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 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.
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!
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 Psalms 47:1-4 Our study brings us to verse 4 today. And it is a most powerful statement of fact. A statement that is profound and glorious. There is much comfort in understanding this statement: "4 He chose our heritage for us, the pride of Jacob whom he loves." This statement is a part of the opening praise. It is a continued description of why we are to praise the Almighty, Powerful, Sovereign, Supreme Ruler of the Universe. We are to "clap our hands" and "shout for joy" because He is the Most High God! We are to praise the Lord because he "subdued our enemies." And we are to rejoice in His holy name because "He chose our heritage for us." There is not a clearer, more precise statement regarding Predestination and Sovereign Election in the whole of the Bible. It is clear that "before the foundations of the world" (Ephesians 1:3-5) "He chose our heritage for us." For some reason, this is a highly disputed and misunderstood doctrine. It is a statement of fact, which is highly called into question in the Christian world. To believe in Predestination and Sovereign Election is to be known as some sort of a "high church" and "non-compassionate" and "judgmental" "holier-than-thou" Christian. But we must understand the assurance that is found in these words and in this doctrine. "He chose our heritage for us" -- Throughout the entire Bible, this statement is emphasized and held in high regard. This doctrine is celebrated by the believer and used in a glorious and most assured context. Not only did God choose a people BY Himself, but He chose a people FOR Himself. "6 For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. 7 It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, 8 but it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt" (Deuteronomy 7:6-8). For the believer to claim that He was "chosen by God" is not a prideful statement. It is a statement of humility. It is understanding that there was absolutely nothing he was capable of doing in order to earn this salvation. He was truly a "chosen people" by God Himself. Christian, take assurance in this fact that you were "chosen by God" from before the foundations of the world. "... the pride of Jacob whom He loves." -- This is a description of our "heritage." The statement, "Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated," should come to your mind. This is the point that is being made here. God has chosen a people for Himself and has poured out His special love for us. This does not conflict with the understanding of the Abrahamic Covenant that "all nations will be blessed." Instead, it is a supporting statement because there are most certainly believers all over the world who have come to faith. Praise His name! None of this understanding conflicts with man's responsibility to repent and put his faith in Jesus Christ alone. In fact, after Justification, it is clear to understand God's Sovereign election for a sinner who is damned for all of eternity. To wrap your mind around Predestination and Election, you must fully comprehend Total Depravity. After all, how can a dead man do anything at all? If we are "dead in our trespasses and sins" who "fall short of the glory of God," then how can we do ANYTHING to please God? The answer is that we can't please God in our sin. He is Holy and we are dead. The only thing a dead man can do is stink... and that describes our life before Christ better than anything. The doctrine of Predestination and Election does not negate the term "whosoever." For if you are sitting there reading these words today and God has grabbed your heart and convicted you of your sin, then the gates of Paradise are opening for you right now! Repent and believe!! The Gospel offering is for ALL who believe!! WHOEVER believes in the name of the Lord WILL be saved! Predestination and Election are not man-made doctrines. This understanding comes right out of God's mouth. You cannot read through the Bible and neglect this doctrine without forcing yourself to deny other key texts. This doctrine is NOT a secondary issue. This doctrine is a primary issue because it has EVERYTHING to do with Sola Scriptura, Sola Gratia, Sola Fide, Solus Christus and Soli Deo Gloria. The opening praise of Psalm 47 ends with this key word, which is beautiful... "Selah" -- This word means to sit and meditate on what you just heard. It means to ponder the words of God. It means to consider the glory of the words of God. And that is what the Word of God calls us to do now that we have studied this opening stanza of this Psalm. Consider the saving power of God. Consider His glory and His majesty! Consider that He is the Most High God who has subdued all of His enemies. And meditate on the fact that He chose a people BY Himself and FOR Himself before the foundations of the world. Praise His Holy Name!
3 He subdued peoples under us, and nations under our feet. Psalm 47:3 After stopping and reflecting on the Sovereign Supremacy of God, and understanding "how" were are to praise Him as King, now we look to the "why." It is most certainly enough for us to know that He Alone is King of the universe, and this should cause us to "clap our hands" and "shout" for joy. But we are given a more in-depth guide into the King and why we are to worship Him forever. "He subdued peoples under us, and nations under our feet." -- This statement is not only a look to the past, but also is a present and future reality. God won victories and because God won victories, the people of God were victorious. Enemies of God were the enemies of the children of God. And the Lord, the Most High, conquered these enemies. Consider some of the Old Testament battles that were won. Consider the walls of Jericho coming down. Consider David throwing the small stone at the Philistine. Consider Moses raising his staff and having people lift his arms for him, in order to obey God in battle. These victories are God subduing His enemies under the feet of His people. The word "subdued" means "to speak." I found this to be unusual, but what we can understand about this Hebrew origin is that God spoke, and it was so. He spoke and the world came into existence. He spoke and there was light. And here, God spoke (in the past tense) and our enemies were conquered. This is a present reality for us. No matter what persecution you face, God is victorious. No matter how difficult life might be, it is God who is victorious over His enemies. And then this verse is a future reality. That God WILL win the war. There will come a day when every knee will bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord for the glory of God the Father. Praise Him!! Clap your hands! Shout for joy! Our Lord has come to conquer! Our Lord will not be denied. He will damn those who hate Him. And He will save those who repent and believe. Praise the name of the Lord! I wonder if we actually believe these things to be true in our heart. Or are we so spoiled in the United States of America, that we just expect victory? Are you so out of touch with the reality of the Victorious God, that we just expect everything to be done for us?... I hope that is not the case. Instead, we must be hungry for God's victory! We must thirst for His victory! We must desire that He will be dominant and that He will conquer! Imagine taking this approach to your current sin. Imagine surrendering your current sin to a dominant and powerful God who is able to conquer. Submit to His Kingship and His power and you can be victorious over your sin. NOT because you followed a 7-step program... but because God subdued His enemies under the feet of those whom He has called. But in order for this to happen, you MUST be obedient. You MUST submit to His Kingship. You MUST surrender your life to Him. If you are struggling with sin today, the will of God for your life is to surrender that sin to Him and submit to His Lordship. The will of God for your life is to repent, and to turn. To repent means to completely turn the other direction. You realize your sinfulness and you must turn. Listen, if you continue to walk the way you are going, then you will eventually arrive there. Let that sink in. You must REPENT! In your repentance, understand the dominance that God has over sin. Understand the power that God has over sin. You can be victorious over your sin, only because of the power of a God who has come that you might have life, and have it more abundantly!! You can live life to the fullest, when you choose to repent and be freed from sin! REPENT! "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." Our adoration for God should result in praise and shouts of joy. Praise His name today! Praise Him for who He is! Praise Him for what He has done. Praise Him for what He is doing. And praise Him for what He will do! There is victory in the God of our salvation!
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. Psalms 47:1-2 This week in the reading plan from the app, we'll be studying Psalm 47. The key elements of this Psalm are to understand that God is THE Sovereign King over all of the universe and that includes all peoples, all nations and all tribes. The very concept of this overarching view for us to understand about God is enough for us to meditate on today. We often forget or neglect to comprehend the Supremacy of the Ruling Power of the Almighty God. Praise Him for He is King -- the ONLY King. "Clap your hands, all peoples" -- This Psalm opens up with a command to the world to praise God. It's a command to the entire world to recognize that "the Lord our God, He IS God, and there is no other." It's a call to worship. It's a call to all people in all nations of all tribes to recognize the Holiness and the Power and the Supremacy of Christ and rejoice for the Lord is King! "Shout to God with loud songs of joy!" -- Once again, this is a command to all people to rejoice in the Lord. This is a command for all people to "shout" for joy at the recognition of the King of kings and the Lord of lords. It's a demand for all people to find joy in the fact that our King is Sovereign and Supreme over all of the universe. Do you find joy in the Lord? Do you find joy in His Kingship? Do you find joy in recognizing Him alone as Lord of all the earth? Praise Him for His Sovereignty today! Praise Him for His Supremacy today! "Clap your hands" and "shout" for joy because HE IS IN CONTROL!!! "For the LORD, the Most High, is to be feared, a great king over all the earth." -- Yahweh is described as "the Most High" God. Meaning, He is "exalted far above all gods." Meaning, He is "high and lifted up." Meaning, there are "no other gods before Me." Do you recognize Him in this way? Do you surrender to His Supremacy? Do you submit to Him on a daily basis, because of His Highness?? You can evaluate this in 4 ways: 1) How do I spend my time? 2) How do I prioritize my relationships? 3) How do I spend my money? 4) Do I love the bride of Christ, the local church? These evaluations will tell you whether or not you see Yahweh as "the Most High" God. "For the LORD, the Most High, is to be feared..." -- We don't fear God as we ought to fear God. We don’t revere Him. We don't have a reverence for God like we ought to. At best, God is our "buddy." We have this cartoon picture of God, and we don't stop and savor His Supremacy. We don't WANT TO reflect on His Power. We don't WANT TO consider His Majesty. This type of daily meditation will drive you to your knees and cause you to fear God. The result of fearing God is a changed life. Your changed life is the FRUIT of fearing God. We often mistake this by saying, "If I change this or that in my life, then that means that I fear God." We might say, "If I stop drinking, that will prove that I fear God." Or "If I prioritize church over work, then that means I fear God." But this is backwards. These actions are good and should be observed. BUT these actions are a RESULT of fearing God... the actions themself do not create fear. Instead, your very inner being ought to tremble at the thought of the Glory and the Holiness of God. It is a Weightiness that creates fear. The Weightiness of the Holiness and the Glory and the Splendor of God creates a fear inside of you that should naturally change the purpose of your existence. You DO only because you FEAR. "A great King over all the earth" -- This is the description of our King in the opening sentence of this Psalm. It is a statement of fact, which describes the very existence of God. He is King. And He is King over ever individual who ever existed. This is a statement of fact. As Heralds, Ambassadors, our job is to call the nations to repentance. We are to call the people of the earth to repentance in recognition of the King of kings and the Lord of lords. We are to call the nations to repent and believe in the One True God! This is our calling... this is our purpose! But listen... how can we go to the nations, if we do not first have the confidence in our God to change our marriage? How can we go to the nations, if we do not first have the confidence in the Power of God to save our neighbor? How can we go to the nations, if we do not have confidence in the Saving Power of God to change the life of our co-worker? How can we go to the nations, if we don't even prioritize the bride of Christ over our work? The fact is this... We all know and can agree that we are to be Heralds and we should take the Gospel to the nations. But none of us actually practice this in the core circle of people in our lives. If you actually believed in the Weightiness of the Glory of God, then the people that God has intentionally and specifically put in your life would know of the Supremacy of Christ. We have to stop hiding behind the idea of being comfortable. We MUST Fear God. We MUST bow down before Him. We MUST submit our lives totally and fully to His Kingship. And in doing this, He will receive Glory. Praise the name of the Lord! For He ALONE is God! Find everlasting JOY in His Kingship and His Holiness and His Supremacy and His Glory and His Majesty!
5 Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. 6 Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O LORD. Psalms 36:5-6 After 4 verses of realizing who we are without Christ, the psalmist stops to consider the greatness of the love of God. Read the first four verses again and understand that we do not deserve to be loved. We are a sinful people, and yet... "God shows His love to us in that while we are yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) "Now this is love, not that we have loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4:10) "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, what whoever believes in Him will not perish, but will have everlasting life." (John 3:16) 5 Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. Note the span of the love of God. It is everlasting. It is beyond what we can picture. It is greater than we can imagine. The love of God has no measure. Note that God's love in "steadfast"... it is unwavering. It is immovable. When God has showed His love to you, that love will remain steadfast toward you. When God shows His love to you, there is a great change in your life. This is regeneration or conversion! The love of God CHANGES you! And it is steadfast, meaning, that you will be forever changed by the love of God. You will not lose the love of God, and the love of God will not leave you. The love of God is faithful. When you struggle, God's love is greater. When you are weary, God's love endures. When you are doubting, God's love is the answer. When you are failing, God's love remains true. There is this infinite chasm between God's holiness and our unrighteousness. And the only way that we can be reconciled to God is because God love and grace and mercy coves that infinite chasm. Praise God from whom all blessings flow! 6 Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O LORD. God is perfect. He is great. He is Holy! His nature is beyond our comprehension. His righteousness is like the mountains in such a way that is beyond the perfection that we can possibly understand. "Holy! Holy! Holy! Is the Lord God Almighty! Heaven and earth are filled with His Glory!" (Isaiah 6:3). In His purity and Holiness, even His judgements are perfect. The justice of God is pure. The decisions of God is pure. And in this holiness, He chooses to preserve all of His creation. This is what it means here when the psalmist says, "you save." It means that as beautiful as creation is, nothing compares to God's perfection and God's Holiness and yet, He chooses to preserve everything. Great is the love of the Lord!! We do not deserve His love. (HYMN) The Love of God The love of God is greater far Than tongue or pen can ever tell. It goes beyond the highest star And reaches to the lowest hell. The guilty pair, bowed down with care, God gave His Son to win; His erring child He reconciled And pardoned from his sin. O love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong! It shall forevermore endure— The saints’ and angels’ song.
1 Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes. 2 For he flatters himself in his own eyes that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated. 3 The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit; he has ceased to act wisely and do good. 4 He plots trouble while on his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he does not reject evil. Psalms 36:1-4 This week we are in Psalm 36 and 37. Let me encourage you to read all of the 36th Psalm today as we look at the first 4 verses. These verses are giving us a clear reality of our life before Christ. This is the nature of man. Dead in our trespasses and sins. Take a look at these descriptions... 1 Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes. The man who does not know God is a transgressor at the very core of his being. This means that there is no good in him. There is nothing that a man without Christ can present to the Lord as good. He is empty of all righteousness... totally depraved. Completely rebellious to the things of God. He does not fear God. He has no concept of the fear of the Lord. He does not have an awe or a reverence for God. Instead, he has placed his selfish desires above everything... he fears this culture and this society more than he has a fear of the Lord. You either fear God or this world... you cannot fear both. 2 For he flatters himself in his own eyes that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated. The man without any ability to merit good, flatters himself because he THINKS what he is doing is "good"... but even though being a "good person" might seem praiseworthy from its appearance, according to the standard of the law of God, "there is NONE RIGHTEOUS... no not one." But this man who does not have Christ lies to himself, thinking that he is a good person. The man without Christ believes that his sins will not be found out. This is what Satan does to us... he convinces us that we can hide from God... Like Adam and Eve in the garden trying to hide from God... He has not understanding of the Sovereignty of God. No fear or reverence of God. 3 The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit; he has ceased to act wisely and do good. Again, this is the reality of who man is without Christ. We are totally and completely depraved. We are totally and completely without good in our heart. We are totally and completely troubled and deceitful. 4 He plots trouble while on his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he does not reject evil. Note this last description... "he does not reject evil." This is the severity of the man who is not in Christ. He accepts what is evil in his life. This is offensive to God. This is sin. Note also that "he sets himself in a way that is not good" as opposed to "setting his mind on this that are above"... These are a tough 4 verses for us to read and to re-read because it is so grievous for us to look back on our lives and remember who we were without the grace of God. This was our reality without God's Grace. This was our life and our future and our purpose without God's Grace. "But God who is RICH IN MERCY... made us ALIVE in Christ... for by grace we have been saved through Faith." Don't forget where God's Grace has brought you from!! Don't forget who you were without Christ! Don't forget about His mercy! Don't forget about the Peace that is in your life because of God's Sovereign Grace. Read all of this Psalm today and you will reflect on the love of God.
15 The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. 16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. 17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. 18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. This psalm is all about the way that you position yourself before God. This is all about how you see yourself before a Holy God. 15 The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. The reality of the situation is that once you have been justified, God goes from being against you to being FOR you! He goes from being your enemy to being your Lord and Savior! This is an understanding that we need to come to in regards to our daily walk. God is FOR you. God is NOT against you! He has a purpose for your life and it is our responsibility to pursue Him and walk in a manner that is worthy of the calling to which we have been called. 16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. The opposite is true for the unbeliever. God is against those who have rebelled against Him. Man is naturally at enmity with God. Sam did a wonderful job explaining this in Romans 1.... “18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.” The reality is that God is against those who have not put their Faith in Him. This should be a motivating factor in our evangelism... We should desire that ALL know Christ! And we should act on this desire. 17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. In week 2 of our Spiritual Bootcamp book that we are studying right now, we will learn about Prayer. When the children of God cry out for help, their Lord will hear them. This is a promise that we have! We should cry out to the Lord our God. He wants to hear our cry. But something to remember in our cry is that prayer is for our will to be conformed to His will. As you are going through difficulty in your life, don’t cry out to God to be delivered from difficulty... Instead, pray that God would be WITH you and that you would have endurance and faith to make it through with strength and courage in a manner that God would be Glorified! 18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. This is the resolution of position. “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” Blessed are those who lower themselves as low as possible, so that Christ can be exalted as much as possible! This is when we can have a close relationship with God. This is when we can experience God at the highest level here on earth. When we make ourselves as nothing and make MUCH of God! Remember that as a believer in Christ, GOD IS FOR YOU! The Creator of the Universe is FOR you! Walk in that understanding. Walk in such a way that you are going to be Victorious in the will and purpose and plan of a Holy God! Pursue His goodness!
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.
8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! 9 Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! 10 The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. Psalm 34:8-10 The psalmist continues after sharing his personal testimony... and as he continues he begins to urge others around him to follow Christ. This is what should happen in your life. If you have tasted to see that the Lord is good, then you SHOULD tell others about it. It is like being an Ambassador for a good restaurant... if you will tell others about the great burger you just ate, then why won’t you tell them about Jesus? Is he not infinitely sweeter and more satisfying? “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!” What a cool sentence to read in the Bible. My mind immediately goes to the deer panting for the water and being satisfied with the water from the stream. That deer was desperate to drink... dying of thirst.... And the stream of water was the quench to his thirst. That is exactly what we realize in Christ. Have you tasted the Lord and found Him to be good? Share a story to the group about how God has been good in your life!! “Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” Remember that to be “blessed” is to be happy with an eternal mindset. To be “blessed” is to be totally and completely satisfied in Christ alone no matter your circumstances in life. To be “blessed” is to find lifelong joy in the sovereignty and supremacy of a Holy God. There is blessing found in the refuge of our God. The refuge that we receive from God is both immediate and eternal. We receive immediate refuge from a desire to be like the world. The grace of God pulls us out of the cultural desire to live in the filth of our trespasses and sins. The eternal refuge we gain from God is when we are finally saved from eternal damnation. We receive refuge from the wrath of God. Isn’t it amazing to think that the believer in Christ will never experience the wrath of God? Praise the Lord! Thank you for your mercy. “Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack!” This is a call for the believer to fear God and nothing else. Do not fear the world. Do not fear the culture. Do not give any credence to the offerings of this society. Fear God! Remember, do not turn to the left. Do not turn to the right. Set your mind on things that are above. Do not allow this culture to infiltrate your life and influence what your life as a believer looks like. Be strong and courageous. You will lack nothing because you have EVERYTHING in Christ. There is nothing that this world offers that is greater than Christ alone. Christ + nothing = EVERYTHING “The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.” This is an immediate supplement to the above verse. This is saying that the young lion is immature and without wisdom. The young lion represents an unbeliever. The young lion represents someone who is trying to do everything on their own. The young lion represents someone who is trying to find joy and happiness and contentment and prosperity in themselves. But the assumed contrast of an older/wiser lion, has sought the Lord and lacks nothing. He has found the sufficient Christ. He has found satisfaction in Christ. I know this is hard to actually apply because a lot of it is poetic language, but don’t overthink the purpose of this portion of the psalm. The writer has found total and complete satisfaction in Christ alone and no longer needs what this world has to offer. For us this means that we need to come to the point that we prioritize Christ and everything about Christ above all of the things that this world has to offer. Nothing comes before Christ. What are your priorities in your life? Do you consider work more important that God? Is work your god? Is TV more important than your time with your Savior? Are sports more important? Are hobbies taking your time away from your time with Christ. As you evaluate your priorities, you can most easily do this with the amount of time that you spend with each element of your life. Just draw out a chart and determine how much time you spend doing certain things... this will tell you what is most important in your life.
4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. 5 Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. 6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. 7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. Psalms 34:4-7 This is a psalm of personal testimony that allows us to understand to goodness and the greatness of our God. Read this text and see if it is not true in your life also. "I sought the LORD" -- Think in terms of Ephesians 2:4 here... "But http://god...made us alive together with Christ..." also think in terms of Ephesians 1:18... "having the eyes of your heart enlightened, that you may know the hope to which he has called you." Along with understanding all of Romans 3... "there is none righteousness... there is none who seeks you... there is none who desire you..." ALL OF THIS gives to us a framework of understanding what it means that "I sought the LORD." We cannot seek Him unless God makes it possible for us to desire Him. It is God who makes us alive. It is God who enlightens the eyes of our heart. It is God who puts within us a desire to seek Him. Praise His name for He has made you alive in Him! "For by grace you have been saved through Faith, it is NOT OF YOURSELVES, it is a gift of God!" Hallelujah! Praise the Lamb! "He answered me" -- Also remember the promise given by Jesus... "Seek me and you will find me." If God has made you alive with a desire to seek after Christ, then you have already been given spiritual life! And we know that once you have been given spiritual life, that the Spirit will persevere in your heart for all of eternity! Therefore, if you seek God, He WILL answer you! This is a personal testimony of salvation here. If one seeks after salvation in Christ through Faith, he WILL find Hope! But his desire to seek Jesus Christ is only because of the gift of grace and mercy from our Heavenly Father! This is where our theology in believing in the Sovereignty of God comes from. Give ALL GLORY to God! Don't take credit for your own salvation. "I sought the Lord and He answered me" ONLY BECAUSE He was gracious enough to make me alive in Him! If God has not chosen me before the foundation of the world, then I would NOT HAVE "sought Him." He God had not predestined my eternity to be with Christ for all of eternity, then I would be dead in my trespasses and sins... I would fall into Romans 3... I would be a hater of God. Praise the Lord for His Grace! "He delivered me" -- Your salvation is a story of deliverance. You have been delivered from death. You were a dead sinner with a destination for eternal damnation. And God delivered you! We often forget that we are saved FROM something.... We are saved FROM the wrath of God. We are saved BY the Grace of God. We are saved BECAUSE OF God's love. We are saved FOR God's Glory! "From all my fears" -- Before being delivered by God from God for God, you feared this world and yourself and your eternal state. Think in terms of Proverbs 10:24... "The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him: but the desire of the righteous shall be granted." The reality of the unrighteous is fear, trembling, uncertainty, anxiety, hatred, etc. You will either fear one or the other: you will fear this world/culture/society/what satan offers, or you will fear God. No matter what someone tells you about his own life without God, there is fear in his life... He may be so darkened to not understand it, but the Bible clearly shows that "their path of full of ruin and misery." But by God's Grace, you don't fear this world, instead you fear God! "Those who look to him are radiant" -- This is no doubt in reference to Moses in Psalm 34... "Show me your glory!" When you are saved by God's Grace, your life changes! You are "radiant!" You are changed. You are different. You WANT what God wants. You DESIRE what God desires. And your complexion on life is different! It is radiant!!! "and their faces shall never be ashamed" -- "I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For it is the power of salvation to those who believe." After your salvation, you life's purpose is different. You have a passion to know God and pursue Him in His Word!! And because of what God has done in your life, you have a desire for other people to know Him as well. Is this true of your life? Do you live out the Gospel? Do you walk in the Truth? Do you have a desire for others to know Him? Your life should be spent as a "Fisher of men." You should be SO CHANGED by the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that everyone in your life should know what you believe. You should be sharing the Faith that is within you to everyone you come into contact with. "This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him" -- This is another emphasis to who we are without Christ. We are "poor"... we are "dead"... We have absolutely nothing without Christ. Christ + nothing = Everything Christ is enough for us!!! If you do not know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and you WANT TO, you can cry out to Him this morning and He will hear you! Repent of your sins. Ask Him to change your life. Put your Faith and Trust and Hope in Christ Alone. "and saved him out of all his troubles" -- This is not to say that you will never have another hardship in this life. But the trouble that you are saved from is eternal damnation. If you step back and understand everything from the eternal perspective that we are to view everything from, THIS is the only trouble worth worrying about. There is no trouble greater than to be separated from the grace of God and to be eternally experiencing the wrath of God. When you are saved BY God's Grace, then you are saved FROM God's wrath. This is to be saved from all of your troubles. "The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them" -- This is our eternal security that is promised to us. When you are IN CHRIST, you will never be lost... when the Bible saved, "those who left us were never of us," it means that there will be people who SAY they are Christians, there will be people who come to church, there will be people who do all the things they are supposed to do, but the reality is that they never surrendered their life to Christ. "They left us, because they were never OF US..." We understand a Doctrine called "Perseverance of the Saints," which is the perseverance of the Spirit. In other words "once saved always saved." And you think, well then why did my friend who "used to be saved" turn atheist? Well, it is because he was never actually saved. The Bible says that if one is truly saved, then the fruit of his life will show that he is a believer. Acts 2:42... He will continue with us. But as a believer, we are promised that our salvation is protected and secure! IF WE COULD LOSE IT, WE WOULD!!!! In our daily failure, we would surely lose our salvation... But the Lord our God is FAITHFUL! And MERCIFUL! Praise the Lord our God for saving you! It is NOT of your own doing... it is only because of His grace.
1 I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad. 3 Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together! Psalms 34:1-3 This psalm is one of the greatest invitations to praise the Lord that we see in the whole of the Bible. Let us consider these words and worship our Lord and Savior this morning. 1 I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. To "bless the Lord" is to kneel before the Lord. To approach Him with all humility. To understand who you are in comparison to His greatness. To ascribe to Him the glory that is due His name. To kneel at His footstool and worship Him. To bow before the Lord our maker. "At all times" -- this is to live out your worship. This is to walk daily in humility. This is to walk in such a way that brings honor and glory to God in all that you do. This is to never stop for a second and consider that someone or something else is greater than the Lord our God. "His praise shall continually be in my mouth" -- There is never a lack of opportunity to praise God. There is never a time in your life when praise should stop. There is never a time in your life when you have praised God enough. Think of the provisions that you have been given... think of your family... think of your salvation... think of your job... think of the food you've eaten... ..... Now think of WHO God is... think of His holiness... think of His mercy... think of His love... think of His patience... your praise should never cease. 2 My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad. "My soul" -- that is, your satisfaction in life. What are you satisfied in? Who makes you most satisfied? "As the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs for you." "Makes its boast in the Lord" -- There is nothing and no one else that we should find satisfaction in outside of our Savior! There is nothing and no one that we should long for and want more than God our Savior. Do you find satisfaction in Christ? Do you want more or Christ each day? "Let the humble hear and be glad" -- This is directly pointing to the humility it takes to "bless the Lord" "continually".... when you approach the Throne of Grace in all humility, then you will find JOY and Gladness! This is the return of blessing, when you have blessed the Lord! 3 Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together! The call here is to make God look great! "Magnify" is to put God in the proper framework that He deserves... God is GREAT! And greatly to be praised! We tend to put God in a box... or just think of Him as a normal person. But our God, the Lord, is the Supreme creator and ruler of the entire universe. He is the designer and sustainer of history and all of its purposes and contents. He is the Alpha and Omega. It should be a goal of your life that you make God look great!!! You should desire for your friends to see how you live your life and the first thing they notice is how GREAT you make God out to be! Magnify Him!!! "Exalt His name" -- this is see Him as Isaiah saw God in Isaiah 6... "High and Lifted up!" This is to see God in His supremacy! In His Glory! In His Holiness!! We do not take this seriously enough.... if we did, our lives would look much differently. Instead, we bring God down to our level and this gives us ever opportunity to justify any sin in our life. But instead, we must EXALT HIS NAME! We must recognize Him for who He is! We must live our life in an exaltation manner, which points to the Glory and the Holiness of God! "Together" -- this is the call for each of us as believers to worship together. The idea that we are not alone in this. God has given us each other. God has given to us one another. This is the beauty of the local body of believers! In God's divine and perfect plan, He has given us the ability to have intentional relationships with one another. DO NOT TAKE THIS FOR GRANTED. Be involved in the lives of your fellow church members. You are each a MEMBER of the body and you need to be helping and encouraging and caring for one another!
“Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:12 As we come to the last verse of what is known as the Beatitudes, we encounter yet another verse on how to handle persecution. The purpose of the Beatitudes is to help the believer understand that the way to experience heavenly blessing is counter-cultural to the world’s idea of happiness. The believer in Christ must understand what it will cost to follow Jesus. And from the very beginning of Jesus’ teaching ministry, he lays out the reality of how much it will cost to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. In verses 10 and 11, we see that there is blessing in being persecuted for the sake of Christ. We are not to pursue persecution in order to find blessing, but the reality is that persecution should find you because your life should be so counter-cultural, that the natural result is persecution. We can remember back to Moses and how he chose to leave the palace in order to obey God’s call on his life. He forsook all that this world had to offer in order to follow after Jesus Christ. And we forget that we are called to do the exact same thing. Our calling is no different. To follow after Jesus, we are to forsake all of the temporary and fleeting happiness that this world has to offer and we are to run to Jesus with reckless abandon. In verse 12 of Matthew 5, Jesus says that we are to “Rejoice and be glad” when we experience persecution. And these words seem to be easier said than done. But we have an entire Bible worth of examples of disciples of Christ who were persecuted and were found rejoicing. The purpose of our hardship is to find joy. Meaning, the purpose of the fiery trials that we go through are for the process of learning what it means to be completely and totally dependent on Christ for our satisfaction. Everything that we go through is so that we because more reliant on Christ for our joy and less reliant on what this world offers for temporary happiness. Our goal in persecution should be echoed by Acts 5:41, “Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.” And then follow that up with how they responded to this persecution in verse 42, “And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.” The goal of our hardships are that we would find all-satisfying joy in Christ Alone. He is all that we need. When you are struggling with something in your life (marriage, relationship, motivation, work, communication, etc), where do you turn? Do you relieve your stress or discomfort with food, alcohol, sex, pornography, sports, hobbies?… OR do you immediately turn to the ONLY hope you have to be totally and completely satisfied? May we live out the lyrics of this great song: Take the world, but give me Jesus, All its joys are but a name; But His love abideth ever, Through eternal years the same. Take the world, but give me Jesus, Sweetest comfort of my soul; With my Savior watching over me, I will sing through every storm. Take the world, but give me Jesus, In His cross my trust shall be, Till, with clearer, brighter vision, Face to face my Lord I see!
“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.” Matthew 5:11 "Blessed" is to be happy with an eternal mindset. It's not temporary happiness, but lifelong joy. To be "blessed" is to understand and submit to the Sovereignty of God in all situations. Don't think of "blessing" as just physical gifts that God gives to us... that is a worldly mindset. To be "blessed" is to be totally satisfied in Christ no matter what your circumstances are. Let me direct your attention to Moses’ story of faith in Hebrews 11:24-26… “By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.” Moses set his mind on the things that are above. He resolved in his heart that he was going to serve the Lord our God no matter what the cost. He could have lived the life of luxury in a palace with everyone waiting on him and and foot. But instead, being called by God, Moses obeyed his Creator and refused to be comfortable. This decision had to be intentional. This decision changed the course of the rest of his life and continued forth the plan of God for the redemption of man. The calling of the life of an Ambassador is not to be comfortable on this earth. We are to refuse the offerings of this world and set our compass north, looking to the Author and Perfecter of our Faith. Our lives should not be a reflection of this world, but should instead be a reflection of our Lord and Savior. Note in Hebrews 11:25 that the happiness of this world is described as “fleeting.” And this is something that we have to keep in mind. Everything that this world offers as “happiness” is fleeting. To be “Blessed” in this life is to have an eternal mindset, understanding that eternal joy is much greater than fleeting happiness. Jesus makes it abundantly clear from the very beginning of his teaching ministry that if you are going to follow Him, then you are going to face persecution. People are going to not want to be your friends. People are going to hate you and your God. And you are going to have to live with that. You are going to have to resolve in your heart that following Christ is far greater than anything that this world has to offer. Your life cannot be both a reflection of this world and a reflection of Christ. You cannot serve two masters. You must make the decision to either reject the world or reject Christ. You are going to be made fun of for following Christ. Your co-workers might not understand why you can’t do this or do that. Former friends might slander your name. You may have to give up things that your former life loved in order to follow after Jesus. You will most definitely have to surrender all of your life to Christ… every element. But here is the deal: There is MUCH blessing for the Sovereign Creator of the Universe when you totally and completely surrender all that you have to all that He is.
