promise. Sacrifice of thanks.
Jonah 2:9, But I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving. That which I have vowed I will pay. Salvation is from the Lord.
Psalms 50:14, Sacrifice a thank offering to God, and fulfil your vows to the Most High.
Hosea 14:2, Bring your confessions and return to the LORD. Say to Him: "Take away all our iniquity and receive us graciously, that we may present the fruit of our lips.
Hebrews 13:15, Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips that confess His name.
When you come to church you don’t feel like praising God. You may be tempted to shout at the guy asking you lift up your hands. Maybe you didn’t want to come to church but will you offer the sacrifice of thanks to God. When everything going down the hill will you say thank you Lord?
Conclusion.
The Psalmist make this commitment. 1. He will love God (V 1). 2. He will continue to call upon him (V. 2, 13, 17). 3. He will rest in him (V. 7). 4. He will walk before him (V. 9). 5. He will pay his vows of thanksgiving publicly (V. 13-15, 17-19).
6. He will continue God's faithful servant till his life's end
(V. 16).