July 30, 2023
Barak
- Matt Nickoson
Sermon Notes
Psalms 103:1-5 NIV
Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
“BARAK Bârak: To kneel. To bless God (as an act of adoration). To praise. To salute. To thank.” — Holy Roar: 7 Words That Will Change The Way You Worship by Chris Tomlin, Darren Whitehead
Psalms 95:6-8 NIV
Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel (barak) before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if only you would hear his voice, “Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the wilderness,”
If we are not careful, our rebellion against God has the potential to harden our hearts to His goodness.
Hebrews 3:15 NIV
As has just been said: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.”
Psalms 103:11-13 NIV
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
When we realize how great God’s faithfulness is, it makes us want to humble ourselves and bless Him.
Psalms 103:20-22 NIV
Praise the Lord, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word. Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will. Praise the Lord, all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the Lord, my soul.
“In bârak, even the most powerful lay aside their egos, their power, their desires. They offer all they have—their gold, their prayer, their honor, their gaze.” - Holy Roar: 7 Words That Will Change The Way You Worship by Chris Tomlin, Darren Whitehead
Romans 12:1 NIV
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.