11 Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
12 What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
Psalms 34:11-14
This psalmist continues with his invitation to surrender to Christ. Remember, the beginning of this psalm was a personal testimony from the writer, and he desires that his listener submit his life to the One and Only Lord of all.
“Come, O children, listen to me” “I will teach you the fear of the LORD.”
Note the incredible invitation from the psalmist. He is convinced in his heart and mind that he knows the Way, the Truth and the Life. He is sure that there is no other way to salvation. He has concluded and resolved in his heart that the Lord his God is God and there is no other!
This type of confidence in faith results in a natural invitation. You have confidence that the Lord will deliver, therefore, you will share of His goodness. You are sure that He will not let anyone down, therefore, you will be an Ambassador for His grace and mercy. It is so similar to promoting the things we love in this world… We will have so much confidence in a restaurant that we will promote it to others, yet we will not invite the world around us to follow Jesus.
“I will teach you the fear of the LORD.”
This is the beginning of faith. We MUST fear God. Fear is not just something you learn 20 years after you are saved… it is a necessity to Justification. Fear is an understanding of WHO God is. If you don’t truly fear God, then you will not totally surrender yourself to His Lordship. Now, that is not to say that we don’t grow in our understanding of fear as we develop spiritually… we most certainly will do this. But your faith in salvation, your faith in Justification, is not a blind faith. You are made alive by God to see your sin in comparison to a His Holiness. And in this comparison, you begin to realize the fear of the Lord.
We. Don’t. Fear. God. The. Way. He. Ought. To. Be. Feared.
That is just the reality of our life. We are so distracted by our phones that we can’t look up to see a Holy God. We are so enamored with the ways of this world that we neglect our time that we should be spending with God. Our culture and society has so invaded the Christian life that we have totally lost track of what it means to “Put on Christ.”
We just don’t fear God. We would rather work than fear God. We would rather watch Netflix than fear God. We would rather sleep than fear God. The reality is that we don’t have a real fear of the Lord.
Christian, you need to fear God. You need to take Him seriously. You need to take His Word seriously. You need to surrender ALL of your life to Him.
“What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good?”
This is oh so similar to the type of questions in Psalm 15. The reality is that NO MAN desires God. No man would give up this world to follow after Christ. As a matter of fact, we have done the opposite. We have turned away from God. We are enemies with God. We would rather have a temporary life right now, than have eternity with God. That is the reality of our situation.
Think of the gathering of believers… but not as a “religion,” but instead consider the gathering as a glimpse of eternity. … Now, if we TRULY loved and feared God, then there would be NOTHING that would stop us from gathering with a people, which would give to us just a GLIMPSE of what eternity is going to be like. Instead, we dread going to the gathering… We think we have to sacrifice our life in order to make it to the gathering… We put everything else as a priority OVER the gathering of the Saints. THE REALITY IS THAT WE DO NOT FEAR GOD!
Did you know that the gathering of believers is a GIFT from God? To neglect this gift is to spit in the face of God. Do you not care about what God has given to you?? No… you don’t. You want what you want and you want it now. You don’t fear God.
“Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.”
I think this sentence is a direct answer to the question proposed before it. Basically the psalmist is saying this, “Don’t lie to yourself and convince yourself that you actually fear God the way He ought to be feared!” And we do this! We think of ourselves as good enough. We think of ourselves as righteous enough. We think that if we have said the prayer and walked to the altar, then we are good enough people. And this psalmist tells us not to lie to ourselves.
Take a hard look at your life and consider whether or not you actually fear God. Does your life reflect the fear of the Lord?
“Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.”
The call to repentance! And this is something that you should consider today. Don’t keep lying to yourself and telling yourself that the way you are living your life is ok… If you are prioritizing work over God, then you are living in sin. And you are NOT right with God. And what would be worse is if you do not feel guilty for this…..
There is only ONE WAY to finding peace in this life. There is only ONE WAY to finding hope in this life. There is only ONE WAY to finding joy in this life. And it is NOT through money or work or food or entertainment or alcohol or drugs or Netflix or people or any of that… The ONLY WAY that you will actually receive peace is by God’s Grace through Faith in Jesus Christ.
I am totally convinced that there is a LARGE MAJORITY of “American Christians” who will be saying “Lord, Lord” on Judgement Day. And I am totally convinced that there are people who are in our families who THINK they are saved, but their life directly reflects this world.
Men, if we do not step up and become the Ambassador that we are called to be, then the soul of that family member is in jeopardy of being eternally damned.
Men, we need to wake up and realize the reality of this dire situation. We need to take this very seriously. Eternity hangs in the balance… and YOU are to be the Herald to proclaim that truth.
This Psalm is your wake up call. This is your reality check. Now go to work.
Truly Fear God
Psalm 34:11-14
August 5, 2021 • Cole Cleveland • Psalm 34:11–14
God Is Sovereign Over All People
October 2, 2021 • Cole Cleveland • Psalm 47:9
1 Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy! 2 For the LORD, the Most High, is to be feared, a great king over all the earth. 3 He subdued peoples under us, and nations under our feet. 4 He chose our heritage for us, the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah 5 God has gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet. 6 Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! 7 For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm! 8 God reigns over the nations; God sits on his holy throne. 9 The princes of the peoples gather as the people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong to God; he is highly exalted! Psalms 47 This morning we conclude this Psalm. We have focused on the people of God praising their one true Lord who is presently sitting on His Holy Throne. There is much reason to praise God, as detailed in this Psalm. "The princes of the peoples gather as the people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong to God; he is highly exalted!" -- God is Sovereign over ALL of the earth. God is Sovereign over ALL people. God is Sovereign over ALL nations. God is Sovereign over ALL kings and leaders on the earth. That is the basic understanding of this verse here. We should praise God for His Sovereignty over ALL people. We tend to think that God is only in control of the Christians. Or that God is only in control of the "good things" that happen in this life. But we must firmly and wholly believe that the Lord our God, He is God; and there is no other... which includes ALL the people, nations, tribes and tongues. It doesn't matter who they "claim" to be their "god"... There is NO GOD except the Lord our God. "The princes of the peoples gather as the people of the God of Abraham." -- The "gathering of the peoples" here is most likely referring to a government meeting... a meeting of all the different nations... a meeting between multiple tribes, nations and peoples. And the psalmist makes the comment that they are gathering "as the people of the God of Abraham." This does NOT mean that they are all Christians. This does not mean that they are all believers. This is not a universal salvation message, which would clearly contradict verse 4, where we understand clearly that God chose His people from before the foundations of the world. Instead, the psalmist wants us to understand that there is nothing that a government or nation can do that is outside of the Sovereignty of God. There is nothing that a people group can do, which can thwart the plan of the Almighty God. Everyone is under His authority. Everyone is under His reign. Everyone is not only accountable to His decrees, but they are responsible to follow His ways. No one is outside of the plan of God. That is what the psalmist is saying here. "For the shields of the earth belong to God" -- The "shields of the earth" are the leaders of nations and the leaders of people. And the psalmist is explaining that God is totally sovereign over all people and all tribes and all nations. There is no leader that has gone outside of the ruling Sovereignty of God. All things work according to His plan. And all things work together for those who love God. We must understand that there is no plan outside of God's plan. There is no decree greater than God's decree. You might think to yourself, "Well, that means I can go on sinning all I want to, because everything is a part of God's plan." The reason that this is a false understanding is because when you are saved by God's Grace, when you are Justified by Faith Alone, then there is a NEW desire in your heart. You now WANT what God wants. You now DESIRE what God desires. You now seek the Will of God for your life. For this reason you cannot "go on sinning all the more, that Grace may abound." Paul addresses this in the Bible. "He is highly exalted!" -- as the final phrase of a psalm of praise, the writer makes it clear that we are to praise God, and recognize Him as "highly exalted." To be "highly exalted" is to be seated on His high, Holy throne. To regard Him as "highly exalted" is to understand our position in comparison to His glory. He is "high and lifted up," and we are "to bow before the Lord our maker" and to "worship at His footstool." As we regard the Lord our God as "highly exalted," we understand that there is no one to be viewed in a higher way than Him. It is He Alone who is worthy of our praise. He is to be worshipped as "highly exalted" and presently reigning on His Holy Throne. It is easy for us to get so caught up in this world, that we forget to rely on God's Sovereignty. Often we will focus our attention on earthly, temporal matters, instead of "setting our eyes on the things that are above." The world would love for us to disobey God's command to Joshua and "turn to the left and turn to the right," but instead, we must fix our eyes on the Creator and Sustainer of all time and space and matter. For He alone is God. There is nothing more important than doing the work of the Lord. There is nothing of higher priority than following the way of the Lord. That is why you see people drop everything in this life and follow Jesus. Often times it does not make sense. Most times people will question their decisions. But when someone is truly and wholly convinced that this world is not our home, and that this body is just a tent, then you will find a person who is sold out for the Kingdom of God. Their body, pride, earthly possessions, education and desires of this world are counted as NOTHING for the sake of the one true Gospel of Jesus Christ. Today, take confidence in the fact that God is Sovereign over ALL things and ALL people. And in this confidence, trust God's plan for your life enough that you are willing to "count the cost" and follow Jesus, no matter where that means you need to go.
God Reigns & God’s Throne Is Holy
October 1, 2021 • Cole Cleveland • Psalm 47:8
God reigns over the nations; God sits on his holy throne. Psalms 47:8 As we continue into verse 8 this morning, we discover further reason to "clap our hands" and "shout for joy" and to "praise the name of the Lord!" So far, we have seen that we are to do each of these things because: 1) God is Most High 2) God is a great King 3) God is to be feared 4) God subdued our enemies under His feet 5) God chose His people from before the foundations of the world 6) God has ascended on High 7) God is the King over all the earth Now, the psalmist gives us further reason to praise the Lord our God. "God reigns over the nations; God sits on his holy throne." The essence of this verse, as we take a big picture look at it is powerful. Our God is sovereign and in control. Our God is Holy. Our God is King. Let's look deeper into this verse... "God reigns..." -- This is a statement of fact. This is a statement of boldness. This is a statement which moves past the idea that “the Lord lives,” and guides us to understand that the Lord reigns. The God of the universe reigns as King. The King of ALL kings. The Lord of ALL lords. There is NO ONE above Him. There is NO ONE who can tell Him what to do. He reports to no one. The wind answers HIS bidding. The storm moves at HIS directed path. The Lord reigns over ALL. The Lord reigns over the great things that happen. The Lord reigns over the storm. In His Sovereignty, not only is the Lord guiding the storm and containing the storm, but the Lord is the creator of the storm and the ordainer of the storm. The Lord reigns over the storm. He reigns over kingdoms and governments. The Lord reigns over people and ideas. The Lord reigns over economics. The Lord reigns over inventions. The Lord reigns over law and order. The Lord reigns over all of creation. The Lord reigns over all of His people. All people are under the authority of the Lord God Almighty. Whether people declare for themselves or not… Yahweh is the Lord of their life. He is totally supreme over people. He is totally reigning over nations. The Lord is KING and governments answer to His appointed, divine, Holy decree. The Lord reigns. "God reigns over the nations" -- Note that not only does God reign over the nation of Israel and His chosen people, but God reigns over all peoples and all nations. Break through apart into two categories: 1) The Unbeliever. God reigns over the unbeliever. He is totally Sovereign and totally Supreme over the unbeliever. He is in total control of the unbeliever's life. It is God who reigns, not the enemy of God. It is God who is in control, not those who are against His will. God will have mercy upon whom He will have mercy. God directs and appoints kings of the earth. God reigns over everyone, including the unbeliever. 2) The Believer. God is our King. God is our Lord. The Lord of our life. We have surrendered and submitted to HIS Will. We have counted the cost. We have given up our possessions. We have counted our life as forfeit. We have forgone the idea of this temporary life and have surrendered to the Lordship of the King. God reigns and rules over the hearts of the believer. "God reigns over the nations; God sits..." -- This means he resides. He is currently residing. No matter when in history someone picks up this psalm to read it, it is God who is in total control. No matter when someone picks up this psalm to study it, God is reigning and ruling over all of the universe. He is in total and complete control over all time and apace and matter. And HE is residing and reigning in the very present... always! "God reigns over the nations; God sits on his holy throne." -- The throne of God is Holy. It is a throne unlike any other. It is a throne that is perfect. It is a Kingship that is pure. It is a reign over the entire universe that has never made a mistake. It is a ruling over all time and apace and matter that has been perfect in all of its decrees. Never one single time has God made a mistake in all of history. The throne of God is Holy. God's ruling is perfect and majestic. God's timing is righteous and pure. God justice is excellent in all its ways. It is not for us to evaluate His Holiness... it is for us to submit to His reign and His Kingship and His Lordship and His throne. We are given enough information to totally understand and comprehend that it is the Lord our God who is God; and there is no other. God's throne is Holy! "God reigns over the nations; God sits on his holy throne." Set your eyes on the Holiness of God today. Focus your attention of His appointed plan. Submit to His perfect decrees. Surrender to His will for your life.
Praise the King!
September 30, 2021 • Cole Cleveland • Psalm 47:5–7
5 God has gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet. 6 Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! 7 For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm! Psalms 47:5-7 As we continue to study this Psalm, today we look to verses 5-7. Remember that we are to "Clap our hands" and "shout for joy" because the Lord our God is the Most High God. And we are to praise Him because He has subdued our enemies. And we are to rejoice for He has chosen us to be His people from before the foundations of the world. "God has gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet." -- There are two things that this could be referring to, and it could be both. 1) This could be referring to when the Ark of the Covenant was being carried to the top of Mount Zion. This was done with great rejoicing and David dancing and the priests blowing trumpets. It was a time of celebration. 2) This could be referring to a future event of the Ascension of Christ in Acts 1:9. Jesus had finished the work on earth and then ascended into Heaven. He "led captivity captive." "Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises!" -- There is a consistent reminder for the believer to praise the name of God. We are specifically instructed to "sing praise" to our God and King. It is amazing that the Bible has to continually remind us to praise God... should the praise of God not continually roll off our lips? Should the praise of God not continually be poured out of our life? Why do we so often go days and weeks without praising the name of the Lord? There are 4 evaluations of "praise to God" that we can look at today: 1. Praising God with your time. As you evaluate your time spent on a daily basis, would it be considered glorifying to God. What ratio of your time is spent on earthly things compared to eternal things? What amount of time do you spend on things that just do not matter whatsoever? How much time do you spend in prayer and in the Word? You should continually and consistently spend time praising God throughout your day! 2. Praising God with your relationships. If you are married, please understand that God has specifically and intentionally partnered you with your spouse. HE HAS NOT MADE A MISTAKE. HE HAS NOT OVERLOOKED YOUR MARRIAGE. This was an intentional and purposeful design. Does your marriage reflect the glory of God? Are you loving your wife unconditionally? Are you praising God with your sacrificial service to your wife? Does she know that you love God more than anything in this world? Are you "sanctifying her in the Word" (Eph 5:26)? 3. Praising God with your money. We are called to be good stewards of the gifts that are given to us by God. Do you praise God with these gifts? Do you praise God with your money? We are called to be givers! It is a command to give. God doesn't own 10% of your income through a tithe. God owns 100% of your income. Are you a giver? Do you give? We are to see the work of the Gospel ministry as the primary need for our money in life. There is nothing more important than the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Does your budget reflect that? 4. Praising God through the local church. We are to praise God together. We are to praise God as a body of believers. We are to praise God in a corporate gathering. We are to praise God as the bride of Christ. Have you committed your life to this work? Have you committed your heart to this obedience? Are you sold out for the cause of Christ to serve the body as Christ first loved us? We are called to praise our God, and we should do this through our daily actions. Praise should be naturally flowing off our lips and through our actions! Praise God!! He is alone worthy! "For God is the King of all the earth, sing praises with a psalm" -- God is the King. He is Sovereign. He is Supreme. He is Lord. He is Master. He is Commander. He is All Powerful. He is Majestic. He is Glorious. There is NOTHING outside of His control. There is NOTHING outside of His rule. There is NOTHING outside of His omnipotence. God is King. This idea should drive you to your knees in praise! This fact should cause you to fall on the ground and repent. His Power and Glory are so Great, that it should cause you to be in awe of Him. We take the Kingship of God for granted. We go days without truly being in awe of His Lordship. We go days without truly submitting to His Kingship. No matter what you are going through, the believer in Christ CAN DECLARE THAT JESUS CHRIST IS LORD! This is a most glorious proclamation when things are going well in your life. And this is most glorious realization when you are "counting it all joy" while facing "trials of various kinds." It is true... the Lord our God, He IS God; and there is no other. Let there be glory and honor and praises... Glory and honor to Jesus! Glory and Honor to Him alone, for He is our only hope and He is our only salvation. He is the King of kings. He is the Lord of lords! Crown Him King! Crown Him Lord! Oh Glorious is His Awesome and Powerful and Majestic name! Praise the King!