Safety Success and Waiting

A reason for hope

Theme: Songs of Worship

Scripture: Psalms 121, 127, 130

Objectives: (From the D6 Fusion Sunday School Lesson book)

Know: The Lord alone is our source of help, hope, and forgiveness.

Think: I am always conscious of the fact that I need God in every area of life.

Do: Look to God for help in all areas of our lives.

B1 Psalm 121

C1 Setting: people were traveling to Jerusalem to go to the Temple. The had to climb up to Jerusalem. Whether the people feared what was in the hills or looked to the hills for safety doesn’t matter.

C2 Points to know: Safety comes from the Lord.

D1 He can provide spiritual safety for us in good doctrine, faith, and hope: 2 Peter 2:9 WEL The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of trials and to reserve the unrighteous for punishment on the Day of Judgment.

D2 He can provide emotional safety: Luke 4:18 MKJV The Spirit of the Lord is on Me; because of this He has anointed Me to proclaim the Gospel to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim deliverance to the captives, and new sight to the blind, to set at liberty those having been crushed.

D3 He can provide physical safety: 2 Timothy 4:17-18 MKJV But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, that through me the preaching might be fulfilled, and that all the nations might hear. And I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. 18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work and will preserve me to His heavenly kingdom, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

D4 He does not promise immunity from trials but deliverance. This deliverance may come quickly or wait until our death and carriage into heaven by the angels.

C3 More points to know

D1 Psalm 121:2 God helps us to remain steadfast and faithful. Psalms 62:1-2 NKJV TRULY my soul silently [waits] for God; From Him [comes] my salvation. He only [is] my rock and my salvation; [He is] my defense; I shall not be greatly moved.

D2 Psalm 121:3-4 God doesn’t need sleep and doesn’t sleep. He is alert to everything that happens. Jude 1:24 WEL Now to him who is able to protect you from falling and to present [you] without blame before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy.

D3 Psalm 121:5 God is always with us. Hebrews 13:5 ESV Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

D4 Psalm 121:6 God is able to protect us day and/or night: 2 Corinthians 1:10 WPNT He did deliver us from that deadly peril, and still delivers; in whom we trust that He will keep on delivering.

D5 Psalm 121:7-8 God is able to protect our soul: Psalms 32:7 HCSB You are my hiding place; You protect me from trouble. You surround me with joyful shouts of deliverance. Selah

C4 Questions:

D1 Who is our guardian, our protection?

D2 Why does He do this?

D3 What does this tell us about God’s character?

D4 How can we help others?

B2 Psalm 127,

C1 Setting: this is a song of ascents just as Psalm 121. Solomon wrote this under inspiration of God. Since it is a song of ascents, it is written about God’s house. There are many applications of needing God’s help and blessing for everything we do.

C2 Points to know:

D1 Psalm 127:1 Perfect success only comes from God. John 15:5 WEL I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains attached to me (and I to him) will bear much fruit, for you can do nothing without me.

D2 Psalm 127:2 A workaholic might get more money, but he/she loses much.

E1 Proverbs 15:16 GNB92 Better to be poor and fear the LORD than to be rich and in trouble.

E2 1 Timothy 6:10 WEB For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some have been led astray from the faith in their greed, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

D3 Psalm 127:3-5

E1 Children are better than money.

E2 This blessing is particularly towards Israel: Deuteronomy 7:13 NASB77 “And He will love you and bless you and multiply you; He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your new wine and your oil, the increase of your herd and the young of your flock, in the land which He swore to your forefathers to give you.

E3 If someone does not want children, they do not sin.

E4 If someone cannot have children, they are not being cursed by God.

D4 Questions

E1 How should we define success?

E2 Why is God’s blessing necessary for real success?

E3 Why are children a blessing?

E4 What about those that do not or can not have children?

B3 Psalm 130,

C1 Setting: this is another song of ascents. As the people travel closer to Jerusalem and the Temple, people need to think about their standing with God. They need to ask, “Are there any sins I have committed?”

C2 Psalm 130:1 Despair is present from personal, family, or national sins in Israel. Psalms 71:20 NKJV You, who have shown me great and severe troubles, Shall revive me again, And bring me up again from the depths of the earth.

C3 Psalm 130:2 The Psalmist is serious and pleads for God to listen to him, forgive him, and restore him. Psalms 28:2 GNB92 Hear me when I cry to you for help, when I lift my hands toward your holy Temple.

C4 Psalm 130:3 Sin, breaking God’s law, must be punished. It is either Messiah Jesus or me. Colossians 2:14 NLT - He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.

C5 Psalm 130:4 Only God can forgive sins. Psalms 51:1-2 NKJV HAVE mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.

C6 Psalm 130:5 Waiting for God’s counsel, blessing, forgiveness, wisdom, etc. is always a good thing.

D1 Lamentations 3:25-27 GNB92 The LORD is good to everyone who trusts in him, So it is best for us to wait in patience—to wait for him to save us— And it is best to learn this patience in our youth.

D2 We must watch and wait. Micah 7:7 GNB92 But I will watch for the LORD; I will wait confidently for God, who will save me. My God will hear me.

C7 Psalm 130:6 If we are troubled at night, we eagerly wait for the morning. A Christian does not want darkness. He/she wants light to come—God’s light.

D1 Psalms 90:8 GW You have set our sins in front of you. You have put our secret sins in the light of your presence.

D2 John 1:4-5 GNB92 The Word was the source of life, and this life brought light to people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never put it out.

C8 Psalm 130:7 In this passage, we see confidence and hope in God.

D1 Hebrews 6:17-19 GW God wouldn't change his plan. He wanted to make this perfectly clear to those who would receive his promise, so he took an oath. 18 God did this so that we would be encouraged. God cannot lie when he takes an oath or makes a promise. These two things can never be changed. Those of us who have taken refuge in him hold on to the confidence we have been given. 19 We have this confidence as a sure and strong anchor for our lives. This confidence goes into the holy place behind the curtain.

D2 Psalms 42:5 GW Why are you discouraged, my soul? Why are you so restless? Put your hope in God, because I will still praise him. He is my savior and my God.

D3 Romans 5:7-10 NRSV Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. 8 But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. 9 Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life.

C9 Psalm 130:8 Forgiveness of ALL sins Titus 2:13-14 WEL Looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all lawlessness and purify for himself a special people, zealous for good works.

C10 Questions

D1 When should we ask God to forgive our sins?

D2 Why does God forgive our sins?

D3 What are some blessings for forgiveness of sins?

D4 Why is waiting good for a Christian?

D5 Why is confessing and asking God for forgiveness so difficult for a non-Christian?

B4 Next week

C1 Truth you can count on

C2 Theme: Absolute truth

C3 Scripture: Psalm 119:89, Psalm 119:142, Psalm 119:160, John 17:17, John 8:31-32