A sermon idea based on Psalm 81:1, 10-16.
Psalm 81:1,10-16 NRSV
[1] Sing aloud to God our strength; shout for joy to the God of Jacob…
[10] I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.
[11] “But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel would not submit to me. [12] So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels. [13] O that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways! [14] Then I would quickly subdue their enemies, and turn my hand against their foes. [15] Those who hate the LORD would cringe before him, and their doom would last forever. [16] I would feed you with the finest of the wheat, and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”
Angle
The relevant topic I would be addressing, based on this text…
God, himself, is the true source of the sweetest life possible.
Anchor
Information about the text that matters to the message…
How do you define the sweet life?
Most of us have a picture in our minds of what a sweet life would look like, and it’s usually conditioned by comparing our lives to those highlighted in the world of entertainment or on social media. It’s been said that we spend too much time comparing our blooper reels to the highlight reels of others.
Our vision of the sweet life is purely circumstantial. If I just had more money, more popularity, more power, then I’d be fulfilled.
God, however, has offered himself as life’s greatest prize. And additionally, he is the source of all that we have and enjoy in life. The psalmist paints a picture of a God who would provide us with “the finest of wheat, and with honey from the rock…” And the key word is near the end – “satisfy.”
God would satisfy anyone who recognizes him as the source of Life, and the sweet life of real, deep satisfaction comes only in pursuit of him. (And by the way, it is the pursuit, not the obtaining, that satisfies. We may never fully grasp God’s goodness, but exploring it is the point.)
Application
The big call-to-action in the message…
Don’t just define the sweet life in terms of health, wealth, and happiness. Look deep within and explore all that God has for you to discover about himself.
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About the Cover Art: Photo by Benyamin Bohlouli on Unsplash.
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