Sermons

Protection For The Perils Of Our Earthly Journey (Psalm 121:1-8)

Dr. Robert E. Gustafson, Jr., Unknown Date
Part of the Morning Worship at North Greenville Church series, preached at a Sunday Morning service

This second psalm of ascents sees the weary traveler volitionally going to Jerusalem, or the Heavenly City. He is sustained by his covenant-keeping Creator shepherd, keeping all of His sheep. All weariness, anxiety, doubt and trouble will melt away as the Savior greets the traveler at the gates of the heavenly kingdom. Our Shepherd will take us home.

Tags: Perseverence, Tribulation, Victory

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Psalm 121 (Listen)

A Song of Ascents.

121:1   I lift up my eyes to the hills.
    From where does my help come?
2   My help comes from the LORD,
    who made heaven and earth.
3   He will not let your foot be moved;
    he who keeps you will not slumber.
4   Behold, he who keeps Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.
5   The LORD is your keeper;
    the LORD is your shade on your right hand.
6   The sun shall not strike you by day,
    nor the moon by night.
7   The LORD will keep you from all evil;
    he will keep your life.
8   The LORD will keep
    your going out and your coming in
    from this time forth and forevermore.

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North Greenville Church

North Greenville Church

North Greenville Church is a Reformed and Presbyterian fellowship that seeks to establish a traditional church of Christ in northern Greenville County.

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Today's focal passages from Genesis and John both reference a heavenly stairway with angels ascending and descending. Jacob saw this vision, and Jesus promised Nathanael that he would see the vision. Regarding Jacob, sin was very present around him. His mother Rebecca wanted Jacob to have a godly wife, so she sent him to Haran and her own people to find such a wife. On the way, Jacob camped at what would become Bethel. In a dream while seeing the stairway or ladder, he received a restatement of the Abrahamic covenant made to his grandfather, promising a homeland and a mighty nation from his offspring. Most importantly, God promised to be with Jacob and his offspring, even though Jacob was a trickster and rascal. Jacob awoke afraid, but realized that he was in the house of God and the stairway was the gate of heaven. He declared the awesomeness of the place and became a changed man, a partriarch to his offspring. Jacob accepted wrongs done to him, for example by his father in law, Laban. Jacob now sought to serve God and live for Him. The stairway is the heart of this passage. Our age-old sin is our desire to be like God and be our own god. Yet, there is only one stairway to heaven, and as Nathanael would see, Jesus is that stairway. The gospel comes down and takes us up to heaven. Jacob responded to the awesome vision by building an altar where he praised God and worshiped Him. Jacob then made a vow that if God provided for his needs, Jacob would proclaim God as his personal true God. He set up a memorial pillar as a reminder of his vow. Jacob received surprising grace, converting him from a cheater to a patriarch, even though Jacob did not deserve it. We must appreciate the grace of God that overflows us and places us in His service. ... See MoreSee Less

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