Message Notes

BILINGUAL WORSHIP 27 December 2020
Text: Psalm 73
Title: “God is the strength of my life”

INTRODUCTION

1. Reflecting 2020

a) It has been a tough year for

i) The world

ii) For Singapore

iii) For us, individually

b) But it also has been a year where we appreciate afresh

i) God’s protection

ii) God’s provision of a good government

iii) God’s power in our life

2. Ending the year 2020

a) In worship

b) In reading God’s word

c) In renewal of faith in God

THE FOOLISH MISTAKES WE MAKE

1. Many mistakes made by many countries made this year in the handling of Covid-19

a) Costly mistakes

b) Jobs lost

c) More than a million lives lost

2. Many personal mistakes made by the individual

a) The confession of the Psalmist Asaph

b) His angry feelings
c) His feelings of doubt and despair

d) His lack of trust

3. His confession:

21 Thus my heart was grieved,
And I was vexed in my mind.
22 I was so foolish and ignorant;
I was like a beast before You.

Psalm 73:21-22

a) Grieved in the heart

b) Vexed in the mind

c) Foolish

d) Ignorant

e) Like a beast

BUT FAITH WAS INTACT

23 Nevertheless I am continually with You;
You hold me by my right hand.
24 You will guide me with Your counsel,
And afterward receive me to glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
26 My flesh and my heart fail;
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Psalm 73:23-26

1. Faith in God was not lost

I am continually with You Psalm 73:23a

a) He did not depart from his faith in God

b) He held on to his faith

2. He was thankful

a) That God had been kind

b) That He had been gracious and merciful

c) God helped him in his understanding of faith and life

THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD

1. God’s nearness

You hold me by my right hand Psalm 73:23b

a) This speaks of God’s presence

b) God continued to be near

2. God’s guidance

You will guide me with Your counsel Psalm 73:24a

a) God will guide indeed

b) He guides through the Scriptures we read

c) He guides by the people who help us

3. God will receive us in Heaven

And afterward receive me to glory Psalm 73:24b

a) Heaven is a glorious place

b) Death need not be feared

c) We go to our glory

4. God will continue to give us strength

My flesh and my heart fail
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever Psalm 73:26

a) Our flesh may fail us (we know this is true as we grow older)

b) Our heart may fail us

i) Physically

ii) Figuratively

c) But God will give us His strength

i) Let us choose God as our portion

ii) Let us choose to be faithful to God forever

CONCLUDING THE YEAR 2020 WELL

Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. Psalm 73:25

1. Heaven

a) It is a wonderful place

b) The most wonderful thing to look forward to in Heaven

We will see the Lord our God!

2. Earth

a) There are many we love on earth

i) Family

ii) Friends

b) God should be the One we love best of all