25-1005a - Detailed Summary

In this segment, the preacher, Steve, greets the congregation, expressing gladness to be present and anticipation for the moment. He introduces the subject of the lesson as worshiping and praising God in all aspects of life, explaining that this is the purpose of their gathering. They are there to worship God, praise Him, and lift Him up through songs, hymns, and spiritual songs. Steve highlights appreciation for God’s love and care, made possible through His son Jesus, who presents believers before God without spot or blemish. As savior and high priest, Jesus intercedes at God’s right hand, pleading and praying for them. He assures that anything asked in Jesus' name will be presented before God, and thus they worship God through Jesus. Steve observes that the congregation has recognized Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection, along with the sacrifice He made on their behalf. This sacrifice addresses their sins and presents them before God, reconciling them through Jesus.

Steve emphasizes the need to recognize God and worship Him in every way, noting that those present do not limit worship to this day alone. He suggests that in their lives, they likely wake up thanking God for the day, praying for His presence and blessings. He affirms this as God’s desire: for believers to praise Him, lift Him up in all ways, and be God-conscious throughout the day, living righteously. This righteousness is highlighted as crucially important. Steve invites focus on God, the object of worship, and the reasons for it. He prompts reflection on living on a planet created by God, prepared before humanity’s creation. In six days of creation and a seventh of rest, God made the earth to sustain man, ensuring it could support human life before placing people on it.

Steve elaborates that the earth provides everything needed for humanity, with God ensuring this constantly, 24 hours a day, seven days a week—not just occasionally. God cares not only for people but also for animals and creatures, enabling their reproduction. Similarly, crops, trees, animals, and humans reproduce, ensuring no lack as per God’s provision. He references God’s promise after the flood, when Noah exited the ark, with the rainbow as a token reminding that God will never destroy the world by flood again. This promise includes perpetual seasons, growth, produce, and necessities. Steve describes God’s care through divine intervention, providence, and preservation, urging continual awareness. He connects this to Psalm 148, which was read, reinforcing praise to God in every life aspect, regardless of circumstances, as God helps through them. Steve then announces he will read the entire Psalm 22 from the New International Version, making occasional comments.

Beginning the reading of Psalm 22, Steve notes that its opening words were quoted by Jesus on the cross: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" He reflects that people often feel alone in predicaments, thinking God is not protecting or aware of their needs, perhaps attending to others. However, the psalmist assures that God cares for each person, whether Christian or not, as rain falls on the just and unjust, with special care for both.

Continuing the psalm, it questions why God is far from saving and from cries of anguish, with daytime cries unanswered and nighttime unrest. Yet, it acknowledges God as enthroned as the Holy One, praised by Israel. Ancestors trusted Him and were delivered; they cried out and were saved, not put to shame. Steve comments that the psalmist reflects on Israel’s exodus from Egyptian slavery, God’s care and feeding in the wilderness.

Steve suggests this reflection likely inspired Psalm 23, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want," which leads beside still waters, familiar to the audience. The psalmist reminisces how God ensured safe entry into the promised land, subduing heathens, allowing settlement, reaping unplanted crops, and harvesting.

The psalm continues with the speaker feeling like a worm, not a man, scorned and despised. All mock, hurl insults, shake heads, saying, "He trusts in the Lord; let the Lord rescue him, since he delights in him." Steve notes these mirror the crowd’s taunts at Jesus on the cross, challenging God to take Him down. Believers trust God amid mockery and isolation, praying for rescue. Yet, the psalm affirms God brought the speaker from the womb, making trust in Him even at the mother’s breast. From birth, cast on God, who has been their God from the mother’s womb. Steve loves this phrase, emphasizing God’s care from birth, ensuring well-being, weaning, and proper care.

Steve stresses that God works in lives from conception onward, despite varying perceptions. God continues care. The psalm pleads for God not to be far, as trouble is near with no help. Bulls surround, strong bulls of Bashan encircle; roaring lions open mouths. The speaker is poured out like water, bones out of joint, heart melted like wax, mouth dry like potsherd, tongue sticking to roof, laid in dust of death. Times of desperation and despair are acknowledged. Dogs surround, villains encircle, piercing hands and feet, bones on display, people staring and gloating, dividing clothes, casting lots for garment—mirroring Jesus' crucifixion.

The psalm shifts to pleading: "But you, Lord, do not be far from me. You are my strength; come quickly to help me."

It continues: Deliver from the sword, precious life from dogs' power; rescue from lions' mouth, save from wild oxen’s horns. The speaker vows to declare God’s name to people in the assembly, praising Him. Those fearing the Lord should praise; recognize God’s hand in lives through divine intervention, preparation, and preservation. Share this with others: rest in God’s care, trust Him. Steve shares personal experiences of job losses but never going hungry, as God promises care for Christians. Realize God looks after us, intervenes, provides 24/7. The earth holds by God’s power; no need to fear destruction. Adam and Eve couldn’t conceive modern life, yet future generations will build on heritage, improving. The psalm urges declaring God’s name in assembly, praising; descendants of Jacob honor, revere Him. God has not despised the afflicted’s suffering, not hidden His face, but listened to cries. From God comes praise theme in great assembly; fulfill vows before fearers. The poor eat, satisfied; seekers praise Him. May hearts live forever.

Steve draws attention to the psalm’s anticipation of future worship, stating that all ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, with all families of nations bowing before Him, as dominion belongs to the Lord who rules over nations. The rich will feast and worship, and all who go down to the dust will kneel before Him, including those unable to keep themselves alive. Posterity will serve Him, and future generations will be told about the Lord, proclaiming His righteousness to people yet unborn, declaring that He has done it. Steve urges reflection on worshiping God, knowing He works in lives from the beginning, meeting needs before asked. He introduces three quick passages, starting with Acts chapter 17, appreciating how Paul addresses the unknown God in Athens. While waiting for fellow Christians, Paul observes statues to various gods, including one to the unknown God. Athenians, hearing Paul discuss Jesus and resurrection, invite him to the Areopagus to speak. In verse 22, Paul addresses them as very religious, noting their altar to the unknown God, proclaiming this God who made the world and everything in it, Lord of heaven and earth, not dwelling in human-built temples. In verse 25, this God is not served by human hands as needing anything, but gives everyone life, breath, and everything else.

Continuing from Acts 17, verse 26 explains that from one man, God made all nations to inhabit the earth, marking their appointed times and boundaries. Steve interprets this as God ensuring through Noah’s sons—Ham, Shem, and Japheth—that the world was populated, directing people to live in places like Africa, Germany, Bolivia, South America, and the United States. He emphasizes that people live where God wants them, existing as He desires.

In verse 27, God did this so people would seek Him, reach out, and find Him, though He is not far from any. For in Him, we live, move, and have our being. Steve ties this to divine intervention, providence, and preservation. As some poets said, we are His offspring.

Steve encourages reading the rest of the chapter, stressing that presence on earth is not accidental or by choice but because God wants it. People live and are blessed so they might seek and find Him, as He is near. During national disasters, layoffs, or events like COVID, people realize they lack control over lives, prompting them to seek God, who meets needs. He references Matthew 6 from the Sermon on the Mount, starting at verse 25, where Jesus instructs not to worry about life, food, drink, body, or clothes, as life is more than food and body more than clothes. Birds neither sow nor reap yet are fed by the Heavenly Father; humans are more valuable. Worrying adds no hour to life. Flowers grow without labor, dressed better than Solomon; if God clothes grass, which is temporary, He will clothe people of little faith. Do not worry about necessities, as pagans do; the Father knows needs. Seek first His kingdom and righteousness, and all will be given. Do not worry about tomorrow, as each day has enough trouble. Steve then turns to Paul in 2 Corinthians chapter 1, where Paul informs about troubles in Asia, under great pressure beyond endurance, despairing of life, feeling sentenced to death. This happened to rely not on themselves but on God who raises the dead. God delivered them and will continue, with hope set on Him, aided by prayers leading to thanks.

Shifting to Philippians chapter 4, verse 10 in the New International Version, Paul rejoices that the Philippians renewed concern for him through donations for his missionary work, which they had stopped for some reason but resumed. Such lapses happen even today with promises to missionaries.

Paul clarifies he speaks not from need, having learned contentment in any circumstance. With life experience around age 56 or 57 when writing, he knows need and plenty, the secret of contentment in every situation.

Steve questions if listeners can be content, noting it’s something to learn through experience. Paul affirms learning contentment whatever circumstances, knowing need.

Paul knows plenty and the secret of contentment whether well-fed or hungry, in plenty or want. He can do all through Him who gives strength. Steve emphasizes recognizing this strength from God, who assures care. Trust God fully. Non-believers struggle to accept God’s existence, relying on self-effort like pulling up by bootstraps, but God is in every life daily. Praise God every moment, be God-conscious.

If lacking relationship with God, it’s not His fault; He reaches out, wanting recognition that approach is through Jesus, with sins washed away. This is why the gathering worships, recognizing God’s actions through Jesus, authorized as high priest. Jesus represents disciples, with stipulation from Matthew 28: make disciples, baptizing in the name of Father, Son, Holy Spirit. God reaches to all, forgiving every soul. If not in covenant, meet stipulations; the congregation assists, with water ready and garments provided. If needing prayers, opportunity extended while standing and singing a psalm of encouragement.