I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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I want to spend my life
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Removing pain
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Lord, let my words
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Heal a heart that hurts
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I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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Hello, and welcome
to 3ABN Family Worship.
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Forgive my squeaky voice,
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but it's the end of a long week.
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And we're so excited that
the Sabbath is rolling in,
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and we want to thank you
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for joining us for
this Family Worship.
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Honey?
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It's wonderful to be here
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and it's wonderful to
hear your little squeaky voice.
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Something is coming out of it.
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So...
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You never know.
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You never know
what's gonna come out.
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We're just surrounded
with two of our good friends,
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two people that I
just love teach the Word.
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And we're just going
to take this opportunity
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to be around the
table and just say
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what comes to our
heart and glean from that.
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Yes.
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And I just wanted to say
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that tonight
what we decided to do
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is we'd call this
confident trust in the Lord,
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but we're going to examine
Psalm 27, a psalm of David.
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And it is a beautiful psalm.
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And I think it's very
relevant to today's times.
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So you want to
have opening prayer?
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I certainly would.
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Father, as we
come together today
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in the name of Jesus just
want to thank you so much,
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Lord, for the Sabbath.
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We just Thank You, Lord,
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that we have this
time to concentrate on You
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to put the things of
this world to the side and,
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Father, as we just
go through Psalm 27.
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Lord that to the
aid of the Holy Spirit
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that we will be
able to learn things
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that perhaps we
hadn't looked at before.
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But, Father, main thing
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we just want to keep
our eyes focused on You.
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Be with us, Lord,
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take care of each
person that has ears to hear.
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We ask this in
the name of Jesus.
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Amen.
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Amen and amen.
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Has it been a
difficult week for you?
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Not a difficult week,
but certainly a blessed week.
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Busy week. How
about you, Johnny?
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It's been a busy week,
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but the Lord has been helping us
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through each and
every part of the day.
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Amen.
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And if you haven't
figured it out yet,
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this is our Pastor
Johnny Dinzey, Pastor Ryan Day.
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Amen.
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Both men of God, great teachers,
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just love Jesus
with all their heart.
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Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.
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And just as a little side note,
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the reason my
voice is so squeaky
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is during surgery
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I had an injury
to my vocal fold.
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But I'm afraid to have
the surgery to repair it,
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because every
time I have surgery
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it seems that everything
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that can go wrong does go wrong.
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So just bear with me
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and it'll get
better in a minute.
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Let's just dive
right in to Psalm 27.
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And what we're going to do?
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We're gonna read
through the Psalm first,
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then we're going to
come back and take it apart,
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unpack it verse by verse.
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And I think this is
something you can do at home
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when you're
sitting with your children,
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read through something,
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then come back and explain it.
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So it's not just a
quick read through.
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But this is a beautiful Psalm
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and it's brought
me a lot of comfort.
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And let me explain this.
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In the first in Psalm 27:1-6
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what we find is David
is talking to himself.
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He's having a
conversation with himself,
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talking about the
privileges of divine protection.
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Then in verses 7-12,
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he starts talking to
the Lord about his problems.
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And verse 13 and 14,
he's talking to himself again,
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and this time it's
about perseverance.
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So we're going to
look at divine protection
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and those privileges,
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the problem, and
then perseverance.
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Johnny, why don't
you read verses 1-6?
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One through six?
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And without comment.
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We'll just go through first,
read it, and then come back.
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"The Lord is my
light and my salvation.
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Whom shall I fear?
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The Lord is the
strength of my life.
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Of whom shall I be afraid?
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When the wicked came
against me to eat my flesh,
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my enemies and foes,
they stumbled and fell.
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Though an army
may encamp against me,
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my heart shall not fear.
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Though war may rise against
me, in this I will be confident.
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One thing I have desired
of the Lord, that will I seek.
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That I may dwell in
the house of the Lord,
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all the days of my life,
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to behold the
beauty of the Lord,
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and to inquire in His temple.
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For in the time of trouble,
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He shall hide
me in His pavilion.
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In the secret
place of His tabernacle,
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He shall hide me,
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He shall set me
high upon a rock.
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And now my head
shall be lifted up
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above my enemies all around me.
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Therefore I will
offer sacrifices of joy
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in His tabernacle.
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I will sing, yes, I will
sing praises to the Lord."
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Oh, that's beautiful.
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He's talking about the
divine privileges of protection.
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But then, Ryan,
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now he's gonna
start talking to the Lord.
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Why don't you read verses 7-12?
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Absolutely.
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It says, "Hear, O Lord,
when I cry with my voice!
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Have mercy also
upon me, and answer me.
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When You said, 'Seek My
face,' my heart said to You,
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'Your face, Lord, I will seek.'
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Do not hide Your face from me.
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Do not turn Your
servant away in anger.
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You have been my help.
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Do not leave me nor forsake
me, O God of my salvation.
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When my father and
my mother forsake me,
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then the Lord
will take care of me.
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Teach me Your way, O Lord,
and lead me in a smooth path,
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because of my enemies.
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Do not deliver me to
the will of my adversaries.
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For false witnesses
have risen against me,
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and such as
breathe out violence."
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Okay, so there's his problems.
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And I love this part.
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I can't wait to unpack it,
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especially about
seeking God's face.
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And then JD, verses 13 and 14.
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Now he's finished
talking to the Lord
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and now he is going to
convince himself to persevere.
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Amen.
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Verse 13,
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"I would have lost heart,
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unless I had believed
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that I would see
the goodness of the Lord
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in the land of the living.
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Wait on the Lord.
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Be of good courage,
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and He shall
strengthen your heart.
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Wait, I say, on the Lord!"
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That's beautiful. So
let's start unpacking this.
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Verse 1,
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"The Lord is my
light and my salvation.
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Whom shall I fear?
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The Lord is the
strength of my life.
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Of whom shall I be afraid?"
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Kind of reminds you
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of Paul in Romans
8: 31-32 where he said,
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"Hey, if God is for
us, who can be against us?"
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That's right.
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You know, he who did
not spare his own son,
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how much more willing
not give us all things?
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So what's he talking about here?
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How would you
explain the Lord is,
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His light and his salvation?
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Well, obviously here
the darkness represents...
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In contrast to the light
darkness would represent fear,
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a time of
despair, a time of danger.
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And, of course, we know
David experienced a lot of that
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in his lifetime.
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In fact, I'll talk a little bit
more about it as we get through
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to one of these other
verses in just a moment,
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but, you know, I love the trust
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and the declaration that he has,
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because he's likening
God, His light, His salvation.
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And, of course,
light we know it.
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It does away with
darkness, it dispels darkness.
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And so, you know,
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as I was reading
through this particular verse,
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I thought of that scripture
of also in Paul's writings
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in 2 Corinthians
6:14, where he says,
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"What fellowship has
righteousness with lawlessness?
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And what communion
has light with darkness?"
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Right? Yes.
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And so, you know,
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we know that light and
darkness cannot coexist.
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And in this case,
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I think, David is
acknowledging that.
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He's living in a dark time,
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he's living in
a despairing time.
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You know, his
enemies are around him,
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whether it's King Saul
or whether it's, you know,
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other enemies that
are encamped around him.
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He's living during a dark time.
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But even amidst that darkness,
even amidst that time of fear,
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that time of
danger, that time of war,
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he's able to look to
Jesus and recognize that if,
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you know, He's my
salvation, He's my strength.
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He's my only hope.
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And so I believe that is
what he's declaring here that,
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why should I fear about
00:10:03.03\00:10:04.40
all of this
worldliness around me,
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all that is encamped around me
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when I've got the King
of the universe on my side.
00:10:07.84\00:10:11.04
He will see me through
and He will get me through.
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And you know, I
personally identify with that
00:10:13.34\00:10:15.78
just because of
my recent experience,
00:10:15.81\00:10:17.75
you know, and you go
through 10 months of darkness.
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And the only thing
that kept me going each day
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was seeking the Lord
as my light, praising God.
00:10:24.49\00:10:28.02
And that...
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I'm not gonna say that
00:10:29.92\00:10:31.26
there weren't any times
00:10:31.29\00:10:32.63
that I kind of got a
little bit down, we all do.
00:10:32.66\00:10:36.30
But as soon as I
would recognize that,
00:10:36.33\00:10:38.77
I would just start
singing out praises
00:10:38.80\00:10:41.34
to the God of my salvation.
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And He would shine His
light into my darkness.
00:10:43.64\00:10:47.21
That's right.
00:10:47.24\00:10:48.58
Boy, I'm telling you,
we need that in this day.
00:10:48.61\00:10:52.81
It was obvious that
David had a lot of wisdom,
00:10:52.85\00:10:56.42
you know, brought to just
is how old is he about now?
00:10:56.45\00:11:00.49
I don't know.
00:11:00.52\00:11:01.86
He was called
when he was 16... Yeah.
00:11:01.89\00:11:03.93
So I mean, so we're
saying he's a young man,
00:11:03.96\00:11:06.36
but yet, what a gift.
00:11:06.39\00:11:08.16
You know,
00:11:08.20\00:11:09.53
what a gift that he
could even use words like this,
00:11:09.56\00:11:12.37
because it just paints
such a wonderful picture.
00:11:12.40\00:11:15.37
Because he said, you
know, light up my world, Lord,
00:11:15.40\00:11:19.11
illuminate things
00:11:19.14\00:11:20.48
so that I will be
able to see clearly.
00:11:20.51\00:11:23.21
He's looking for
clarity at this particular time
00:11:23.24\00:11:26.05
and it's just absolutely...
00:11:26.08\00:11:29.25
You know, He is the
strength of my life.
00:11:29.28\00:11:31.09
Yeah. Amen.
00:11:31.12\00:11:34.12
I would love to be
able to pray like this,
00:11:34.16\00:11:38.99
just to sit down and,
you know, and just, boy,
00:11:39.03\00:11:40.93
this is just
poetry you might say,
00:11:40.96\00:11:43.30
and just sit down and
just have this conversation.
00:11:43.33\00:11:46.37
And I love it.
00:11:46.40\00:11:47.94
You know, when I used to journal
00:11:47.97\00:11:49.77
my prayers, I would write.
00:11:49.80\00:11:51.31
And I mean, it would be like
00:11:51.34\00:11:52.67
you're writing a
letter to the Lord.
00:11:52.71\00:11:54.64
And one of the segments
that I would go through,
00:11:54.68\00:11:58.08
I always start my
prayer with praise.
00:11:58.11\00:12:00.68
Right.
00:12:00.72\00:12:02.05
But I noticed
00:12:02.08\00:12:03.42
when I first started doing this,
00:12:03.45\00:12:05.62
after I read back
through a couple of weeks,
00:12:05.65\00:12:09.02
my praise was pretty meager.
00:12:09.06\00:12:11.86
I mean, my words of praise.
00:12:11.89\00:12:13.86
So what I did was,
I went to the Psalms,
00:12:13.90\00:12:17.13
I would read through Psalm
00:12:17.17\00:12:19.47
and then I pick out
verses of great praise.
00:12:19.50\00:12:23.81
And then that's what I
would write to the Lord.
00:12:23.84\00:12:26.27
Oh, Lord, You are my
light, You are my salvation.
00:12:26.31\00:12:29.21
And I found that
when you do that,
00:12:29.24\00:12:32.41
and that's a wonderful
way to learn how to praise
00:12:32.45\00:12:34.75
is to go through the Psalms.
00:12:34.78\00:12:36.12
Right.
00:12:36.15\00:12:37.49
It's just one of those Psalms
where David makes a declaration
00:12:37.52\00:12:41.99
and then guess...
00:12:42.02\00:12:46.13
Something that he's
going to have or not have.
00:12:46.16\00:12:49.86
You have the Lord is
my light and strength.
00:12:49.90\00:12:54.60
Yes.
00:12:54.64\00:12:56.00
Notice the...
00:12:56.04\00:12:57.37
Lord is my shepherd, yeah.
00:12:57.41\00:12:58.74
Yes.
00:12:58.77\00:13:00.11
That's exactly right.
00:13:00.14\00:13:01.48
I was gonna say The
Lord is my shepherd,
00:13:01.51\00:13:02.84
I shall not want.
00:13:02.88\00:13:04.21
Here's he's saying,
00:13:04.25\00:13:05.58
"The Lord is the
strength of my life.
00:13:05.61\00:13:07.22
Who shall I fear?"
00:13:07.25\00:13:08.58
That's right.
00:13:08.62\00:13:09.95
So when you have the Lord,
all these things can go away.
00:13:09.98\00:13:13.49
Your fear of, wow,
what am I going to eat,
00:13:13.52\00:13:15.82
what are we going
to be able to wear,
00:13:15.86\00:13:17.36
where am I going
to be able to stay.
00:13:17.39\00:13:19.03
That goes away,
00:13:19.06\00:13:20.40
because you know
the Lord provides.
00:13:20.43\00:13:23.00
And for those of you
that have a Bible translation
00:13:23.03\00:13:26.80
where they capitalize the
L, the O, the R and the D,
00:13:26.84\00:13:30.71
please know that he is
saying, Jehovah, Yahweh.
00:13:30.74\00:13:34.31
He's talking about
the Almighty living God.
00:13:34.34\00:13:37.91
So he's making a
declaration. The Covenant God.
00:13:37.95\00:13:39.58
Yes, the covenant keeping God.
00:13:39.61\00:13:41.15
That's right. Amen.
00:13:41.18\00:13:42.52
Ryan, you want to
take verse 2? Absolutely.
00:13:42.55\00:13:44.55
Verse 2 says,
00:13:44.59\00:13:46.15
"The wicked came
against me to eat up my flesh,
00:13:46.19\00:13:50.96
my enemies and foes,
they stumbled and fell."
00:13:50.99\00:13:56.30
If you don't
mind, I'm going to read
00:13:56.33\00:13:57.67
verse 3 with it.
00:13:57.70\00:13:59.03
Sure.
00:13:59.07\00:14:00.40
There's a little bit
more we can say about it,
00:14:00.44\00:14:01.77
but I want to kind
of tie that with it.
00:14:01.80\00:14:03.14
Verse 3 also says,
00:14:03.17\00:14:04.51
"Though an army
may encamp against me,
00:14:04.54\00:14:06.24
my heart shall not fear.
00:14:06.27\00:14:08.34
Though war
should rise against me,
00:14:08.38\00:14:11.08
in this I will be confident."
00:14:11.11\00:14:15.48
And so, it's
powerful to consider
00:14:15.52\00:14:17.99
what he's saying here,
00:14:18.02\00:14:19.75
because he's
acknowledging the fact
00:14:19.79\00:14:22.12
that he is in an
impossible situation.
00:14:22.16\00:14:25.69
I don't think
people really understand
00:14:25.73\00:14:27.30
probably more
than any other person
00:14:27.33\00:14:29.43
in the Bible, obviously,
00:14:29.46\00:14:31.33
different
scenario than, you know,
00:14:31.37\00:14:32.87
Job and some others faced,
00:14:32.90\00:14:34.60
but probably no other
person in all the Bible
00:14:34.64\00:14:36.84
faced more adversity
00:14:36.87\00:14:38.47
in the entirety of
their life than that of David.
00:14:38.51\00:14:42.81
And so when he talks about
00:14:42.84\00:14:44.18
the wicked came
against to eat up his flesh.
00:14:44.21\00:14:46.75
You know, it's nice imagery,
00:14:46.78\00:14:48.52
it's nice symbolism there,
00:14:48.55\00:14:49.88
where he's talking about
00:14:49.92\00:14:51.25
how his enemies are
like ravenous wolves
00:14:51.29\00:14:53.56
or vicious beasts
that are constantly at him.
00:14:53.59\00:14:57.29
And, you know,
00:14:57.33\00:14:58.66
it has been suggested
that perhaps this Psalm
00:14:58.69\00:15:01.40
was written maybe
prior to David being king
00:15:01.43\00:15:04.93
that very well
may be a possibility.
00:15:04.97\00:15:07.00
But whether it was
before or after he became king,
00:15:07.04\00:15:10.24
you can look at the
story of David's life
00:15:10.27\00:15:12.57
and see just how much adversity
he really went through.
00:15:12.61\00:15:16.88
And when he talks about
his enemies, verse 3 there,
00:15:16.91\00:15:19.51
"Though an army
may encamp against me,
00:15:19.55\00:15:21.58
my heart shall not fear."
00:15:21.62\00:15:23.39
When he talks about an
army encamped against him,
00:15:23.42\00:15:26.45
if you consider the
layout of Jerusalem,
00:15:26.49\00:15:29.96
you want to talk about
an enemy coming against you.
00:15:29.99\00:15:32.86
He was literally encamped
00:15:32.89\00:15:34.40
on all sides by
all of his enemies.
00:15:34.43\00:15:37.60
You literally head to
the north of Jerusalem,
00:15:37.63\00:15:40.70
you had the Aramenes.
00:15:40.74\00:15:43.57
Okay, so the nation of Arab.
00:15:43.61\00:15:46.04
And then of course,
to the east of Jerusalem,
00:15:46.07\00:15:48.58
you had the
Ammonites and the Moabites,
00:15:48.61\00:15:51.25
to the south of Jerusalem,
00:15:51.28\00:15:53.48
you have the
Amalekites and the Edomites.
00:15:53.52\00:15:55.65
And, of course, to
the west of Jerusalem,
00:15:55.68\00:15:57.35
the Philistines.
00:15:57.39\00:15:58.75
Now that's looking
at kind of post king,
00:15:58.79\00:16:02.16
like once he's been king onward.
00:16:02.19\00:16:03.96
But even prior to that,
00:16:03.99\00:16:05.33
I mean, he had
Saul and his armies
00:16:05.36\00:16:08.03
against him day and night.
00:16:08.06\00:16:09.50
And if you look at the entirety,
00:16:09.53\00:16:10.97
he probably would have died
00:16:11.00\00:16:12.33
somewhere north of 70 years old.
00:16:12.37\00:16:14.70
But if you look at the
bulk of that 70-year life,
00:16:14.74\00:16:17.77
more than 40 years,
00:16:17.81\00:16:19.24
potentially 45 years or more
of his life he spent in war,
00:16:19.27\00:16:22.64
in running, in
fighting, in battle.
00:16:22.68\00:16:25.85
And so to hear
him pour out his heart
00:16:25.88\00:16:28.42
and talk about
his enemies, his foes,
00:16:28.45\00:16:30.42
they stay all
stumbled and failed.
00:16:30.45\00:16:31.79
Why?
00:16:31.82\00:16:33.15
I love this
last part of verse 3,
00:16:33.19\00:16:34.52
here's "My heart shall not fear.
00:16:34.56\00:16:35.89
Though war may rise against me,
in this I will be confident."
00:16:35.92\00:16:40.30
Where is his confidence?
00:16:40.33\00:16:41.66
In God. Amen.
00:16:41.70\00:16:43.33
And most of us
will never have to face
00:16:43.37\00:16:45.20
that much
adversity in our entire life.
00:16:45.23\00:16:46.90
But this man knew,
00:16:46.94\00:16:48.27
no matter if my
enemies are all around me,
00:16:48.30\00:16:51.27
God is on my side, as
long as I looked to Him.
00:16:51.31\00:16:53.78
It amazes me when you think
00:16:53.81\00:16:55.34
he was anointed
as king at age 14,
00:16:55.38\00:16:58.71
I mean, 16, at age 16.
00:16:58.75\00:17:01.42
And he didn't actually
take the throne till he was 30.
00:17:01.45\00:17:06.32
So he had 14
years that solace after.
00:17:06.35\00:17:10.19
And, you know, we
read these Bible...
00:17:10.23\00:17:12.43
As we read through the Bible,
00:17:12.46\00:17:13.83
sometimes we read these stories
00:17:13.86\00:17:15.90
and we're not
putting a timeline with it.
00:17:15.93\00:17:18.27
And it is
amazing to think about.
00:17:18.30\00:17:21.24
David, I see as one of the...
00:17:21.27\00:17:22.60
Sorry.
00:17:22.64\00:17:23.97
David is one of
the Bible persons,
00:17:24.01\00:17:27.28
you know, sometimes
you say Bible character,
00:17:27.31\00:17:28.84
like we think, a character
in something fictitious,
00:17:28.88\00:17:33.55
but these are real people.
00:17:33.58\00:17:34.92
That's right.
00:17:34.95\00:17:36.28
He's one of the individuals
in the Bible that you see
00:17:36.32\00:17:38.95
that talks about his
feelings more than any other.
00:17:38.99\00:17:42.19
And it's a marvelous thing.
00:17:42.22\00:17:43.76
Here he identifies
00:17:43.79\00:17:45.13
one of the things
that cripples people,
00:17:45.16\00:17:48.36
paralyzes people, fear.
00:17:48.40\00:17:50.87
You know, you talk about fear,
00:17:50.90\00:17:52.70
he talks about the
necessities of life and fear.
00:17:52.73\00:17:55.67
Fear just
literally freezes people.
00:17:55.70\00:17:58.24
They won't know what to do.
00:17:58.27\00:17:59.84
But he's identifying God
00:17:59.87\00:18:01.58
as the one that can
make his fear disappear.
00:18:01.61\00:18:07.42
I like that. Make
his fear disappear.
00:18:07.45\00:18:09.68
So I want to read
to you from Psalms 46,
00:18:09.72\00:18:12.75
where again, he
mentioned something about fear.
00:18:12.79\00:18:16.39
Now this is a,
not a Psalm of David.
00:18:16.42\00:18:19.09
It says, this is one
of the Sons of Korah.
00:18:19.13\00:18:21.10
But again, it's
one of the Psalms.
00:18:21.13\00:18:22.83
It says, God is our
refuge and strength,
00:18:22.86\00:18:24.67
a very present help in trouble.
00:18:24.70\00:18:26.90
Therefore we will not fear,
00:18:26.94\00:18:29.80
even though the
earth be removed,
00:18:29.84\00:18:31.94
and though the
mountains be carried
00:18:31.97\00:18:33.74
into the midst of the sea.
00:18:33.78\00:18:35.51
Though its waters
roar and be troubled,
00:18:35.54\00:18:37.88
Though the mountains
shake with its swelling."
00:18:37.91\00:18:40.25
And so through God
00:18:40.28\00:18:43.05
we can overcome
our greatest fears.
00:18:43.08\00:18:46.89
And when we
realize He is our light.
00:18:46.92\00:18:50.43
You know, it's
wonderful the way he said,
00:18:50.46\00:18:52.36
He is my strength.
00:18:52.39\00:18:54.43
I don't have to
rely upon my strength.
00:18:54.46\00:18:56.26
God is my
strength. That's right.
00:18:56.30\00:18:57.80
The joy of the Lord is
our strength, isn't it?
00:18:57.83\00:19:00.67
Now verse 4.
00:19:00.70\00:19:02.04
I love this.
00:19:02.07\00:19:03.41
This is one... Can't
wait to get to this one.
00:19:03.44\00:19:05.31
"One thing I have desired
of the Lord, that will I seek.
00:19:05.34\00:19:09.98
That I may dwell in
the house of the Lord
00:19:10.01\00:19:12.78
all the days of my life,
00:19:12.81\00:19:14.72
to behold the
beauty of the Lord,
00:19:14.75\00:19:18.05
and to inquire in His temple."
00:19:18.09\00:19:22.42
So what does it mean?
00:19:22.46\00:19:24.89
What is he saying
00:19:24.93\00:19:26.63
about dwelling in
the house of the Lord?
00:19:26.66\00:19:30.63
Well, it's
powerful to consider that.
00:19:30.67\00:19:33.10
This is in response
00:19:33.13\00:19:34.47
to what he said
up to this point.
00:19:34.50\00:19:35.84
Yep.
00:19:35.87\00:19:37.21
He's been declaring to
himself, God is my strength,
00:19:37.24\00:19:39.64
though I have all
these enemies around me.
00:19:39.67\00:19:41.44
Now I said in recently
one of my seminary classes.
00:19:41.48\00:19:45.85
I was taking a class on
doctrine of the sanctuary.
00:19:45.88\00:19:49.18
And my instructor actually did
a little lecture on Psalm 27.
00:19:49.22\00:19:55.89
And before he went
into this verse though,
00:19:55.92\00:19:57.59
he asked us, he says,
00:19:57.63\00:19:58.96
if you could ask
the Lord for anything
00:19:58.99\00:20:01.70
that you could
desire, what would that be?
00:20:01.73\00:20:06.63
And there was this
long pause on our class.
00:20:06.67\00:20:09.30
You think, you know,
people would speak up.
00:20:09.34\00:20:11.04
We almost thought it
was a trick question.
00:20:11.07\00:20:12.57
But we're listening.
00:20:12.61\00:20:13.94
He's like, you
know, little seriously,
00:20:13.98\00:20:15.31
if you could ask the
Lord for one thing right now,
00:20:15.34\00:20:18.18
what would that be?
00:20:18.21\00:20:19.71
And, of course, you know,
00:20:19.75\00:20:21.08
some people started speaking,
00:20:21.12\00:20:22.45
well, you know, when
Solomon was asked this question,
00:20:22.48\00:20:24.15
you know, he asked for wisdom.
00:20:24.19\00:20:25.52
So I'd probably ask for
wisdom and so forth and so on.
00:20:25.55\00:20:27.59
And as we were going through,
00:20:27.62\00:20:28.96
but it's
interesting that right here,
00:20:28.99\00:20:31.69
David declares after
saying all of what he just said,
00:20:31.73\00:20:36.30
and you would expect someone
in David situation to say,
00:20:36.33\00:20:38.53
oh, Lord, if I
could ask one thing,
00:20:38.57\00:20:40.57
it would be take
out all of my enemies,
00:20:40.60\00:20:43.14
just wipe them all
out, just push them,
00:20:43.17\00:20:44.61
push back all
these forces of evil
00:20:44.64\00:20:46.51
that are pressing around me
00:20:46.54\00:20:48.01
and choking out the
life from me and my family,
00:20:48.04\00:20:50.28
and the well-being
00:20:50.31\00:20:51.65
and all of this
chaos I'm dealing with,
00:20:51.68\00:20:53.38
but he says one thing I
have desired of the Lord,
00:20:53.42\00:20:55.88
one thing that I seek
00:20:55.92\00:20:57.75
is that I dwell in
the house of the Lord.
00:20:57.79\00:21:00.49
And so obviously,
00:21:00.52\00:21:02.52
he's talking about here
00:21:02.56\00:21:03.96
and being in
constant fellowship with God,
00:21:03.99\00:21:07.76
being as much as he
could possibly dwell.
00:21:07.80\00:21:10.83
Remember, God said,
00:21:10.87\00:21:12.20
build me a sanctuary
that I may dwell among you.
00:21:12.23\00:21:15.24
God desires to
dwell among His people.
00:21:15.27\00:21:17.41
And, you know,
00:21:17.44\00:21:19.37
in response to that
we should also desire
00:21:19.41\00:21:21.34
to be among Him.
00:21:21.38\00:21:22.98
And so, you know,
00:21:23.01\00:21:24.35
it's interesting
here that he says here
00:21:24.38\00:21:25.75
also at the end here,
00:21:25.78\00:21:27.58
to behold the beauty of the Lord
00:21:27.62\00:21:29.62
as I read that,
00:21:29.65\00:21:30.99
to be in his house to
behold God and His beauty.
00:21:31.02\00:21:33.52
I thought of
Isaiah's conversion, you know?
00:21:33.56\00:21:35.99
Isaiah's
conversion began with what?
00:21:36.02\00:21:38.26
It began when he saw God.
00:21:38.29\00:21:41.16
He beheld God high
00:21:41.20\00:21:42.73
and lifted up in
all of His glory.
00:21:42.76\00:21:44.37
But then another thing
here just to emphasize.
00:21:44.40\00:21:46.74
He says, I will...
00:21:46.77\00:21:48.10
This is toward
the end of verse 5.
00:21:48.14\00:21:49.54
Here it says, "And to
inquire in His temple."
00:21:49.57\00:21:53.58
What does it mean to
inquire in His temple?
00:21:53.61\00:21:56.24
I love how he's really
breaking this down here.
00:21:56.28\00:21:58.65
He says, not only
do I want to dwell
00:21:58.68\00:22:00.05
in the house of the Lord
00:22:00.08\00:22:01.42
all the days of my life,
00:22:01.45\00:22:02.78
I want to behold His beauty
00:22:02.82\00:22:04.45
and I want to
inquire of His temple.
00:22:04.49\00:22:06.55
Well, what does that mean?
00:22:06.59\00:22:07.92
So in the original Hebrew here,
00:22:07.96\00:22:09.99
it's the word bachar
which means to consider,
00:22:10.03\00:22:14.86
to search, to seek out.
00:22:14.90\00:22:18.30
So he doesn't just want to
walk in the temple and just,
00:22:18.33\00:22:20.50
ah, you know.
00:22:20.54\00:22:21.87
He wants to seek
out and, of course,
00:22:21.90\00:22:23.37
what came to my
mind is another Psalm
00:22:23.41\00:22:24.91
that he would
write, Psalm 77:13,
00:22:24.94\00:22:27.84
"Thy way, O God is in,"
00:22:27.88\00:22:30.01
where? "In the sanctuary."
00:22:30.05\00:22:31.65
So not only is he
there wanting to be
00:22:31.68\00:22:33.72
and dwell in God's presence,
00:22:33.75\00:22:35.62
not only is he
wanting to behold God
00:22:35.65\00:22:37.65
in all of His glory
00:22:37.69\00:22:39.02
and to behold His righteousness,
00:22:39.05\00:22:40.62
but he also wants to behold
00:22:40.66\00:22:42.16
and to inquire that is to learn,
00:22:42.19\00:22:44.03
that is to seek,
00:22:44.06\00:22:45.39
that is to search
out his righteous way,
00:22:45.43\00:22:47.63
and his way is
found in the sanctuary.
00:22:47.66\00:22:50.33
Amen and amen.
00:22:50.37\00:22:51.70
Okay, JD, verse 5.
00:22:51.73\00:22:53.54
Verse 5,
00:22:53.57\00:22:54.90
"For in the time of trouble
00:22:54.94\00:22:56.44
He shall hide
me in His pavilion.
00:22:56.47\00:22:59.31
In the secret
place of His tabernacle
00:22:59.34\00:23:01.31
He shall hide me.
00:23:01.34\00:23:03.11
He shall set me
upon a high rock."
00:23:03.14\00:23:06.11
Amen.
00:23:06.15\00:23:07.62
So what does that
make you think of?
00:23:07.65\00:23:09.95
Well, it makes me think that
in the time of trouble that,
00:23:09.98\00:23:13.76
first thing that
I think about it,
00:23:13.79\00:23:16.26
biblically
speaking is the mama hand
00:23:16.29\00:23:19.16
with her babies
under her wings, you know?
00:23:19.19\00:23:20.60
Amen.
00:23:20.63\00:23:21.96
That's what I've thought about.
00:23:22.00\00:23:23.33
Right.
00:23:23.37\00:23:24.70
And what a
precious sight that is
00:23:24.73\00:23:26.17
and how protective that is.
00:23:26.20\00:23:28.60
And so... Let me
interject right here.
00:23:28.64\00:23:30.91
There was a story told
00:23:30.94\00:23:32.61
and I'm assuming
this is a true story.
00:23:32.64\00:23:35.88
But what happened was
00:23:35.91\00:23:37.31
a farmer had a fire
in his chicken coop,
00:23:37.35\00:23:41.15
and he went out the next day.
00:23:41.18\00:23:43.22
And here's this mama hen
with her wings spread out
00:23:43.25\00:23:47.76
and she was fried.
00:23:47.79\00:23:49.99
Fried chicken.
00:23:50.03\00:23:52.06
Anyway...
00:23:52.09\00:23:53.63
I'm sorry, I
couldn't resist that.
00:23:53.66\00:23:55.23
That's okay.
00:23:55.26\00:23:56.60
The story was calling for it.
00:23:56.63\00:23:57.97
Go ahead.
00:23:58.00\00:23:59.33
Anyway...
00:23:59.37\00:24:00.70
And it's sad.
00:24:00.74\00:24:02.07
I don't mean to
make light of that.
00:24:02.10\00:24:03.44
But he picks up the mama chicken
00:24:03.47\00:24:05.87
and out from
underneath her wings
00:24:05.91\00:24:09.14
were several baby
chicks that came out.
00:24:09.18\00:24:13.58
This mama had
sacrificed her life
00:24:13.62\00:24:17.49
to save these baby chicks.
00:24:17.52\00:24:19.39
Now that is an amazing story,
00:24:19.42\00:24:23.29
but it's what
our God did for us.
00:24:23.32\00:24:26.29
You know, it made me
think of Matthew 23:37-38.
00:24:26.33\00:24:31.37
When I was reading this
and you just made that point
00:24:31.40\00:24:33.54
about the mother hen
00:24:33.57\00:24:34.90
where Jesus said
in His last week,
00:24:34.94\00:24:37.34
when He's gonna go to the cross.
00:24:37.37\00:24:38.91
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
00:24:38.94\00:24:40.28
the one who kills the prophets
00:24:40.31\00:24:41.64
and stones those
who are sent to her!
00:24:41.68\00:24:43.14
How often I wanted to
gather your children together,
00:24:43.18\00:24:46.15
as a hen gathers her
chicks under her wings,
00:24:46.18\00:24:49.75
but you were not willing!"
00:24:49.78\00:24:51.12
Amen.
00:24:51.15\00:24:52.49
Amen And we have to be willing.
00:24:52.52\00:24:53.86
We have to be willing.
00:24:53.89\00:24:55.22
And it also tells
us here in Matthew,
00:24:55.26\00:24:57.33
I mean, in Psalms 32:7 that
00:24:57.36\00:24:59.86
"You are my hiding place.
00:24:59.89\00:25:01.53
You shall
preserve me from trouble.
00:25:01.56\00:25:03.90
You shall surround me
with the songs of deliverance."
00:25:03.93\00:25:06.63
And you know that song?
00:25:06.67\00:25:08.10
I used to...
00:25:08.14\00:25:09.47
When I'd have trouble
00:25:09.50\00:25:10.84
that's what I
would break into is,
00:25:10.87\00:25:12.21
You are my hiding place.
00:25:12.24\00:25:13.78
That's so beautiful.
00:25:13.81\00:25:15.24
All right, Johnny, verse 6.
00:25:15.28\00:25:18.55
"And now my head
shall be lifted up
00:25:18.58\00:25:21.65
above my enemies all around me.
00:25:21.68\00:25:24.35
Therefore I will
offer sacrifices of joy
00:25:24.39\00:25:27.62
in His tabernacle.
00:25:27.66\00:25:28.99
I will sing, yes, I will
sing praises to the Lord."
00:25:29.02\00:25:32.63
Hallelujah.
00:25:32.66\00:25:34.56
What does it mean for your head
00:25:34.60\00:25:35.96
to be lifted above your enemies?
00:25:36.00\00:25:38.63
You know, it's interesting
that he makes his declaration
00:25:38.67\00:25:40.77
after he says.
00:25:40.80\00:25:43.77
That in the time of
trouble the Lord will hide him
00:25:43.81\00:25:46.91
in his pavilion
00:25:46.94\00:25:48.28
and in the secret
place of his tabernacle,
00:25:48.31\00:25:50.05
he shall hide...
00:25:50.08\00:25:51.41
He shall set me
high up on a rock.
00:25:51.45\00:25:53.42
So he's really a high
up on a rock on Jesus.
00:25:53.45\00:25:56.62
And because of this his
head is above his enemies.
00:25:56.65\00:26:02.39
Were he to
speak of himself then,
00:26:02.42\00:26:05.86
you know, he would be
speaking of his own ability
00:26:05.89\00:26:08.93
and would not have the
victory that God gave him.
00:26:08.96\00:26:12.97
So his head is
lifted above his enemies,
00:26:13.00\00:26:16.24
because the enemy will
try not only to destroy you,
00:26:16.27\00:26:19.31
but to shame you,
and to bring you down,
00:26:19.34\00:26:22.94
and there's nothing more
than they would enjoy to see you
00:26:22.98\00:26:25.65
crying out and saying,
00:26:25.68\00:26:27.88
you know,
00:26:27.92\00:26:29.68
that things that
you're giving up on God.
00:26:29.72\00:26:33.02
But here,
00:26:33.05\00:26:34.39
David is saying
00:26:34.42\00:26:35.76
that God is going to
lift him up above his enemies.
00:26:35.79\00:26:37.66
In other words,
00:26:37.69\00:26:39.03
He's gonna give him the
victory over all his enemies.
00:26:39.06\00:26:40.66
Amen.
00:26:40.70\00:26:42.03
And it makes you
think of 2 Corinthians 2:14
00:26:42.06\00:26:45.23
where it says,
00:26:45.27\00:26:47.04
actually, that God leads us
in triumph with Jesus Christ.
00:26:47.07\00:26:53.54
And I mean, it is
amazing to think about that.
00:26:53.58\00:26:57.85
Now I want to get on
00:26:57.88\00:26:59.21
'cause we got to
get to his problems
00:26:59.25\00:27:00.68
and then the solution.
00:27:00.72\00:27:02.05
And our time's...
00:27:02.08\00:27:04.09
We could spend
four hours on this.
00:27:04.12\00:27:06.19
It's amazing.
00:27:06.22\00:27:07.66
But just remember this,
1 Corinthians 15:57 says,
00:27:07.69\00:27:11.46
"Thanks be to God,
00:27:11.49\00:27:12.96
who gives us the
victory in Christ Jesus."
00:27:12.99\00:27:17.30
So these first six verses,
00:27:17.33\00:27:20.54
this is David just
talking to himself,
00:27:20.57\00:27:24.01
reminding himself of
the divine privileges
00:27:24.04\00:27:28.34
or the privileges
of divine protection.
00:27:28.38\00:27:31.15
Now there is a little switch.
00:27:31.18\00:27:34.22
Now he is going to
start talking to the Lord.
00:27:34.25\00:27:39.62
And I'm going to take verse 7
00:27:39.65\00:27:40.99
just because this is
one of my favorite verses.
00:27:41.02\00:27:44.19
Verse 7 says,
00:27:44.23\00:27:45.96
"Hear, O Lord, when
I cry with my voice!
00:27:45.99\00:27:50.70
Have mercy also
upon me and answer me."
00:27:50.73\00:27:55.10
And then he says to God,
00:27:55.14\00:27:56.57
"When You said, 'Seek My face,'
00:27:56.60\00:27:59.74
my heart said to You,
00:27:59.77\00:28:01.54
'Your face, Lord, I will seek.'"
00:28:01.58\00:28:06.82
I believe that
there are many people who,
00:28:06.85\00:28:11.92
if we were to say,
00:28:11.95\00:28:13.96
we're running the race
of faith and here's Jesus,
00:28:13.99\00:28:17.49
the author and
finisher of our faith,
00:28:17.53\00:28:19.73
I believe there's many people
00:28:19.76\00:28:21.53
who are going in
the right direction,
00:28:21.56\00:28:24.27
but they're looking
back over their shoulder.
00:28:24.30\00:28:27.57
And, you know,
00:28:27.60\00:28:28.94
once the Lord really told
me that's what I was doing.
00:28:28.97\00:28:33.27
And he said,
00:28:33.31\00:28:34.74
"Seek my face."
00:28:34.78\00:28:37.48
This is to seek
God's personal presence.
00:28:37.51\00:28:43.75
And it's something that
00:28:43.79\00:28:45.89
God's been doing in me recently.
00:28:45.92\00:28:48.72
I mean, I
learned in the year 2000,
00:28:48.76\00:28:51.89
how to really
press into His presence,
00:28:51.93\00:28:54.76
how to seek His face.
00:28:54.80\00:28:57.13
But something that God's been
doing recently is interesting.
00:28:57.17\00:29:00.97
It's been fascinating.
00:29:01.00\00:29:03.17
It's happened in
the last few months.
00:29:03.20\00:29:05.47
I was listening to someone pray,
00:29:05.51\00:29:08.31
oh, Lord, be with so
and so in the hospital,
00:29:08.34\00:29:11.95
be with so and so
00:29:11.98\00:29:14.65
on their trip, be with, be with.
00:29:14.68\00:29:17.32
And suddenly in my
mind, you know what I heard?
00:29:17.35\00:29:20.96
I am with you, I
never leave or forsake you.
00:29:20.99\00:29:26.29
If you will
acknowledge my presence,
00:29:26.33\00:29:31.13
you'll become more
aware of my presence.
00:29:31.17\00:29:34.40
And something
that I've always done.
00:29:34.44\00:29:36.17
When I know someone is
going through a difficult time,
00:29:36.20\00:29:39.31
what I do is I pray,
00:29:39.34\00:29:41.14
"Oh, Lord, give
them a divine awareness,
00:29:41.18\00:29:43.95
a super natural
awareness of Your presence."
00:29:43.98\00:29:48.78
Oh, Lord, let them, you know,
help them to seek your face,
00:29:48.82\00:29:52.79
help them to feel
your arms around them.
00:29:52.82\00:29:56.52
And when the Lord
spoke that into my heart,
00:29:56.56\00:29:59.93
"I am with you.
00:29:59.96\00:30:01.70
I never leave
you or forsake you."
00:30:01.73\00:30:03.67
This was something that
00:30:03.70\00:30:05.73
suddenly I started
crying out to the Lord,
00:30:05.77\00:30:08.60
give me a divine
awareness of Your presence.
00:30:08.64\00:30:12.57
And you know what?
00:30:12.61\00:30:14.41
Yes, every morning,
I wake up and I pray.
00:30:14.44\00:30:17.51
And I say, "Lord, fill me
again with Your Holy Spirit,
00:30:17.55\00:30:21.68
'cause we're leaky vessels."
00:30:21.72\00:30:23.55
And then I ask Him,
00:30:23.59\00:30:24.99
"Lord, give me a
divine awareness."
00:30:25.02\00:30:27.06
I've been spending
a lot of alone time.
00:30:27.09\00:30:29.49
JD is at work,
00:30:29.52\00:30:30.86
I've been working remotely
as I've been recovering.
00:30:30.89\00:30:33.70
And all of a sudden,
00:30:33.73\00:30:35.50
when I'm writing
to encourage somebody,
00:30:35.53\00:30:38.63
and I'm saying, I'll
pray for you about such,
00:30:38.67\00:30:41.20
it's like I'm talking
with the Lord at the same time.
00:30:41.24\00:30:43.91
I'm praying
right at that moment.
00:30:43.94\00:30:46.54
He's giving me
the words at the time.
00:30:46.57\00:30:49.21
And all-day long, it
doesn't matter where I am,
00:30:49.24\00:30:53.48
what I'm doing,
00:30:53.52\00:30:55.22
I've just got this
00:30:55.25\00:30:56.58
constant stream of conversation
00:30:56.62\00:30:59.42
going on with God.
00:30:59.45\00:31:00.79
Because I mean, I
know He is inside of me,
00:31:00.82\00:31:03.76
but His presence
has become so real.
00:31:03.79\00:31:06.59
It's like He's
sitting right next to me.
00:31:06.63\00:31:10.07
And I want to
encourage you to pray that,
00:31:10.10\00:31:13.13
ask God for a divine awareness.
00:31:13.17\00:31:15.80
He's always with us.
00:31:15.84\00:31:17.17
We're just not recognizing it.
00:31:17.21\00:31:19.24
You know, I want to
take that a step further
00:31:19.27\00:31:20.68
what you just said,
00:31:20.71\00:31:22.04
because pressing into
His presence is essential.
00:31:22.08\00:31:25.31
But it's ironic that,
00:31:25.35\00:31:27.98
that David is praying out here
00:31:28.02\00:31:31.35
and he's stating the fact
00:31:31.39\00:31:33.05
that he needs to
seek the face of God.
00:31:33.09\00:31:36.42
But from Moses
perspective, in Exodus 33,
00:31:36.46\00:31:40.80
you know, Lord, show
me, I want to see you.
00:31:40.83\00:31:43.83
I'll let you see my back,
00:31:43.87\00:31:45.53
but I can't let you see my face,
00:31:45.57\00:31:46.94
because you can't
live if I show you my face.
00:31:46.97\00:31:50.61
Pressing into the presence
of God is absolutely essential.
00:31:50.64\00:31:53.51
And that's
essentially what this means,
00:31:53.54\00:31:55.04
when we're pressing
into seeking God's face.
00:31:55.08\00:31:57.68
But I want to take
just a little step further
00:31:57.71\00:31:59.58
and highlight the fact that
00:31:59.61\00:32:00.95
when you're pressing
into the presence of God,
00:32:00.98\00:32:02.38
God doesn't just want
you to be in His presence,
00:32:02.42\00:32:04.55
He wants you to
acknowledge His righteous glory,
00:32:04.59\00:32:08.32
His bright,
shining face of light.
00:32:08.36\00:32:11.33
It represents His
glorious righteousness.
00:32:11.36\00:32:13.63
I'm thinking of other scriptures
00:32:13.66\00:32:15.20
in Psalm such as Psalm 4:6,
00:32:15.23\00:32:17.17
lift is what he says.
00:32:17.20\00:32:18.53
He says, "Lift up the
light of your face upon us."
00:32:18.57\00:32:20.87
Yes.
00:32:20.90\00:32:22.24
Psalm 31:16,
00:32:22.27\00:32:23.61
"Make your face
shine on your servant,
00:32:23.64\00:32:25.81
save me in your steadfast love!"
00:32:25.84\00:32:28.04
Psalm 44:3 says,
00:32:28.08\00:32:29.94
"Not by your own
sword did they win the land,
00:32:29.98\00:32:33.48
but your right hand and your arm
00:32:33.52\00:32:35.82
and the light of your face."
00:32:35.85\00:32:37.69
There's many
references of the Psalm 80,
00:32:37.72\00:32:39.75
"Restore so God
let your face shine
00:32:39.79\00:32:42.06
that we may be saved."
00:32:42.09\00:32:43.63
And, of course, Psalm 89:15,
00:32:43.66\00:32:45.66
"Blessed are the
people who walk, O Lord,
00:32:45.69\00:32:47.50
in the light of your face."
00:32:47.53\00:32:49.66
So when we are...
00:32:49.70\00:32:51.73
And I just want to
take this a step further,
00:32:51.77\00:32:53.40
because there's a lot of
people that want to spend time
00:32:53.44\00:32:56.91
in the presence of God,
00:32:56.94\00:32:58.74
but they don't
want to follow God.
00:32:58.77\00:33:00.11
That's right.
00:33:00.14\00:33:01.48
They desire that.
00:33:01.51\00:33:02.84
I want to be in Your presence,
00:33:02.88\00:33:04.21
Lord, I want to
sit in Your presence.
00:33:04.25\00:33:05.58
Lucifer is a
perfect example of that.
00:33:05.61\00:33:07.32
Lucifer was closer to God
00:33:07.35\00:33:09.12
more than any other angel,
00:33:09.15\00:33:10.49
but yet, how can
someone be that close,
00:33:10.52\00:33:13.99
just encompassed
00:33:14.02\00:33:15.66
and completely drowning
in the glory of the Lord,
00:33:15.69\00:33:19.63
but yet still allow that heart,
00:33:19.66\00:33:21.66
that that evil
selfish heart to rise up.
00:33:21.70\00:33:24.40
We need to press
into the presence of God,
00:33:24.43\00:33:26.77
but even more
than that, God says,
00:33:26.80\00:33:28.14
"Look, look up on My
glorious righteous face
00:33:28.17\00:33:30.91
and seek My righteousness,
00:33:30.94\00:33:33.14
seek My ways,
00:33:33.17\00:33:34.51
seek the path that
I have laid before you
00:33:34.54\00:33:36.81
that you might be saved."
00:33:36.85\00:33:38.21
A verse that the Lord...
00:33:38.25\00:33:41.28
Really caught my attention
with was Jeremiah 29:11-13.
00:33:41.32\00:33:46.52
And I want to
read that real quickly,
00:33:46.55\00:33:48.52
because it's interesting
what the Lord is saying here,
00:33:48.56\00:33:52.06
He says, "I know the thoughts
that I think toward you,
00:33:52.09\00:33:55.60
says the Lord,
thoughts of peace not of evil,
00:33:55.63\00:33:59.57
to give you a hope and a future.
00:33:59.60\00:34:02.14
Then you will call upon
Me and go and pray to Me,
00:34:02.17\00:34:06.17
and I will listen to you.
00:34:06.21\00:34:08.21
And you will
seek Me and find Me,
00:34:08.24\00:34:12.31
when you search for Me
with all of your heart."
00:34:12.35\00:34:14.68
Now let me just
stop for a second.
00:34:14.72\00:34:17.15
God is sitting here saying,
00:34:17.19\00:34:18.65
"Hey, I've got a
plan for your life,
00:34:18.69\00:34:21.36
and it's a wonderful plan."
00:34:21.39\00:34:24.79
But then, after He says that,
00:34:24.83\00:34:26.63
He says, then
you will call on Me
00:34:26.66\00:34:30.70
and seek My face.
00:34:30.73\00:34:32.07
When?
00:34:32.10\00:34:33.67
I mean, it almost seems
like that's out of order.
00:34:33.70\00:34:37.61
It's when we recognize
God has a plan for our life.
00:34:37.64\00:34:42.34
That is when we come before him.
00:34:42.38\00:34:45.95
Because even when
you're in ministry,
00:34:45.98\00:34:48.28
you can get going
under your own steam,
00:34:48.32\00:34:51.52
and not be doing the
Lord's will for the day.
00:34:51.55\00:34:54.96
But when you
recognize every day,
00:34:54.99\00:34:57.83
God's got a plan for my life
and you seek Him as Jesus did.
00:34:57.86\00:35:03.33
And Jesus said,
00:35:03.37\00:35:04.70
"I only do what the
Father tells me to do.
00:35:04.73\00:35:07.30
I only speak what the
Father tells me to speak."
00:35:07.34\00:35:10.31
So it's what motivates our heart
00:35:10.34\00:35:15.01
to seek God
00:35:15.04\00:35:16.81
is when we really understand
He has a good plan for life.
00:35:16.85\00:35:20.65
And I would say,
every day of our life.
00:35:20.68\00:35:22.78
There's a difference.
00:35:22.82\00:35:25.82
There's a
difference in seeking God.
00:35:25.85\00:35:28.09
Some people seek God
because they're having trouble.
00:35:28.12\00:35:30.13
I'm having trouble,
somebody's got to help us.
00:35:30.16\00:35:32.89
We tried this, we tried that.
00:35:32.93\00:35:34.33
Oh, maybe the Lord can help us.
00:35:34.36\00:35:36.77
Like, they've tried
everything they can,
00:35:36.80\00:35:39.13
but oh, we've exhausted
everything that we can do,
00:35:39.17\00:35:42.00
maybe God will help us.
00:35:42.04\00:35:43.94
David crossed this obstacle
00:35:43.97\00:35:49.74
that you're seeking the Lord
00:35:49.78\00:35:51.68
because you want to be
in the presence of the Lord,
00:35:51.71\00:35:54.65
you want to know Him.
00:35:54.68\00:35:56.02
One thing I have
desired of the Lord
00:35:56.05\00:35:57.52
that I may dwell in His
house, that I may behold.
00:35:57.55\00:36:00.92
That's why God...
00:36:00.96\00:36:02.29
When you look at the Psalms,
00:36:02.32\00:36:03.66
you see David
making declarations
00:36:03.69\00:36:05.59
of wanting to be in
the presence of the Lord,
00:36:05.63\00:36:07.96
the Lord is my shepherd.
00:36:08.00\00:36:09.33
The Lord...
00:36:09.36\00:36:10.70
He had a, we call it,
a relationship with God.
00:36:10.73\00:36:12.93
He recognized that
God is a personal God.
00:36:12.97\00:36:16.94
There's a time when
Jesus said to His disciples,
00:36:16.97\00:36:20.54
these people honor
me with their lips,
00:36:20.58\00:36:23.14
but their heart is far from.
00:36:23.18\00:36:26.08
Yes, praise God, but praise
Him with your whole heart.
00:36:26.11\00:36:30.05
And this is a wonderful
scripture that you read
00:36:30.09\00:36:32.75
that says, you know,
00:36:32.79\00:36:34.46
and you will seek Me and find Me
00:36:34.49\00:36:36.73
when you search for Me with all.
00:36:36.76\00:36:38.49
The assurance is given.
00:36:38.53\00:36:40.36
When you search for
me with all your heart,
00:36:40.40\00:36:42.03
you will find Me.
00:36:42.06\00:36:43.40
Absolutely.
00:36:43.43\00:36:44.77
And so this is something that
00:36:44.80\00:36:46.13
I hope the people
listening will say,
00:36:46.17\00:36:49.14
God is willing to be
found, all I have to do is...
00:36:49.17\00:36:52.94
Seek Him.
00:36:52.97\00:36:54.31
With all my heart. Yes.
00:36:54.34\00:36:55.68
You know, I just
want to make a point.
00:36:55.71\00:36:57.18
As you were saying
all that it reminded me
00:36:57.21\00:36:59.31
back to what I was saying,
00:36:59.35\00:37:00.75
first of all, we
had to keep in mind,
00:37:00.78\00:37:02.48
what did he say he
desired more than anything?
00:37:02.52\00:37:04.89
To be in the
presence of the Lord.
00:37:04.92\00:37:06.59
I want to be in God's presence,
I want to be in His tabernacle,
00:37:06.62\00:37:10.06
in His temple, in His sanctuary.
00:37:10.09\00:37:12.96
In seeking the face of the Lord,
00:37:12.99\00:37:14.50
what David is
essentially saying is,
00:37:14.53\00:37:16.90
the courtyard is great,
00:37:16.93\00:37:18.40
but I don't want to stay there.
00:37:18.43\00:37:19.77
That's right. Amen.
00:37:19.80\00:37:21.14
Lord, I want to
be in Your presence
00:37:21.17\00:37:22.50
even in the holy place,
00:37:22.54\00:37:24.11
but, Lord,
that's not good enough.
00:37:24.14\00:37:25.47
Yeah. I wanna
look up on Your face.
00:37:25.51\00:37:27.54
The only way we can
look up on the face of God
00:37:27.58\00:37:29.41
is if we're having a
most holy place experience.
00:37:29.44\00:37:32.08
So you can see
David's heart pouring out,
00:37:32.11\00:37:34.08
Lord, I desire to not
just be just around You,
00:37:34.12\00:37:38.29
I want to be right next to You.
00:37:38.32\00:37:39.72
And, Lord, I know
that Your righteous face
00:37:39.75\00:37:42.89
is in the most holy place.
00:37:42.92\00:37:44.26
So you can see,
00:37:44.29\00:37:45.76
you can almost sense a
progression in David's life
00:37:45.79\00:37:48.80
as God has taken
him from that courtyard
00:37:48.83\00:37:50.87
into that holy place experience
00:37:50.90\00:37:52.63
and then into that
most holy place experience,
00:37:52.67\00:37:54.57
which is what we
also must experience.
00:37:54.60\00:37:55.94
Amen.
00:37:55.97\00:37:57.31
And this would be a
fantastic object lesson
00:37:57.34\00:37:59.74
right here for all the parents
00:37:59.77\00:38:01.48
those who are
teaching their children
00:38:01.51\00:38:03.48
that God does have a plan.
00:38:03.51\00:38:05.55
And you will call, you
will go, you will find.
00:38:05.58\00:38:09.08
That's right.
00:38:09.12\00:38:10.45
Amen.
00:38:10.49\00:38:11.82
All right, honey, verse 9. Yeah.
00:38:11.85\00:38:13.19
Verse 9, "Do not
hide Your face from me.
00:38:13.22\00:38:16.29
Do not turn Your
servant away in anger.
00:38:16.32\00:38:18.76
You have been my help.
00:38:18.79\00:38:20.60
Do not leave me nor forsake
me, O God of my salvation."
00:38:20.63\00:38:24.27
And verse 10.
00:38:24.30\00:38:25.63
"And when my father
and my mother forsake me,
00:38:25.67\00:38:28.30
then the Lord
will take care of me."
00:38:28.34\00:38:30.64
Wow.
00:38:30.67\00:38:32.01
You know, there are people...
00:38:32.04\00:38:34.94
My father was killed
when I was six years old.
00:38:34.98\00:38:37.95
He was a pilot, he was
killed in a plane crash.
00:38:37.98\00:38:40.85
And my mother
married an alcoholic.
00:38:40.88\00:38:45.79
It wasn't very pleasant at home.
00:38:45.82\00:38:48.39
And then my mother
developed some problems.
00:38:48.42\00:38:54.96
She was bipolar.
00:38:55.00\00:38:57.07
And often, I came to this verse,
00:38:57.10\00:39:01.44
and said, Lord, when my
father and my mother forsake me,
00:39:01.47\00:39:04.51
'cause sometimes
you can feel abandoned.
00:39:04.54\00:39:07.28
And, you know, in
this current climate
00:39:07.31\00:39:10.18
we look at what's
going on in our world.
00:39:10.21\00:39:14.08
There's so much fear, but
there's so much animosity,
00:39:14.12\00:39:17.69
and it's gotten to the point
00:39:17.72\00:39:19.35
that when we even
express an opinion
00:39:19.39\00:39:23.79
that is different
than somebody else's.
00:39:23.83\00:39:26.23
Rather than sitting down
00:39:26.26\00:39:27.76
and having this
civil conversation,
00:39:27.80\00:39:31.23
sometimes people
just abandon you,
00:39:31.27\00:39:33.10
they don't want to
be your friends anymore.
00:39:33.13\00:39:34.60
If you don't
believe the way I believe,
00:39:34.64\00:39:36.94
you're not gonna
vote the way I vote,
00:39:36.97\00:39:39.37
I don't want
anything to do with you.
00:39:39.41\00:39:41.18
And it's like what's
going on in this world.
00:39:41.21\00:39:44.75
But I just want to
encourage those of you at home,
00:39:44.78\00:39:48.22
who feel like you
have been abandoned,
00:39:48.25\00:39:51.22
God is always there and
He will always comfort you
00:39:51.25\00:39:58.09
and seek him as a friend.
00:39:58.13\00:40:00.50
It's not...
00:40:00.53\00:40:01.86
He is not a slot
machine up in the sky.
00:40:01.90\00:40:05.57
When you pray and
praise God, and just tell Him,
00:40:05.60\00:40:09.94
I want to sense Your presence,
I want to be in Your presence.
00:40:09.97\00:40:16.18
Lord, I want to know You.
00:40:16.21\00:40:18.28
Jesus said in John 17:3,
00:40:18.31\00:40:20.15
this is eternal life
that they would know you
00:40:20.18\00:40:23.72
and the one whom you have sent.
00:40:23.75\00:40:25.92
This is an intimate knowledge.
00:40:25.95\00:40:27.99
And I'll tell you what?
00:40:28.02\00:40:29.39
God is a lot of fun to
know, if I can say it that way.
00:40:29.42\00:40:34.66
All right,
let's get to verse 11.
00:40:34.70\00:40:37.93
I would like to share something
before we get to verse 11,
00:40:37.97\00:40:40.37
because it's
interesting to me that verse 10,
00:40:40.40\00:40:44.77
he makes a statement
concerning fathers and mothers.
00:40:44.81\00:40:47.61
Yeah.
00:40:47.64\00:40:48.98
You know, sometimes
people trust in friends
00:40:49.01\00:40:52.71
and brothers and sisters,
00:40:52.75\00:40:54.08
but when he makes a declaration
00:40:54.12\00:40:56.38
about when my father
and mother forsake me,
00:40:56.42\00:40:58.92
he's saying you
would expect that
00:40:58.95\00:41:01.32
everyone will leave me
except my mother and my father.
00:41:01.36\00:41:04.76
But He here,
00:41:04.79\00:41:06.13
and I want to praise
the Lord for mothers.
00:41:06.16\00:41:08.66
They pray for their children,
they stick to the very last.
00:41:08.70\00:41:12.23
But here God is
making a declaration...
00:41:12.27\00:41:15.34
David is making a
declaration that he knows
00:41:15.37\00:41:17.91
that God will never
leave nor forsake him.
00:41:17.94\00:41:20.41
The Lord will take care of me.
00:41:20.44\00:41:22.31
He says, "The Lord
will take care of me."
00:41:22.34\00:41:24.01
You know, I saw
something interesting.
00:41:24.05\00:41:25.71
I think it was last night.
00:41:25.75\00:41:27.08
And somebody made an
interesting statement,
00:41:27.12\00:41:28.82
the first part I
liked, because it's biblical,
00:41:28.85\00:41:32.09
because the Bible tells us.
00:41:32.12\00:41:33.92
I think it's Psalms 1:46.
00:41:33.96\00:41:35.29
Don't put your trust in princes,
00:41:35.32\00:41:36.66
nor in the sons of men.
00:41:36.69\00:41:38.13
Don't trust in people.
00:41:38.16\00:41:39.89
We're supposed to trust in God.
00:41:39.93\00:41:41.26
But this person
made, don't trust people.
00:41:41.30\00:41:44.20
Don't put your trust in people,
00:41:44.23\00:41:45.70
because even your
shadow will leave you
00:41:45.73\00:41:48.50
when you're facing,
when you're in darkness.
00:41:48.54\00:41:51.04
Well, that's kind of
funny, because it's true.
00:41:51.07\00:41:53.07
The shadow cannot be
there when you're in darkness.
00:41:53.11\00:41:55.74
But the fact is that
in our darkest moments,
00:41:55.78\00:41:58.08
God is there to help us,
00:41:58.11\00:42:01.25
to strengthen
us, to encourage us,
00:42:01.28\00:42:02.72
and give us that
peace that we need.
00:42:02.75\00:42:04.39
That's right. That's right.
00:42:04.42\00:42:05.75
All right,
00:42:05.79\00:42:07.12
we're coming up on a couple
of really great verses here.
00:42:07.16\00:42:09.82
So, JD, you want
to take verse 11?
00:42:09.86\00:42:12.16
"Teach me Your way, O Lord,
and lead me in a smooth paths,
00:42:12.19\00:42:16.06
because of my enemies."
00:42:16.10\00:42:17.83
Okay, what is a smooth path?
00:42:17.87\00:42:19.20
A smooth path is
a levelled ground.
00:42:19.23\00:42:22.47
You can see the
beginning, you can see the end.
00:42:22.50\00:42:24.77
You go to New
Mexico, and my goodness,
00:42:24.81\00:42:27.54
you can see for miles away.
00:42:27.58\00:42:29.91
You go to Colorado and
you see the next mountain.
00:42:29.94\00:42:34.08
And you love both places.
00:42:34.12\00:42:35.75
But we're talking right here,
00:42:35.78\00:42:37.12
you know, about
teach me Your way,
00:42:37.15\00:42:39.52
leave me on a smooth path,
00:42:39.55\00:42:40.89
because the smoother the path,
00:42:40.92\00:42:42.62
you would assume the easier
it is to carry that backpack.
00:42:42.66\00:42:46.03
Amen. Yes.
00:42:46.06\00:42:47.96
I mean, it's tough
putting the backpack on
00:42:48.00\00:42:50.00
and climbing a mountain.
00:42:50.03\00:42:52.87
He is been there
and done that, I know.
00:42:52.90\00:42:55.27
So why don't you
read Hebrews 12:12-15?
00:42:55.30\00:42:58.41
Because when we're
talking about a smooth path,
00:42:58.44\00:43:03.88
it's something that
what David is praying,
00:43:03.91\00:43:08.28
"Lord, teach me Your way."
00:43:08.32\00:43:10.35
This reminds me of Psalm 143:10
00:43:10.39\00:43:13.42
that I pray all the time.
00:43:13.46\00:43:15.12
He says, "Oh, Lord,
teach me to do Your will,
00:43:15.16\00:43:19.13
lead me by Your good spirit."
00:43:19.16\00:43:22.06
You know, sometimes even
when we're in the church,
00:43:22.10\00:43:24.37
we think we know God's will,
00:43:24.40\00:43:29.50
but we need to
learn to depend on God.
00:43:29.54\00:43:31.94
Did you know that's
what salvation is all about?
00:43:31.97\00:43:34.44
Right. It's total dependence.
00:43:34.48\00:43:35.81
That's His plan of salvation
by grace through faith,
00:43:35.84\00:43:38.58
its total dependence upon Him.
00:43:38.61\00:43:41.35
But when we ask God make
a level path for our feet,
00:43:41.38\00:43:47.26
there's something that
God does to pave the way.
00:43:47.29\00:43:52.79
But then I love
what Hebrews 12:12 says,
00:43:52.83\00:43:55.76
because it shows us that
00:43:55.80\00:43:58.97
when God opens the
door and paves the way,
00:43:59.00\00:44:01.84
there's something we need to do.
00:44:01.87\00:44:03.34
JD? Now this is really neat.
00:44:03.37\00:44:05.77
"Therefore strengthen
the hands which hang down, "
00:44:05.81\00:44:08.81
or you can just see
sometimes when you're depressed,
00:44:08.84\00:44:11.08
you know, you just walk around
00:44:11.11\00:44:12.45
and your hands are hanging low
00:44:12.48\00:44:13.92
and you have feeble knees.
00:44:13.95\00:44:15.78
He says, "Therefore,
strengthen that situation.
00:44:15.82\00:44:19.49
And make straight
paths for your feet,
00:44:19.52\00:44:22.02
so that what is lame
may not be dislocated,
00:44:22.06\00:44:24.79
but rather be healed."
00:44:24.83\00:44:26.16
Thank you, Jesus.
00:44:26.19\00:44:27.53
"Pursue peace with
all people and holiness,
00:44:27.56\00:44:30.27
without which..."
00:44:30.30\00:44:31.93
Don't swallow holiness.
00:44:31.97\00:44:33.37
Pursue peace with
all people and holiness.
00:44:33.40\00:44:37.17
Thank you. Thank you for the...
00:44:37.21\00:44:39.31
Thank you.
00:44:39.34\00:44:40.68
"Without which no
one will see the Lord."
00:44:40.71\00:44:43.55
Without holiness,
you do not see the Lord.
00:44:43.58\00:44:45.25
That's right.
00:44:45.28\00:44:46.61
"Looking carefully
lest anyone fall short
00:44:46.65\00:44:49.92
of the grace of God."
00:44:49.95\00:44:51.95
So I guess sometimes
you'd be going so fast
00:44:51.99\00:44:54.12
that it just...
00:44:54.16\00:44:55.49
That's right.
00:44:55.52\00:44:56.86
But you know to me
what this says in part?
00:44:56.89\00:44:58.63
And then I'd like...
00:44:58.66\00:45:00.00
I know we still have
00:45:00.03\00:45:01.36
a couple of really
important scriptures to get to.
00:45:01.40\00:45:03.60
But what this says in part is,
00:45:03.63\00:45:06.57
I mean, this is something
00:45:06.60\00:45:09.14
that we are being told
00:45:09.17\00:45:11.11
to do strengthen
your feeble knees.
00:45:11.14\00:45:13.17
Yes.
00:45:13.21\00:45:14.84
Put your shoulders
back, let's get on with this.
00:45:14.88\00:45:18.51
But I think when you
have a straight path,
00:45:18.55\00:45:21.52
it's interesting.
00:45:21.55\00:45:22.88
Pursue peace,
00:45:22.92\00:45:24.75
you're not gonna
have a straight path
00:45:24.79\00:45:26.35
if you are always the one
who is trying to stir the pot.
00:45:26.39\00:45:31.16
Can I say it that way?
00:45:31.19\00:45:32.53
You got it.
00:45:32.56\00:45:34.20
And pursue holiness.
00:45:34.23\00:45:36.97
Be careful not to fall
short of the grace of God.
00:45:37.00\00:45:40.27
So when God
opens the way for you,
00:45:40.30\00:45:43.84
and like David said,
00:45:43.87\00:45:45.31
you know, give me a smooth path,
00:45:45.34\00:45:47.18
but then here,
00:45:47.21\00:45:48.54
the writer of Hebrews is saying,
00:45:48.58\00:45:49.91
you've got a part in it,
00:45:49.94\00:45:51.61
you've got to put
those shoulders back,
00:45:51.65\00:45:54.02
you've got to stand up straight,
00:45:54.05\00:45:56.58
but don't go out
there and be a pot stirrer.
00:45:56.62\00:46:01.86
I'm gonna let
him finish reading.
00:46:01.89\00:46:03.22
You got to the grace of God,
00:46:03.26\00:46:04.69
there's a couple
lines left there.
00:46:04.73\00:46:06.06
"Lest any root of bitterness
springing up causes trouble,
00:46:06.09\00:46:10.80
and by this
many become defiled."
00:46:10.83\00:46:14.14
You know, as I'm
reading this here,
00:46:14.17\00:46:16.37
there's something we
can learn from David.
00:46:16.40\00:46:20.34
If we didn't get anything
else out of this passage,
00:46:20.38\00:46:24.21
I would hope we would
certainly not forget verse 11.
00:46:24.25\00:46:27.12
Not that
00:46:27.15\00:46:28.48
there's not another important
verses in this passage,
00:46:28.52\00:46:30.55
but verse 11
really speaks to me.
00:46:30.59\00:46:34.02
"Teach me Your way, O Lord,
and lead me in a smooth path,
00:46:34.06\00:46:36.99
because of my enemies."
00:46:37.03\00:46:38.36
Teach me God.
00:46:38.39\00:46:40.30
We live in the day and age,
00:46:40.33\00:46:41.66
we live in the land
of Teach me O, Pastor.
00:46:41.70\00:46:46.17
That's good.
00:46:46.20\00:46:47.54
Teach me O Book that I can
go buy at a store somewhere
00:46:47.57\00:46:51.17
and read commentary on
other things in the Bible.
00:46:51.21\00:46:53.84
And we live in a day and age
00:46:53.88\00:46:56.48
where people are more allegiant
00:46:56.51\00:46:59.05
to their pastors and
to their church systems
00:46:59.08\00:47:01.55
than they are to the Holy Spirit
00:47:01.58\00:47:03.25
that wants to
guide them to the truth.
00:47:03.28\00:47:04.82
Amen.
00:47:04.85\00:47:06.19
And I love the humility.
00:47:06.22\00:47:07.56
You can see the
humility of David here.
00:47:07.59\00:47:09.32
This man has
been anointed by God,
00:47:09.36\00:47:12.33
he's been told at a
young age, you're my man.
00:47:12.36\00:47:14.63
That's right. You're gonna...
00:47:14.66\00:47:16.00
I'm gonna raise you up,
00:47:16.03\00:47:17.37
you're gonna be the king
of the most powerful nation
00:47:17.40\00:47:19.57
in the world one day.
00:47:19.60\00:47:20.94
This young man could
have let this get to his head,
00:47:20.97\00:47:22.70
you know, oh, I'm the
king, I'm the anointed,
00:47:22.74\00:47:25.01
but you can still see
the humility of him here.
00:47:25.04\00:47:27.04
Amen.
00:47:27.08\00:47:28.41
Teach me God,
00:47:28.44\00:47:29.78
because I still
have lots to learn.
00:47:29.81\00:47:32.38
And it reminds me
00:47:32.41\00:47:33.75
of what Jesus
says to us in John 14
00:47:33.78\00:47:35.62
and also John 16.
00:47:35.65\00:47:37.25
When he talks about
00:47:37.29\00:47:38.62
when the Spirit
of truth has come,
00:47:38.65\00:47:41.12
he will lead you and
guide you into all truth,
00:47:41.16\00:47:44.73
He will bring all
things to your remembrance.
00:47:44.76\00:47:47.46
And this particular very small,
00:47:47.50\00:47:49.46
but significant
verse speaks to me
00:47:49.50\00:47:51.10
because in our lifetime, we
may gain a lot of knowledge,
00:47:51.13\00:47:57.44
but the mistake that
00:47:57.47\00:47:58.81
a lot of people make is
they gain so much knowledge
00:47:58.84\00:48:00.91
and they're so
blessed by all the knowledge
00:48:00.94\00:48:02.94
that God has given them
00:48:02.98\00:48:04.31
is they hit the pause button
or they hit the power button,
00:48:04.35\00:48:06.28
and they turn off
that divine connection
00:48:06.31\00:48:08.48
that the Holy Spirit wants
to continue to have with them,
00:48:08.52\00:48:10.89
because they
think they've reached
00:48:10.92\00:48:12.25
a sufficient amount of knowledge
00:48:12.29\00:48:13.66
enough to get them through,
00:48:13.69\00:48:15.02
so they can just
slide into home plate
00:48:15.06\00:48:17.13
or slide into the kingdom of God
00:48:17.16\00:48:18.99
on the rest of
their own knowledge.
00:48:19.03\00:48:20.86
And I love the fact
that this anointed man of God
00:48:20.90\00:48:24.83
who is going to lead an
entire nation of people.
00:48:24.87\00:48:29.67
He's saying, "God, I
still need You to teach me."
00:48:29.70\00:48:32.67
To me that's significant.
00:48:32.71\00:48:34.18
We need to constantly always
be in a state of humbleness,
00:48:34.21\00:48:38.08
humility and say, Lord,
00:48:38.11\00:48:39.65
as much as I know, praise God,
00:48:39.68\00:48:41.48
but Lord, I still
need You to teach me.
00:48:41.52\00:48:43.32
And if there's
anything that I need to unlearn,
00:48:43.35\00:48:45.75
help me unlearn it,
00:48:45.79\00:48:47.12
so that I can know
Your way and not my own.
00:48:47.16\00:48:50.86
When God called me
to full-time ministry
00:48:50.89\00:48:53.33
in December of 1999,
00:48:53.36\00:48:56.97
I started off
the New Year praying.
00:48:57.00\00:48:59.40
And I was praying,
00:48:59.43\00:49:00.77
"Lord, if You're calling
me to full-time ministry,
00:49:00.80\00:49:04.77
what do You want me to teach?
00:49:04.81\00:49:06.44
Show me what You
want me to teach?"
00:49:06.47\00:49:09.01
And the Lord
clearly when you say...
00:49:09.04\00:49:12.81
Sometimes people say, oh,
you can't say the Lord said.
00:49:12.85\00:49:16.02
Yeah, He said it.
00:49:16.05\00:49:17.39
You've had thoughts that
you knew weren't your own.
00:49:17.42\00:49:19.95
And what thought came
to my mind immediately was,
00:49:19.99\00:49:23.86
forget what you think you know,
00:49:23.89\00:49:25.73
come sit at my feet
and I will teach you.
00:49:25.76\00:49:28.13
That's right.
00:49:28.16\00:49:29.50
And you know what?
00:49:29.53\00:49:30.87
It wasn't anybody
00:49:30.90\00:49:32.23
who led me into the
Seventh-day Adventist Church
00:49:32.27\00:49:35.74
other than the Lord,
00:49:35.77\00:49:37.11
because what He did
when I sat at His feet,
00:49:37.14\00:49:40.71
I had to unlearn so much.
00:49:40.74\00:49:43.85
And I wasn't
looking at commentaries,
00:49:43.88\00:49:46.18
I wasn't going by
what anybody else said,
00:49:46.21\00:49:49.08
what I did was, I was going
from Genesis to Revelation,
00:49:49.12\00:49:53.36
letting the Lord lead
00:49:53.39\00:49:56.02
and He wants to
teach us His work.
00:49:56.06\00:49:58.99
He taught me the truth
00:49:59.03\00:50:00.86
about the Ten
Commandments in the Sabbath.
00:50:00.90\00:50:03.97
I remember when I
came down and told JD
00:50:04.00\00:50:06.57
I've been woefully
wrong about the Sabbath,
00:50:06.60\00:50:09.84
'cause I preached against it.
00:50:09.87\00:50:11.77
But God will teach you and...
00:50:11.81\00:50:15.81
Oh, our time is just nearly up
00:50:15.84\00:50:17.41
and I have to get to this point.
00:50:17.45\00:50:19.31
Let's look at verse 12.
00:50:19.35\00:50:20.88
And that's the
end of this segment,
00:50:20.92\00:50:23.32
where he's talking to
God about his problems.
00:50:23.35\00:50:26.09
He says, "Do not deliver me
to the will of my adversaries.
00:50:26.12\00:50:29.69
For false witnesses
have risen against me,
00:50:29.72\00:50:32.49
and breathe out violence."
00:50:32.53\00:50:34.56
Okay, such
these people are that.
00:50:34.60\00:50:37.33
But now he's talked to himself
00:50:37.37\00:50:40.54
about the privileges
of divine protection,
00:50:40.57\00:50:43.34
now he's finished
talking to the Lord,
00:50:43.37\00:50:45.71
now he's going to
talk about perseverance.
00:50:45.74\00:50:48.04
Listen to this, "I
would have lost heart,
00:50:48.08\00:50:52.25
unless I had believed that
00:50:52.28\00:50:54.12
I would see the
goodness of the Lord
00:50:54.15\00:50:58.05
in the land of the living."
00:50:58.09\00:51:00.56
What does that mean, JD,
in the land of the living?
00:51:00.59\00:51:03.02
It was where the dead aren't.
00:51:03.06\00:51:05.69
Where the dead aren't?
00:51:05.73\00:51:07.06
Are not. Yeah, it's okay.
00:51:07.10\00:51:08.50
So the land of
living is in contrast
00:51:08.53\00:51:11.73
to the realm of the dead.
00:51:11.77\00:51:14.54
So what is David saying here?
00:51:14.57\00:51:17.27
You know, as all
of his problems and...
00:51:17.31\00:51:20.08
Oh, boy, I will tell you.
00:51:20.11\00:51:21.54
This is something
that I have claimed this,
00:51:21.58\00:51:24.15
saying Lord, I
would have lost heart
00:51:24.18\00:51:26.35
if I didn't believe.
00:51:26.38\00:51:28.35
You were gonna bless me
while I was still alive.
00:51:28.38\00:51:30.59
Amen.
00:51:30.62\00:51:31.95
In the land of the living.
00:51:31.99\00:51:33.32
He was confident,
00:51:33.36\00:51:34.79
God was going to get
him through this trial,
00:51:34.82\00:51:36.39
but here's the great verse.
00:51:36.42\00:51:38.99
Wait... This is
verse 14, Psalm 27:14.
00:51:39.03\00:51:43.20
This is David, I can hear him.
00:51:43.23\00:51:45.33
He's talking to himself,
00:51:45.37\00:51:46.84
he's building up his confidence.
00:51:46.87\00:51:48.90
And he says self,
00:51:48.94\00:51:50.91
"Wait on the Lord.
00:51:50.94\00:51:52.67
Be of good courage,
00:51:52.71\00:51:54.98
and He shall
strengthen your heart.
00:51:55.01\00:51:57.71
Wait, I say, on the Lord!"
00:51:57.75\00:52:02.25
Amen.
00:52:02.28\00:52:03.62
That is a place
00:52:03.65\00:52:07.29
I wrote and had a message
00:52:07.32\00:52:10.29
about being in
God's waiting room.
00:52:10.33\00:52:12.79
I am beginning to see,
that's where we all should be.
00:52:12.83\00:52:17.87
We all need to be
waiting on the Lord.
00:52:17.90\00:52:21.27
And this word in the Hebrew,
00:52:21.30\00:52:24.67
it's talking about anticipation.
00:52:24.71\00:52:26.57
And it can mean a
tense anticipation
00:52:26.61\00:52:29.91
where you're like, O
Lord, get me out of this.
00:52:29.94\00:52:32.41
But it also is an eager,
00:52:32.45\00:52:35.42
an expectant anticipation
00:52:35.45\00:52:38.35
that we know of God's goodness.
00:52:38.39\00:52:40.82
I mean, here David
was anointed at age 16.
00:52:40.86\00:52:44.23
He didn't take
the throne till 30.
00:52:44.26\00:52:46.39
So for 14 years, if
anybody knew about waiting,
00:52:46.43\00:52:49.53
you know, he waited
patiently for the Lord.
00:52:49.56\00:52:53.84
But when you're waiting,
00:52:53.87\00:52:55.67
it doesn't mean
you're just sitting back,
00:52:55.70\00:52:58.21
got playing a game on.
00:52:58.24\00:53:00.64
You know, this
isn't waiting on the Lord,
00:53:00.68\00:53:03.21
waiting on the Lord
is to seek His face,
00:53:03.24\00:53:06.78
to seek His will,
00:53:06.82\00:53:08.75
to say, Lord, teach me.
00:53:08.78\00:53:10.89
And that's a
position we're all in.
00:53:10.92\00:53:14.89
It's perseverance.
00:53:14.92\00:53:16.42
That's why Jesus said
00:53:16.46\00:53:17.79
those who persevere to
the end shall be saved.
00:53:17.83\00:53:19.49
I think of Moses
going up that mountain,
00:53:19.53\00:53:21.93
he's up there for 40 days.
00:53:21.96\00:53:24.83
And you can imagine
the people after a week,
00:53:24.87\00:53:26.94
you know, like, man,
00:53:26.97\00:53:28.30
Moses been up there a week,
00:53:28.34\00:53:29.67
and what he probably got
to do up there for a week,
00:53:29.70\00:53:31.04
a whole week.
00:53:31.07\00:53:32.41
I know he went
up there and died.
00:53:32.44\00:53:34.88
He's not coming back down.
00:53:34.91\00:53:36.31
Two weeks, yeah,
he's not coming back.
00:53:36.34\00:53:37.71
Three weeks,
yeah, he's for sure not.
00:53:37.75\00:53:39.45
You know, all of
this time went by,
00:53:39.48\00:53:41.25
they had been given
the word of the Lord,
00:53:41.28\00:53:42.85
but they didn't trust
in the word of the Lord.
00:53:42.88\00:53:44.69
That's right.
00:53:44.72\00:53:46.05
And to me that's where
a great factor comes in.
00:53:46.09\00:53:48.99
In order for us
to wait on the Lord,
00:53:49.02\00:53:51.06
we must first come to grips
with our trust in God's word.
00:53:51.09\00:53:55.16
And if we believe
in what He has said,
00:53:55.20\00:53:57.37
for instance, I will come again.
00:53:57.40\00:53:59.53
I go to prepare a place for you,
00:53:59.57\00:54:01.00
I will return again,
00:54:01.04\00:54:02.37
and I will
gather you into myself.
00:54:02.40\00:54:04.14
That's why there's, you know,
00:54:04.17\00:54:05.51
Bible speaks of
scoffers in the last days.
00:54:05.54\00:54:07.28
Where's the sign of His
coming? When is He coming?
00:54:07.31\00:54:09.28
And we're seeing
even in the church today,
00:54:09.31\00:54:11.21
God forbid, God have mercy.
00:54:11.25\00:54:13.28
We're seeing this,
00:54:13.31\00:54:14.65
but we're seeing
in the church today
00:54:14.68\00:54:16.02
people who are,
they have lost hope.
00:54:16.05\00:54:19.55
They're...
00:54:19.59\00:54:20.92
Oh, I know, there's a
God I believe, but, you know,
00:54:20.96\00:54:22.76
their life tells the story
of someone who has lost hope.
00:54:22.79\00:54:25.63
And those who persevere,
wait on the Lord, I love that.
00:54:25.66\00:54:28.76
Wait on the Lord,
be of good courage.
00:54:28.80\00:54:31.30
Those who persevere to
the end shall be saved.
00:54:31.33\00:54:34.30
And some roads are long. It is.
00:54:34.34\00:54:37.37
You know, Lord
increase my faith.
00:54:37.41\00:54:39.31
If you got that
information and everything,
00:54:39.34\00:54:41.34
you got it tucked away
in that teaching, well,
00:54:41.38\00:54:46.08
Lord, give me the patience.
00:54:46.11\00:54:47.82
This man taught me too.
00:54:47.85\00:54:49.98
What he prays every day
is, Lord, increase my faith,
00:54:50.02\00:54:53.59
Lord, increase my humility,
Lord, increase my courage.
00:54:53.62\00:54:57.43
And that's a good
way to pray. Yes, it is.
00:54:57.46\00:54:59.76
But Let me read
this real quickly
00:54:59.79\00:55:01.13
'cause our time is almost gone.
00:55:01.16\00:55:03.67
He says in Psalm 33:18-22,
00:55:03.70\00:55:07.57
I want to show
you there's a blessing
00:55:07.60\00:55:09.87
on waiting on the Lord.
00:55:09.90\00:55:11.57
Psalm 33:18-22.
00:55:11.61\00:55:15.68
I'm reading this
from the Amplified.
00:55:15.71\00:55:18.01
"Behold, the Lord's eye
is upon those who fear Him."
00:55:18.05\00:55:22.15
This is those who revere
and worship Him with awe.
00:55:22.18\00:55:27.66
"Those who wait for Him
00:55:27.69\00:55:30.63
and hope in His mercy
and His loving-kindness,
00:55:30.66\00:55:34.43
to deliver them from death
and keep them alive in famine.
00:55:34.46\00:55:38.63
Our inner selves wait
earnestly for the Lord.
00:55:38.67\00:55:43.71
He is our Help and our Shield.
00:55:43.74\00:55:47.24
For in Him does
our heart rejoice,
00:55:47.28\00:55:50.98
because we have
trusted, we've relied on,
00:55:51.01\00:55:54.35
we're confident in His
help and in His holy name."
00:55:54.38\00:55:58.29
Now listen to Psalm 33:22.
00:55:58.32\00:56:02.06
"Let Your mercy
and loving-kindness,
00:56:02.09\00:56:06.59
O Lord, be upon
us, in proportion,"
00:56:06.63\00:56:12.97
in proportion,
00:56:13.00\00:56:15.47
"to our waiting
and hoping for You."
00:56:15.50\00:56:19.77
Quick comment. Got a minute.
00:56:19.81\00:56:22.88
This Psalm 27:14 where it
talks about be of good courage,
00:56:22.91\00:56:27.48
he is talking about
taking hold of the Lord.
00:56:27.52\00:56:31.89
That's really a
connotation of that.
00:56:31.92\00:56:33.89
And then he shows
strength in your heart, see.
00:56:33.92\00:56:38.19
So we have to speak words
00:56:38.23\00:56:41.23
positive and be in
encouraging the Lord
00:56:41.26\00:56:43.93
because we have to talk faith.
00:56:43.97\00:56:45.93
Amen. Amen. Amen.
00:56:45.97\00:56:47.47
We got to hold on to
the word of the Lord.
00:56:47.50\00:56:49.60
It is enduring.
00:56:49.64\00:56:51.51
And we have to believe as
2 Corinthians 1:20 says that
00:56:51.54\00:56:55.94
"All of the promises of God
00:56:55.98\00:56:57.91
are yes and amen
in Christ Jesus."
00:56:57.95\00:57:01.15
He is a covenant
making, covenant keeping God
00:57:01.18\00:57:05.42
and He keeps covenant.
00:57:05.45\00:57:06.86
The Bible says with those
who keep covenant with Him.
00:57:06.89\00:57:10.79
Well, gentlemen,
00:57:10.83\00:57:12.16
we could have probably
spent several hours on this,
00:57:12.19\00:57:16.43
but I want to thank you,
Johnny, for being here and,
00:57:16.46\00:57:19.50
Ryan, and, of course, Honey,
00:57:19.53\00:57:21.90
it's always good to be with you.
00:57:21.94\00:57:23.84
Amen.
00:57:23.87\00:57:25.21
Our prayer at home for you
is that the grace of our Lord
00:57:25.24\00:57:28.51
and Savior Jesus Christ,
00:57:28.54\00:57:30.35
the love of the Father
00:57:30.38\00:57:31.78
and the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit
00:57:31.81\00:57:34.28
will be yours always.
00:57:34.32\00:57:36.79
Wait on the Lord.
00:57:36.82\00:57:39.12
Amen. Amen.
00:57:39.15\00:57:40.49
Amen.
00:57:40.52\00:57:41.86