Northlake Church | November 19, 2017 | Mike Garner
Psalm 56 | Thanksgiving
Locations & Times
Northlake Church
3610 Lohman Ford Rd, Lago Vista, TX 78645, USA
Sunday 9:00 AM
Sunday 10:45 AM
Welcome to Northlake Church!
Welcome! We're glad that you found us! As you get to know us, you'll see that we are just like you, people learning what it means to follow Jesus in their everyday life. In order to take away some of the mystery of what happens on Sunday mornings around here, we've jotted down a few tips on visiting Northlake Church for the first time, click the link below to visit our website to get to know us a little better! We pray that today, you are encouraged, that you feel welcomed and that you are reminded just how much Jesus loves you!
http://www.mynorthlake.com/im-newOnline Giving
We believe all that we have comes from the gracious hand of our God. It's not ours to keep; we've been entrusted by Him to be good managers of all that He has given us. So we view the giving of our time, talents and resources to the Lord as an act of worship. Regarding the stewardship of our financial resources, there are several ways we can participate in worship through giving...physically giving at one of our Sunday Gatherings, via check or cash and digitally giving through our church app, our website, or clicking on the link below to access mobile giving. Give as the Lord leads you, not under guilt or compulsion, with a thankful heart. Thank you for worshiping God in this way and being a part of helping Northlake Church accomplish its purpose of making disciples who make disciples!
https://secure.subsplash.com/ui/access/QVNS25
PSALM 56 | THANKSGIVING
Because GOD is for ME, I will not be AFRAID.
1 Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me; all day long an attacker oppresses me; 2 my enemies trample on me all day long, for many attack me proudly.
3When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. 4 In God, whose WORD I praise, in God I TRUST; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?
5 All day long they injure my cause; all their thoughts are against me for evil. 6 They stir up strife, they lurk; they watch my steps, as they have waited for my life. 7 For their crime will they escape? In wrath cast down the peoples, O God!
8 You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?
9 Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call. This I know, that God is for me. 10 In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise, 11 in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?
12 I must perform my vows to you, O God; I will render thank offerings to you. 13 For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.
Psalm 56 was written by David as he was fleeing from Saul. He ran to Gath, the Philistines, for protection, but quickly found out that they too were not going to protect him. David clearly shows in this Psalm that he experienced fear, stress and loneliness. But...he courageously proclaims his trust in God and knows He is on his side. Because of his trust in God, David was able to proclaim several things that he would do even though he was afraid...here are 6 things we can see David believed and acted on even when he was afraid...
Psalm 56:1...Be GRACIOUS to me, O God
> As a follower of Jesus, we have experienced his saving grace. What an amazing gift
> It doesn't stop there though. Everyday we should cry out for God's grace, that he would continue to work in and through us, graciously, so that we might become more and more like him
> Especially in light of fear, worry, doubt...David is crying out for God's grace, to help him. God uses fear in us to "pull us" back to him...he reveals scary things, big things, that we can't handle or do so that we would turn back to him...don't miss the opportunity to pray for grace everyday
Psalm 56:3...When I am AFRAID, I put my TRUST in you
> Put my trust in what is revealed to me in God's Word
-----the WRITTEN WORD: BIBLE, and
-----the LIVING WORD: JESUS
-----we learn and experience the LIVING WORD through the pages of the WRITTEN WORD...pick it up, read it, reap it, apply it to your life
> I will not be afraid [what can man do to me? NOTHING]
Psalm 56:9...This I know, that GOD IS FOR ME
Psalm 56:8
> He counts my tossing's
> He captures my tears in a bottle
> He writes them down in his journal
Psalm 56:12a...I must PERFORM my VOWS to you, O God
> Obeying the commands of God given to us through his Word
> Be faithful to do the things we vow to do: spiritual commitments, spiritual disciplines, time, talents, treasures...demonstrating and declaring the Gospel
> We don't PERFORM to gain God's approval, forgiveness or affection. We PERFORM out of gratitude, thankfulness because he has promised to be with us and he cares for us deeply. We live our lives as a response to his goodness
Psalm 56:12b...I will RENDER THANK OFFERINGS to you
> At Thanksgiving, we take time to thank God for all the good things he has provided
> Don't miss the opportunity to thank him for the difficult times also. He is working in the difficulties as much as he is working in the blessings...all of it is conforming us to his image. Suffering, difficulty, even experience fear is all part of helping us identify with Jesus and causes us to run to him, knowing that we desperately need him...we can't do it on our own
Psalm 56:13...For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may WALK before God in the LIGHT OF LIFE
John 8:12...Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
> Because we have Jesus, the Light of the World...we no longer have to walk in darkness, doubt, fear, worry, confusion...he has and will illuminate our lives so that we will be able to walk and live in him