(1) CONTINUAL RELATIONSHIP

6Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.(Phil. 4:6-7 KJV)

The call to cast our burdens upon the Lord requires continual reminder, prompting and perseverance on the part of the believer. To build a holy habit of complete dependence upon God is His desire for all His children. It is apt to remind ourselves to move from anxious fear to actual faith through prayer that Jesus may carry our burdens.

Hymns: RHC 339 When I Fear My Faith Will Fail, 348 Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah, 351 He Leadeth Me

PSALM 147

1 Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely. 2 The Lord doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel. 3 He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. 4 He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names. 5 Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite. 6 The Lord lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground. 7 Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God: 8 Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains. 9 He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry. 10 He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man. 11 The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy. 12 Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Zion. 13 For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates; he hath blessed thy children within thee. 14 He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat. 15 He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth: his word runneth very swiftly. 16 He giveth snow like wool: he scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes. 17 He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold? 18 He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: he causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow. 19 He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel. 20 He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the Lord. Psalm 147:1-20 (KJV)

EXTOLLING OUR ALL-CARING GOD

OUTLINE

His Redemptive Care (v1-6)
His Provisional and Protective Care (v7-14)
His Instructive Care (v15-20)

INTRODUCTION

It is observed, “The God of Israel is set forth in His peculiarity of glory as caring for the sorrowing, the insignificant and forgotten.” (CH Spurgeon) This is the singularly gracious God that the psalmist praises, to impress upon our hearts to extol and glorify.

God’s people, Israel, were wayward. They went after idols. God had to deal with them after their sins. Even after repeated warnings by God’s prophets to awaken them from their spiritual adultery, they were unrepentant. The Babylonians were sent to destroy Jerusalem. God’s people were exiled from the Promised Land for 70 years. It was a time of great sorrow. God brought them back to the land through the decree of Cyrus, the king of Persia.

(1) Gospel Rally 2018

Gospel Rally 2018_Come Unto Me

On the Lord’s Day 2 September 2018 at 3 pm, God willing, we shall have our Gospel Rally.

The theme of the Gospel Rally “Come Unto Me” are the words of our Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 11:28 “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Pray that the Lord will be gracious to help us invite friends and loved ones to hear the message of the gospel.

Pray that the Lord be gracious to save souls for His honour and glory.

Hymns: RHC 65 And Can It Be That I Should Gain? 70 Jesus, I Am Resting 360 My God, Is Any Hour So Sweet

Psalm 136

1 O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. 2 O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever. 3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever. 4 To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever. 5 To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever. 6 To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever. 7 To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever: 8 The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever: 9 The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever. 10 To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn: for his mercy endureth for ever: 11 And brought out Israel from among them: for his mercy endureth for ever: 12 With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm: for his mercy endureth for ever. 13 To him which divided the Red sea into parts: for his mercy endureth for ever: 14 And made Israel to pass through the midst of it: for his mercy endureth for ever: 15 But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: for his mercy endureth for ever. 16 To him which led his people through the wilderness: for his mercy endureth for ever. 17 To him which smote great kings: for his mercy endureth for ever: 18 And slew famous kings: for his mercy endureth for ever: 19 Sihon king of the Amorites: for his mercy endureth for ever: 20 And Og the king of Bashan: for his mercy endureth for ever: 21 And gave their land for an heritage: for his mercy endureth for ever: 22 Even an heritage unto Israel his servant: for his mercy endureth for ever. 23 Who remembered us in our low estate: for his mercy endureth for ever: 24 And hath redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth for ever. 25 Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever. 26 O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever. Psalm 136:1-26 (KJV)

THE LORD’S MERCY

DOTH ENDURE FOREVER

(1) Our Cause for Thanksgiving (v1-3)

(a) His enduring goodness (v1)

(b) His unsurpassable dominion overall (v2-3)

(2) Our Comfort in Trials (v4-24)

(a) His Creative Wisdom benefits His people (v4-9)

(b) His Continual Care strengthens His people (v10-25)

(i) In the Exodus (v10-15)

(ii) In the Wilderness (v16-20)

(iii) In the Promised Land (v21-22)

(c) Realizing our utter helplessness (v23)

(d) Realizing His willingness to save us (v24)

(3) Our Confidence to Trust Him all the way (v25)

Hymns: RHC 136 Come Ye Thankful People, 183 Jesus Paid It All, 43 God Is Still On the Throne

Psalm 93

1 The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the LORD is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved.

2 Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting.

3 The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves.

4 The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea.

5 Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh thine house, O LORD, for ever.

Psalm 93:1-5 (KJV)

THE LORD IS STILL ON THE THRONE