Points of Meditation & Reflection

Sermon Title & Text “Wait for the Lord” Psalms 130 ESV
Sermon Series: One Step Closer: Progressively moving closer and closer to God.
Message in a Sentence: Learning to wait for the Lord centers our hope on Christ.
• Our perspective of the Lord shapes our perspective of our life (soul) & future (hope).
• Psalms of Ascent were/are sung on the way to worship the Lord. So, there was probably not one specific trial that caused this psalm. Rather, people of God routinely cry out to the Lord, as a lifestyle of repentance. They then, reset their hope in Him through a disciplined approach of waiting.
Points of Perspective vv1-4:
1. Direction: God’s people cry to God for His mercy. The direction we “cry out” evidences trust & dependence in who the Lord is & what He is able to do.
2. Forgiveness: We keep detailed records of our faults & flaws. But, God does not “mark iniquities” [moral failures] on a scorecard. Instead, He forgives us.
3. Relationship: There is a distinction between the reverent/devoted fear a believer has for the Lord & the fear of God’s wrath someone that doesn’t know the Lord lives with, cf 1 Kings 8:39-41.
Wait For the Lord: Healthy perspective leads to discipline to wait for the Lord.
1. Soul Waiting cf Ps 33:20-22, 62:1, Isa 8:17, Ps 27:14, Isa 40:31
2. Hope in His Word cf Ps 119:74,81
3. Great Expectations cf Ps 63:6, Ps 119:147
Community of Faith vv7–8:
1. Individual perspective leads to Group perspective vv6-7
a. Our Hope is in the Lord
b. Steadfast love [mercy]
c. Abundant Redemption
d. Redeem from all Iniquities
Summary: As Christ centered perspective deepens, we then wait for the Lord from our soul. Our waiting for the Lord centers our hope in Christ. It’s like “falling” into an endless, reciprocal, well of hope.

To continue to develop your relationship with Christ, spend time every day this week praying and meditating on this passage and it’s truths [EveryDay Jesus - below].

Edward

Everyday Jesus: Psalms 130, deepen our perspective of You, so that we may truly center our hope on You!

· Monday: Read Ps. 130. Isa 55 says, God’s ways & views aren’t like ours. Similarly, Ps 130 is all about growing to re-orient our view of Christ. A progressively healthy perspective of the Lord, becomes the center of our hope. Today, “cry out” to God to deepen your “view”/perspective of Him.
· Tuesday: Read Ps. 130:1-4, we identified 3 Points of Perspective (see Message Notes): (1)Direction of Cry (2)Forgiveness not Scorecard (3)Relationship w/the Lord. In your time with the Lord today, mediate[think deeply] on vv1-4 & ask the Lord to show you where these 3 specific areas can be deepened in your life.
· Wednesday: {Day of Fasting} Read Ps. 130, my soul waits for the Lord! It’s a statement of our soul’s total dependence on the Lord. Before you read them: Ask the Lord to let the passages below, give shape to your understanding of waiting on the Lord - from the soul. Ps. 33:20-22, 62:1; Isa. 8:17, Ps. 27:14, Isa. 40:31.
· Thursday: Read Ps. 130 in v5, the discipline of soul waiting is connected to hope in His word. Not a random word, but the word of God, Read Ps. 119:73-88 and ask God to allow His word to come alive in and over every aspect of your life!
· Friday: Read Ps. 130, We are to wait for the Lord with great expectation! Learning to “soul wait” for the Lord, with great expectation takes great discipline. Today, ask the Lord to give and continually reorient your perspective of Him so that you may see and expect the fullness of the Lord “out of the depths”
· Saturday: Read Ps.130, the individual perspective of the people of God leads to a group perspective of God’s people. In our hope there is steadfast love[mercy], plentiful redemption and redemption from all our collective iniquities. Today, let each of us pray that as a church community, LongView will continue to keep our hope in the Lord.

Making Disciples

As a church focused on serving the Lord by making disciples for Christ, we are deepening our approach to church as a spiritual entity. Our local church is where God sends us to be fed by Him. Therefore, we all must approach our placement in His church with reverence.

LongView commits to provide:
· Message Series that teaches God’s Word verse by verse
· Everyday Jesus Daily Devotionals
· Encouragement to Pray Daily: 1 hr/day
· Encouragement to Fast Weekly/Regularly
· Encouragement to the Reading of God’s Word Daily (1 hr a day)
· Study of God’s Word through Bible Study and Small Group fellowship

In order to see each person grow to maturity in Christ we encourage 4 Commitments (1st to the Lord, then to His church):
1. Commitment to Prayer: Pray (growing to) a minimum of 1 hour a day
2. Commitment to Fast Regularly - Wednesday’s
3. Commitment to God’s Word: Read (growing to) for 1 hour a day
4. Commitment to the Lord’s Church: Give as the Lord leads. Attend regularly. Serve the Body of Christ (in/out of the church)