Scratching the Surface of the Psalms - 47

Kopp Disclosure

(John 3:19-21)

@#$%

Scratching the Surface of the Psalms

#47

“Are You Psyched?”

Some slang goes out of style.

Groovy.

Psychedelic.

Boss.

Swell.

Radical.

Neat.

Funky.

Faaaaaaarrrrrrr Out.

Dynamite.

Bee’s knees.

Cool.

Hot to trot.

Cold as a…

Scram.

Tubular.

Wicked.

B A.

Can you think of any more?

While some slang goes out of style, I’m still slinging psyched around.

That’s because I’m psyched; and every once in a while, I’ll ask, “Are you psyched?”

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve asked that question and someone responds, “Foh what?”

That’s when I let ‘er rip – another golden oldie – and blurt, “For life, man!  I’m psyched for life!  I’m psyched about Jesus!  I’m psyched about breathing and eating and living and laughing and loving!  I’m totally psyched.”

Maybe that’s why I’ve always liked that song, “This is the day!  This is the day!  This is the day that the Lord has made, that the Lord has made!  Let us rejoice!  Let us rejoice and be glad in it and be glad in it…”

It comes from Psalm 118 that we’ll get to in a few years.

Today, I’m thinking about Psalm 47.

David sings about his enthusiasm for God energized by his education about Him.

David is psyched because he knows who God is and what God does for anyone who places total trust in Him.

He’s psyched!

His feelings of being psyched for God are fueled by facts about God.

David has unbridled enthusiasm for God: “Applause, everyone!…Clap your hands!…Shout to God with a jubilant cry!…Sing those hymns at the top of your lungs!…God is awesome!…Loud cheers!…Sing out!…Sing praises!”

David’s enthusiastic feelings for God without equivocation are fueled by what he knows about God: “He is Creator!…He made everything and everyone!…He roars!…He soars!…He rules!…He is greatly exalted!…He is unparalleled!…He is God the Father Almighty!”

In short, David is psyched for God because He knows Him.

Ever wonder why so many churches, maybe yours, are sooooooo messed up?

During a conversation with one of the crabbiest women that I’ve ever met sooooooo many years ago, I had an apocalyptic moment that exposed one of the main causes of so much dysfunction, division, contention, confusion, cantankerousness, edginess, meanness, madness, misery, miscreance, irregularity, irascibility, irreconcilability, and…[Did I get ‘em all?]…in sooooooo many churches.

Anyway, I was talking to some children in the church and she heard me saying, “I’m so psyched!  I’m so happy!  I’m so psyched about Jesus because He’s taking care of me here and now and forever!  I’m so excited!  I just can’t hide it!  I’m about to lose control and I think I like it!  Oh, yeah!”

You could write a song about it!

I mean I was psyched!

I am psyched!

Well, I swear she must have been sucking on lemons all day or something as she took me aside and bantered, “I don’t like you saying you’re psyched!  I don’t like you being so happy, happy, happy all of the time!  I don’t like…you!”

“But I am psyched,” I said, “and I can’t not be psyched just because you’re not psyched.  I really get it.  I really get what Jesus has done for you and me…and I’m so psyched about it/Him!”

It was our last conversation.

She became infrequent in worship, slandered me behind my back to many folks who remain in the church that enabled her, and finally left.

Pero moments after that conversation, it/He hit me!

It was an apocalyptic moment.

I realized why sooooooo many churches are sooooooo messed up.

Too many people in too many churches aren’t psyched about Jesus and don’t want anyone to guide them into greater intimacy with Jesus so they can get psyched.

Too many people in too many churches don’t really want pastors to guide them into greater intimacy with Jesus so they can get psyched because they want their pastors to be like them and boringly religious about Jesus rather than sooooooo related to Jesus that they are psyched.

I think of one of my favorite stories from South Carolina.

A young boy is watching a crabber and notices the crabber doesn’t have a lid covering his bucket and says, “Hey, mister, you better put a cover over your bucket or all of your crabs are going to climb up and out and get away.”

“No chance, son,” replied the crabber, “because as soon as one of ‘em climbs up and almost out to freedom, the other crabs just reach up and pull ‘em back down.”

Truth is people who are not psyched for Jesus don’t know Him.

It’s impossible to know Jesus and not make Him known by being so psyched for Him that He radiates through our confession, conduct, and countenance.

“Wipe that smile off your face!”

Ever hear that expression?

Christians can’t do that.

Christians smile.

Smile, God loves you!

Once Jesus is in the head, heart, and gut, He shows and we glow and no one nor no thing can wipe that smile off our faces.

That’s how we know who is and who ain’t.

One of my favorite things is to go into restaurants; and if I see a table of people praying, I will say right after the amen loudly enough for everyone to hear in the restaurant, “Hey, that’s great to see you praying.  

So I guess ya’ll love Jesus.”

They always smile because nobody’s gonna pray in a public restaurant if they don’t love Jesus.

It’s also fun to watch the reactions throughout the restaurant.

People who love Jesus, who are psyched for Him, start smiling and people who don’t love Jesus betray it with smirks and cold stares and…

Like David, people who know who He is and what He has done for us and for our salvation are psyched for Him and show it.

Are you psyched?

If so, we already know.

If not, we know that too.

Paul put it this way speaking for all Christians, “I am not ashamed of Jesus because He is the power of God for salvation for all who believe.”

In short, Paul was psyched!

David was psyched!

O.K., there are different ways to say it.

Language changes over time.

The feelings about Jesus don’t change because the facts are in about Him.

Overwhelmingly and irrepressibly positive feelings.

Let me put it another way.

If you’re a Bears or Packers or Yankees or Cubs fan – not knowing if this holds true when it comes to the White Sox – you’re really expressive about them.

You know what I mean.

Well, Jesus is a lot more important, let’s say eternally more important, than them.

Catch my drift?

We’ll see.

So will they.

So will He.

Who we’re really rooting for makes a big difference in the end.

Et that’s really far out.

@#$%

Blessings and Love!

@#$%

Wake up! Look up! Stand up! Speak up! Act up for Jesus!

Shatter the sound of silence!

Salt! Shine! Leavenate!

@#$%

@#$%

@#$%

@#$%