Blessing and Blessed
Updated: Oct 7
In our eighth and final part of our Look Up series we will be looking at Psalm 134; Blessing from the One who blesses. We'll be having Johnny share from God's work, Sally with an all-age segment and Noah sharing in everyday faith...
Here's the take-away notes from Johnny's sermon
Praise the Lord!
What does your body language say, when you are praying or worshipping?
Psalm 134 . provides some wonderful divine insights for dark nights.
The alignment of attitude and action, leads to blessing!
The life that blesses God is a life that is blessed by God.
I. May you bless the Lord! v1-2
Praise the Lord all you servants of the Lord
All God’s people should praise him, 1 Peter 2:9
All God’s people should praise him at all times, Psalm 30:5, 126:5
Lift up your hands in worship and prayer, Psalm 24:3-4; 1 Timothy 2:8; Hebrews 10:19-22
II. May the Lord bless you! v3
Remember who God is: the Maker of heaven and earth
Remember where God’s blessing is found: Zion
…be on bended knee in worship…
… be standing up!
… and lift up your hands!
Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
God is enough – always, yet how I love and delight in the blessing of God…
Rededicate your life to blessing the Lord!
Some notes for personal and life group use
1. When you ask God to bless someone, what do you actually mean?
2. How can you more and more be a person of blessing? Read Psalm 134. What immediately strikes you?
3. Does God need blessing in the same way we do when someone blesses us? When we sing ‘Bless the Lord O my soul’, what do we mean?
4. How does the posture of lifting up our hands impact the way we think about and worship God? 5. What else helps your approach to praise and thanksgiving?
6. Which of the Songs of Ascent that we have been studying over the past few weeks has impacted you the most?
7. What are some of the reasons we should ‘look up’ in the face of whatever life throws at us?
8. How did Jesus live a life of ‘looking up’ even as he journeyed towards the cross?
9. The Songs of Ascent are about the journey of long obedience of God’s people towards not only Jerusalem, but His presence, and ultimately the hope of new creation. Where would you like to continue to grow in your walk towards that same goal?
10. What are the three main takeaways for you…?
Quotable Quotes
‘It describes what God does to us and among us; He enters into covenant with us, He pours out his own life for us, He shares the goodness of His Spirit, the vitality of His creation, the joys of His redemption. He empties Himself among us, and we get what He is. That is blessing.’ Eugene Peterson
Never forget that the heart of God is very kind!
‘The unthankful heart discovers no mercies; but the thankful heart will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings.’ Henry Ward Beecher
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