Sermon(Ps 50): Offer God a sacrifice of thanksgiving

The original Korean text: https://blog.naver.com/stevision/50025614208

 

>> 1 The Mighty One, God the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. .... 4 he calls to the heavens above and to the earth, that he may judge his people. .... 7 “Hear, O my people, and I will speak, O Israel, I will testify against you. I am God, your God. 8 I do not reprove you for your sacrifices; your burnt offerings are continually before me. 9 I will accept no bull from your house, nor he-goat from your folds. 10 For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. ... 12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you; for the world and all that is in it is mine. 13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? 14 Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High; 15 and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.” 16 But to the wicked God says: “What right have you to recite my statutes, or take my covenant on your lips? ....” (Ps 50) <<

 

People seem to feel more freedom when they give something good to someone rather than when they receive it from him. If you received something from someone, you may have a feeling of indebtedness to him, even though he gave it with goodwill. If a father is rich, he will give to his son as much as he can, with pleasure. The father will be proud of himself when the son gladly thanks him. Some say that fathers feel unrespected and sad when sons refuse fathers' earnest support and help, thinking they are adult already. Doesn't the God have the same feelings, for he is the Father of all humans?

 

Today's text, Psalm 50, is a poem by Asaph. He was a Levite and was the conductor of the choir in the days of king David. A conductor of a choir! It is a wonderful position that attracts people's attention, but it is a position that makes him very mentally exhausted every Sunday worship of God. The members of the church don't take it seriously if the sentences of the sermon are a bit crude or if the pastor sometimes makes mistakes. But if one of the members of the choir makes a mistake, it is a nightmare itself. If you stand on the podium as a conductor, your legs begin to shake for tension and fear. How did I come to know that? Once upon a time, the choir conductor at the church I attended moved to another church, and an elder of the church recommended me to the pastor as a choir conductor, so I took the position quite unexpectedly. I can read books on a desk long, but I'm not activity-type. So either running or dancing or, frankly speaking, even the conduct of the choir is not my favorite activity. But I did it because the church wanted me to do it. Of course, I heard some complaints that my conduct was somewhat stiff. But I obeyed the church and did it. It was very embarrassing for me to conduct the choir when I had no ability to conduct. But I carried out faithfully what the church entrusted to me although it didn't suit me. And God allowed me to pass the entrance exam of a graduate school of theology, Y** University, in December of that year. Of course, some of the members of the choir made me upset. One day, the pianist of the choir, who was the eldest daughter of the elder that had recommended me to the pastor as a conductor, (maybe) fell into temptation and went ahead with a strike(!), so that her younger sister had to play the piano in the choir instead of her. One day, the female solist didn't show up for the chorus practice on the morning of Sunday. I felt some foreboding, so I chose another easy chorus song and prepared in a hurry the chorus for the worship of God. The woman didn't come that day. I had an eye to see the future(!) on that day, so the worship of God was not spoiled. My God, bless the two women! Strangely, there is no hate for them in my heart. They gave me two old good memories. I'm saying this because I am wondering if there were >any members of choir conducted by Asaph< who upset him. By the way, perhaps didn't Asaph accept the position of conductor in obedience to God and carry out his duties faithfully for the sake of God's glory, although he was not good at conduct of the choir? And perhaps didn't he write today's Psalm 50 as the confession of his blessed life because he was grateful to God for the more blessings he received than others? Asaph is a man full of thankful mind for God. My brethren, be thankful of God's grace. Be faithful to whatever work God has entrusted to you. Moses said to God that he could not be a competent leader, but God ignored his plea and appointed him leader of Israel. Moses obeyed him and achieved great feat.

 

The God known to Asaph was One who searched the good and the wicked and made judgements on them all. God is a righteous judge. "The heavens declare his righteousness, for God himself is judge! (v.6)" God accepts no bribes, and his judgments are correct, and there is no one who can override them. Therefore all his people who fear him do not give up their eternal hope, while the wicked who like refusing his words end their life in despair. My brethren, never forget that a day certainly comes when God will judge all your deeds. So from now on abandon all your dirty habits and sins and live in obedience to God's words.

 

First, God tells his people what mindset they should have. In a word, it is 'Have the heart of children toward God'. Yes, my brethren! We must believe in the God who is the richest in the world. God tells his people that all beasts and cattle in the world are his. "For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the air, and all that moves in the field is mine. (v. 10, 11)" Who raises his livestock by feeding them on his(!) own milk? We must acknowledge that all cattle and beasts in the world are God's, because God raises them all, and it was God who created all living creatures. We must acknowledge that we received our all from God. So, how ridiculous would it be if we offer a sheep to God and want to hear the word, "Thank you, my son," from God? We must only thank God. God tells us through today's text that it is extremely absurd and impertinent for a believer to expect God to thank him. Do not serve God as you serve your old parents. Serve God only as a child who has received a lot of wealth from his infinitely rich father. We should thank God even while offering something good to him. My brethren, please do not brag yourself when you give God thank offerings or tithes. Only give thanks to God, and give thanks only to God!

 

"If I were hungry, ... Do I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? (v. 12, 13)" My brethren, will God eat a 100-million-won check? Will God wear a gold chain around his neck(!)? The passage tells us that offerings themselves cannot please God. If someone brings me a comic book that elementary school students enjoy, I won't take any interest in it, for it does not give me any pleasure. God is not a human being, so he does not have delight in beef like humans. We humans should give thanks to God unconditionally, nevertheless God says to us that we must not misunderstand, thinking we've done all that we must do when we give him just visible offerings. If we say that we can give thanks to God only with words without any offerings, the problem gets worse; so God wants 'thank offerings (sacrifices of thanksgiving (v. 14))'. God does not eat sacrifices humans offered to him indeed, but he says that he will gladly accept the sacrifices if they prepare and offer them with respect and thankfulness for him. To offer something to God just obligatorily and without gratitude is a sin of degrading him to a human creditor. God expects his people to know him as a very gracious, merciful, and rich father, and to worship him with thank offerings, in gratitude for the favors they've received.

 

God wants to have children who give him joy. That's why he wants children who offer sacrifices to him with thanks. God wants children who fear him. Therefore he does not want his people to swear rashly to him and to break their promises. "Pay your vows to the Most High. (v. 14)" It is not of great benefit to God even if you promised God something and kept the promise. However if you broke the promise you had made to God, you disrespected God, so that God's authority is undermined. Therefore God sternly commanded us not to make a vow at all if we could not keep it. In particular, we must not be presumptuous to swear rashly to do something unless the Holy Spirit made us confident of it. We don't know the future. What if you die before you keep your vows? Then you will become a ridiculous person and God's glory will be undermined. After sufficient prayer, you may make a vow in confidence and faith, then you must make great efforts to keep the vow. God wants to be glorified, so he commands his people to call to him for help in the days of trouble. "Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me. (v. 15)" God is our father. If we pray in plight to him, he is exceedingly pleased and helps us. When we praise God with thanks after freed from the problems, he is greatly honored. My brethren, tell the good heavenly father all your complicated problems. You will receive the gift of peace, and God will be glorified thanks to you.

 

After speaking to those who please God, God rages at the wicked. However, the wicked in Ps 50 are not so much the wicked in the world as those in Israel, that is, in the church. These wicked people say that they know the law of God and the covenant with God, that they keep them. >But to the wicked God says: "What right have you to recite my statutes, or take my covenant on your lips? (v. 16)"< But they are empty believers, that is, believers only nominally. "For you hate discipline, and you cast my words behind you. If you see a thief, you are a friend of his; and you keep company with adulterers. You give your mouth free rein for evil, and your tongue frames deceit. You sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother's son. (v. 17-20)" If you believe in God and want to be blessed and to obtain eternal life, you must obey God in the days of your life. If you believe in God, you must not transgress his law. How can both sweet water and bitter water come from the same well? How can you say that you believe in God, and utter abusive words, and slander others with one tongue? God abhors those who, attending church, keep sinning secretly without abandoning dirty habits, and will surely punish their sins one by one. "These things you have done and I have been silent; you thought that I was one like yourself. But now I rebuke you, and lay the charge before you. (v. 21)" God is faithful, so he warns a man not to sin in various ways if he begins to sin. If he keeps sinning despite the warning, God lets him continue heaping up his sins, and kills him abruptly one day. The God of justice does not send the punishment of breaking a man's backbones until the measure of his sins is filled. The period of God's silence is the time when the full amount of sin is filled. But in fact, it is the period when God sharpens his sword. My brethren, be fearful of the silent God! If God's silence continues even while you are sinning, you're already done. Therefore, knowing you're in a big crisis, you must quickly repent with tears before your bones are broken.

 

Do you go to church and still commit sins mentioned above? The final warning of God is this: "Mark this, then, you who forget God, lest I rend, and there be none to deliver! (v. 22)" If you believe in God, you must not keep committing sins, saying God is so gracious that he will naturally forgive you. But you must abandon the old dirty habits of sins and become a new man for the glory of God if you really believe in God. My brethren, never fall into a delusion that you can be a Christian even when you deliberately keep committing dirty sins. What a foolish man! The salvation of God is shown to those who order their way aright (v. 23).

 

Maybe Asaph, as a conductor of the choir, frequently taught the members of the choir what their life should be. And the teachings could be today's Psalm 50. Choir member is a holy office. The member must lead a holy life every day. Today's choir members, incline your ears to the message that Asaph, a leader of the choir of the temple of God, gave to you long ago. Stay away from sins and stand in the choir with a holy and grateful heart.

 

I pray that God's blessings may come upon all members of the choir of the church.

 

Chong Tack Kim

                                 - Dongtoma Sunshine Church -