All Saints Anglican Church Sermons

In the in-between time

Text: Psalm 134

It is hard to believe that we are ending our time in the Ascension Psalms tomorrow! The final Psalm invites the priests of the Lord to continually bless the Lord. In our new-covenant reality, Christ completes this invitation for us and invites us into it.

The Psalm is ultimately about what life looks like in the inbetween and it's instruction is simple: bless the Lord, praise the Lord. In the valleys, on the plains, in the in-between times, we are invited to bless the everyday.

How good and delightful

Text: Psalm 133

One of the things we've been thinking about as we've read through the Ascension Psalms is how to read them canonically, that is, how they fit together as a whole. We have seen that we are on a trajectory from Galilee to Jerusalem to the Cross to life in the resurrected Christ. Tomorrow, we are nearing the end. Psalm 133 anticipates, in a deep and hope-filled way, eternity bound together in Christ, in unity one with another.

Although short, Psalm 133 is a beautiful illumination of the saints' unified worship. There are beautiful similes that depict good and delightful worship as the saints are bound together for all eternity.

The chief end of man

The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.

Text: Psalm 132

In this sermon, we will look at Psalm 132, which at first glance seems to wander around, but as we dig into the Psalm, we cant help but think of the beginning of the Westminster Shorter Catechism's first question.

What is the chief end of man?

The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.

In this Psalm, we see an arc of glorifying God, culminating in all of God's people enjoying that glory. Two promises are made in this Psalm that only make sense in light of Christ: that a son of David would sit on his throne forever, and that David would be glorified. As we work our way through this Psalm, we will see how Christ glorifies his Father, how our salvation allows us to do likewise, and how, in Him, we can enjoy God's glory every day.

In Christ Alone

Text: Psalm 131

In this sermon, we look at Psalm 131. This is a very short but encouraging Psalm. In Hebrew it is 3 verses, and each verse represents a thought:

• Vanquish your proud spirit.

• Fosert a quiet faith.

• A calling to hope. (Paraphrased from the WBS Psalms commentary).

These three invitations push us to rid ourselves of our desire to be our own king and sovereign and trust the king and sovereign of our universe and our lives - Christ. It is in Christ alone, that we are carried along, and brought into fellowship and hope with one another and God our father.

Deep Despair, Deeper Delight

Text: Psalm 130 

The Psalm this week begins with this resounding cry: "Out of the deep." We've discussed this fairly often, perhaps because it is one of my favorite types of imagery in scripture, but the imagery of the sea is that of uncontrollable, chaotic forces. The Psalmist starts, and there is a sense of being overcome by the forces of chaos.

Yet, like last week's Psalm, the Psalmist has a particular faith that God will deliver him. It proves to be a sure hope, and we are reminded that as God redeems us, he is glorified, and that it is his very nature to redeem and preserve his people. Because of this, we have an unfailing hope.

The Hostile Ground

Text: Psalm 129

We've probably all faced seasons in our lives when it seemed as though every day someone was mad at us for something. Rumors kept getting spread, and people kept trying to ruin us. In Psalm 129, the Psalmist speaks to this, but unlike other lament songs, there is a sense of victory.

One of the best parts of living in the Church is knowing that Christ has already won; he has defeated death and freed us from sin, so that nothing can separate us from his love. Psalm 129 looks forward to this assurance and hope, even if the present reality is challenging.

The Good Vine

Text: Psalm 128

As we continue through the Ascension Psalms, we'll look at Psalm 128. This Psalm makes incredible promises, but they depend directly on the completion of the first covenant, which no one has perfectly fulfilled. That is no one, until Christ, who fulfills the covenant perfectly.

We carefully consider this Psalm and we realize it is to Christ the promises are made. In other words, it is through the church, Christ's bride, that he is given a fruitful vine, children like olive shoots, and eternal blessing upon blessings. Understanding the Psalm this way gives us hope for the future and the eventual inauguration of Christ's kingdom.

 

A Holy Laughter

Securely Rejoicing

Text: Psalm 124

In the progression of the Songs of Ascent, and we see a move from fear to hope to joy. As we enter into Psalm 122, we see how the Psalmist is excited - rejoicing even to go to the House of the Lord to worship him.

This joy isn't based on any worldly expectation but on the nature of who God is, how he will behave, and the reality that his judgment is good. As we read this, we are reminded that we are called to have this same gladness or excitement, not just to go to church but because we know where our eternal home is. It is in the new Jerusalem, where we will reside with the same good God for all of eternity.

A Steadfast Guardian

Text: Psalm 121

This sermon examines Psalm 121. It is a promise that God will be your helper and defender into eternity. One of the most notable features is that the Psalmist uses the word "keep" six times. Keep is an interesting way to translate this word, and it dates back at least to 1535 and the publication of the Coverdale Bible. But keep is an incomplete understanding of what the Psalmist is saying; he is saying that the Lord is our constant guardian, persistent and active.

As we think about how this Psalm relates to Christ and points to him, his person, and his work, perhaps the most obvious way is how in the totality of his humanity Jesus was fully dependent upon God-the-Father's protection. He did this perfectly, fully away that the LORD shall preserve thy going out, and thy coming in, from this time forth for evermore.

Psalm 121 reminds us that in season and out of season, no matter where we go, the Lord is our protector, our steadfast guardian.