Family Worship #11
Family Worship Guide
Sunday, May 24, 2020
SING
READ
Psalm 32:1-11 (ESV)
1 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah
5 I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah
6 Therefore let everyone who is godly
offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;
surely in the rush of great waters,
they shall not reach him.
7 You are a hiding place for me;
you preserve me from trouble;
you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
9 Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
which must be curbed with bit and bridle,
or it will not stay near you.
10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.
11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous,
and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
LISTEN
WATCH
ASK
I. The Seriousness of Sin (vv1-2)
Q: Why are the two "blessed/happy are those" statements different from the rest of the "blessed/happy are those" statements in the book of Psalms?
A: Because they describe those on the receiving end of something done to them; whereas the others are ascribed to people who do certain things.
“Our happiness due to God’s forgiveness of our sins is the source of all other happiness in the Christian life.”
Q: According to the psalmist, what did he imply hinders our happiness?
A: Sin. Sin corrodes and weakens our connection with God.
Q: What are the three words David employs for sin in the Psalm?
A:
- Transgression
Transgression means “a going away or rebellion against God.” Our sins’ main target is God. - Sin
Sin means “falling short or missing the mark.” It is an archery term that describes a person who shoots at a target but whose arrow falls short. The target is God’s Law. - Iniquity
Iniquity means “to bend or twist.” It is bending or twisting of God’s standards to fit our standards, and therefore we find ourselves bent and twisted.
Transgression describes sin in relation to God. It pictures us as being in rebellion against Him. The word sin describes sin in relation to God’s divine law. We fall short of it and are condemned by it. The word iniquity describes sin in relation to ourselves. When we twist His standards and as we indulge in sin we become twisted.
II. The Act of God in Forgiving Our Sins (vv1-2)
Q: What are the three acts of God in forgiving our sins?
A:
- Forgive
What does it mean? Forgive means to take away or to have our sins lifted off of us.Parents ask your children, “Have you ever had something heavy laying on you? How did you feel when the weight was on you? How did you feel when the weight was lifted off?”When people become aware of their sins, they feel the weight of their sins resting on them. But when they put their trust in Jesus, He comes and lifts that heavy weight of sin off of them. - Cover
What does it mean? The word cover describes God’s act in covering and shielding us from His wrath. - Does not count
What does it mean? The term means that God does not count our sins against us when he forgives. Rather He counts us righteous because of the righteousness of Christ that has been given to us.
“Beloved, God has forgiven our rebellion against Him, He has covered our falling short of His divine law, and He holds no count of our twisted ways.“
III. The Sickness of Unconfessed Sins (vv3-5)
Q: How did David describe his depression?
A:
- His bones were wasting away.
- He groaned all day long.
- God’s hand was heavy upon him.
- His strength was dried up.
“3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah
–Psalm 32:3-4 (ESV)
David’s depression was because of unconfessed sin. Confession is agreeing with God about what He says about sin. Confession is the second step to repentance. The first step is to acknowledge your sins, then confess, then forsake.
Q: Is confession for God or for us?
A: Confession is for us. God already knows what we have done wrong. When we confess, we are agreeing with God about what He says about our sins. We become aware of the seriousness of our sins and that we have offended a holy God. Confession also allows us to see and receive the forgiveness of God.
IV. The Characteristics of a Person Restored by God (vv6-11)
Q: What are the two things that David does after God restores him?
A:
“6 Therefore let everyone who is godly
offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;
surely in the rush of great waters,
they shall not reach him.
7 You are a hiding place for me;
you preserve me from trouble;
you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah”
–Psalm 32:6-7 (ESV)
- He gives counsel to the godly.
“A clear indication of a person receiving God’s forgiveness is his relentless desire to see others receive that same forgiveness.”
–Kevin Celestin
“Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will return to you.”
–Psalm 51:13
- He receives counsel from the Lord.
A person who hates sin and walks in an intimate fellowship with God receives counsel from God’s Word.
“Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
which must be curbed with bit and bridle,
or it will not stay near you.”
–Psalm 32:9 (ESV)
We must take heed to David’s warning in verse 9. We must not be stubborn in our sin, which leads to unconfessed sin. Rather, we should be quick to confess our sins.
Confession is like opening the floodgate of a dam. When there is no confession, the waters pile up behind the dam, creating immense pressures on the wall, but as soon as the floodgate is opened, the waters subside and the pressures diminish. Let us be quick to confess, to hate sin, and to love our Savior.
PRAY
—Pray that we will see the seriousness and dangers of sin.
—Pray that we will acknowledge our sins, confess, and forsake them.
—Pray thanking God for His forgiveness.
—Pray that we will have a passion to receive counsel from the Lord and in turn give counsel to others.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Again, we’d like to direct your attention to our resources page for more info on family devotions.
Here are some coloring sheets, a word search puzzle, and a handwriting sheet that you can print out for your child. These are all meant to be aids to help you with your child(ren). Feel free to print some of these or all of these, whatever will work best for your specific child and his or her age.
