A SHORT SERMON WITH A LONG REACH (Psalm 117)

Do you like short sermons? I have heard some people say that their favorite sermon is a short one.

We have come to a short sermon today. Psalm 117 is literally the shortest of all the Psalms, yet it reaches the entire world in only two verses.

“O praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people. For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the Lord endureth forever. Praise ye the Lord” (Psalm 117:1-2).

What an amazing psalm this is. We believe it was written at the same time as Psalm 116 after the people returned from captivity, so certainly, they had a good reason to praise the Lord. In a real sense, Psalm 117 is for every occasion because God’s people should always praise Him. We should always be grateful for His merciful kindness and give Him glory for His truth.

Psalm 117 is brief, but it is overflowing with truth. Charles Spurgeon said it was brief in its letter but bursting with its spirit. In other words, it overflows its banks with our God's glory, goodness, and greatness.

I love that it is placed in the book of Psalms very close to the longest psalm, Psalm 119. It is true that on some occasions, a brief message is sufficient, and on other occasions, more explanation is necessary. But always, whether short or long, the truth must lead us to God.

This two-verse passage appears again in the New Testament. Remember, God’s Word sheds light upon itself. This passage is referenced by the Apostle Paul in the book of Romans, which we know best as a book of salvation and doctrine. It is a gospel book.

Paul wrote in Romans 15:10-11, “And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people. And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people.”

Psalm 117 is a gospel psalm. God’s good news is for all people and for all time. The good news of Jesus Christ and of salvation is found encapsulated in these two verses.

In verse 1, it shows us that the gospel reaches to all people. It begins, “O praise the Lord, all ye nations.” Notice the plural. It is not just about Israel.

It would have been tempting for the Jewish people at this time to have thought that it was just about them. But when God chose a nation, His message went not just to them but through them to the entire world. God’s heart is always a heart for all people.

This is a psalm that targets the Gentiles. It goes well beyond the nation of Israel. According to Romans 1:16, the gospel came “to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. " Aren’t we glad for the “and also” here? I am not a Jew, yet I have been brought into the family of God. To borrow a metaphor Paul used, I have been grafted into that family tree.

I am here to tell you today that God loves all people. Jesus Christ died for every person, and the free offer of eternal life is made to all the nations of the earth. That is why the Great Commission is not “open the church door, enjoy your salvation, and see who else finds it.” No, it is “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).

In a previous psalm, we learned that one of the greatest ways to witness is through your testimony, by praising God to other people. That is exactly what Psalm 117 does. It is a command, a challenge from the psalmist to all people and all nations that they come and know God, becoming true worshippers of Him.

In verse 2, we see that it reaches to all time. “For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the Lord endureth forever.”

The first verse conveys the idea of place and people. It reaches everyone geographically, racially, and circumstantially. But then, just so there is no mistake, the second verse shows that it is not limited by time. It is not just for one generation. The truth of the Lord endures forever.

The same truth, the same mercy, and the same God of which we read in Psalm 117 and Romans 15 is what you and I can come to know today. Isn’t that glorious?

What we see in this psalm is that the Lord never changes. As the hymn writer put it, “All may change, but Jesus never. Glory to His name.”

Let me point out one final thought from this short sermon. This is what has been impressed upon my heart and what makes it so deeply personal. The good news of Jesus Christ is not only for all people at all times but also for me.

Notice in verse 2 that “his merciful kindness is great toward us.” It means that whatever sin you have committed and whatever situation you may find yourself in today, the Lord’s merciful hand reaches down to where we are.

We could never get to Him on our own, so He came to us. We could never understand Him, so He revealed His truth. We could never find forgiveness, so He gave us mercy. We could never overcome, so He showed us kindness.

No wonder the psalm ends with these famous words: “Praise ye the Lord.” It is one thing to say that you believe God’s salvation reaches all people and all time. But do you believe that it reaches you? If so, there are a few things you should do in response.

Believe it. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31). If you have never received Him as your personal Savior, pause right now wherever you are and say, “Lord, be merciful to me a sinner.” God will hear and answer that prayer.

Give God praise for it. If you know your sins have been forgiven, meditate and reflect on that today.

Pass it on to someone else. Tell someone today, “God loves you.” There is no prejudice with the Lord, no limit to His grace and mercy. Point someone else to the good news found in Jesus Christ today.