1 00:00:30,579 --> 00:00:35,139 Well, good evening and thank you for being here even in spite 2 00:00:35,139 --> 00:00:39,579 of me speaking tonight. Thank you. Well, I am honored to be able 3 00:00:39,579 --> 00:00:45,738 to fill the pulpit tonight and share with what God has shared with 4 00:00:45,738 --> 00:00:51,419 me. And I tremble every time I come up here. But I'm also excited 5 00:00:51,419 --> 00:00:56,419 as well, so all types of emotions today. I hope you had a 6 00:00:56,419 --> 00:01:00,849 good day today. We had project, a house project at our house. 7 00:01:01,009 --> 00:01:04,929 Our electric bills are getting too crazy, so we needed to blow in 8 00:01:04,929 --> 00:01:09,009 some insulation in our attic and so it shouldn't take that long 9 00:01:09,009 --> 00:01:11,409 except for when you step through the living room ceiling. 10 00:01:12,369 --> 00:01:17,169 Yeah. So we have a sunlight, sunlight now. So it's pretty nice 11 00:01:17,169 --> 00:01:23,649 now. My wife loves it and everyone is happy. So actually that 12 00:01:23,649 --> 00:01:27,589 took lot longer to repair the drywall too. But thankfully we have 13 00:01:27,589 --> 00:01:33,549 insulation in the attic. So. Well, tonight I'd like for you to 14 00:01:33,549 --> 00:01:38,389 turn open your Bibles, turn with me to the book of Psalm, the 15 00:01:38,389 --> 00:01:45,789 book of Psalms and chapter one. This is. I have found a lot 16 00:01:45,789 --> 00:01:50,449 of. I've spent a lot of time in the book of Psalms this year in 17 00:01:50,449 --> 00:01:58,169 particular. I find peace and comfort and so much just out of the 18 00:01:58,169 --> 00:02:03,849 book here of Psalms. And I just love David's Psalms and throughout 19 00:02:03,849 --> 00:02:07,729 all of them, Solomon's as well. But I just been drawn to them 20 00:02:07,729 --> 00:02:11,729 lately. So the last few times I've been able to speak to you, I've 21 00:02:12,369 --> 00:02:18,139 spoke out of this book and Lord has directed me here again. 22 00:02:18,459 --> 00:02:23,419 So let's take a look at verse one, chapter one. The Bible says, 23 00:02:23,419 --> 00:02:26,619 blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the 24 00:02:26,619 --> 00:02:30,939 ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the 25 00:02:30,939 --> 00:02:35,659 seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, 26 00:02:37,659 --> 00:02:41,428 and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall 27 00:02:41,428 --> 00:02:45,868 be like a tree planted by the rivers of waters that bringeth forth 28 00:02:45,868 --> 00:02:51,988 fruit in his season. His leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever 29 00:02:51,988 --> 00:02:57,828 he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so, but are like 30 00:02:57,828 --> 00:03:02,068 the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly 31 00:03:02,068 --> 00:03:07,028 shall not stand in the judgment, nor the sinner in the congregation 32 00:03:07,028 --> 00:03:12,889 of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the ways of the righteous, 33 00:03:13,129 --> 00:03:17,609 but the way of the ungodly shall perish. Let's pray. Lord, I 34 00:03:17,609 --> 00:03:21,449 need your help tonight. I ask that you guide my words, my thoughts, 35 00:03:21,449 --> 00:03:25,449 my lips. Lord, would you meet with us? I pray, Lord, would you 36 00:03:25,849 --> 00:03:31,049 meet with us as a whole and individually? Lord, we do have needs. 37 00:03:31,129 --> 00:03:37,299 We have problems, Lord, we have worries and anxiety. About things, 38 00:03:37,459 --> 00:03:40,779 Lord, I pray that we can forget those for a moment and focus 39 00:03:40,779 --> 00:03:45,979 on you, Lord. Meet with us, I pray in Jesus name. Amen. So if I 40 00:03:45,979 --> 00:03:51,299 went around the room tonight and I were to say, would anyone not 41 00:03:51,299 --> 00:03:56,179 want the blessings of God on their life? There would be no hands, 42 00:03:56,499 --> 00:04:00,729 right? We all desire to have the blessings of God. We all want 43 00:04:00,729 --> 00:04:07,569 them. I mean, everyone wants God's blessings on their life. And 44 00:04:09,009 --> 00:04:12,729 it's kind of. This is a difficult situation because it's 45 00:04:12,729 --> 00:04:15,969 hard for some people to understand the blessings of God. 46 00:04:16,049 --> 00:04:19,089 I mean, you can go right down the street and pull into a neighborhood 47 00:04:19,169 --> 00:04:23,609 and it would be. We can seemingly think that, oh well, hey, 48 00:04:23,609 --> 00:04:26,409 God has blessed them. God has blessed them. God has blessed them. 49 00:04:26,409 --> 00:04:31,659 And, and yes, he has. But there's more to blessings than just 50 00:04:31,659 --> 00:04:37,059 material things. We all want a good home, a nice home, one without 51 00:04:37,059 --> 00:04:41,979 holes in their ceilings. And we all want good health and a healthy 52 00:04:41,979 --> 00:04:46,539 family, right? We all want a job that has security. We want a 53 00:04:46,539 --> 00:04:49,459 little bit of money in the bank too. And you know, that's nice, 54 00:04:49,459 --> 00:04:54,149 but that's not the blessings of God fully. So tonight I'd like 55 00:04:54,149 --> 00:04:58,909 to talk to you for a short time about the fullness of the blessings, 56 00:04:59,229 --> 00:05:04,909 the fullness of the blessings. And here we're not sure who wrote 57 00:05:04,909 --> 00:05:08,948 this psalm. And it doesn't really matter because God still has 58 00:05:08,948 --> 00:05:13,349 endorsed it and has preserved it for us. But I believe that either 59 00:05:13,349 --> 00:05:18,429 it was King David or King Solomon that wrote this psalm. And 60 00:05:18,989 --> 00:05:22,349 what's amazing about either two of those men, if they did write 61 00:05:22,349 --> 00:05:25,789 it, or whoever wrote it, this is still, this statement can still 62 00:05:25,789 --> 00:05:30,069 be true, is that they probably only had seven or eight books of 63 00:05:30,069 --> 00:05:35,509 the Bible at the time. They didn't have access to all the Old 64 00:05:35,509 --> 00:05:39,109 Testament. The New Testament wasn't even written before, although 65 00:05:39,109 --> 00:05:46,319 God had it written in heaven. But right now, these Old Testament 66 00:05:46,319 --> 00:05:54,519 saints, whatever man wrote this book knew something. He has 67 00:05:54,519 --> 00:05:58,839 experienced something that he is now sharing. And I believe that 68 00:05:59,159 --> 00:06:02,839 it's amazing that you can see God. You can see Christ in the Old 69 00:06:02,839 --> 00:06:05,919 Testament. You can see the full blessings of God throughout 70 00:06:05,919 --> 00:06:09,239 all the scriptures. But even with a limited amount of scriptures, 71 00:06:10,369 --> 00:06:13,569 look what he says in verse two. But his delight is in the law 72 00:06:13,569 --> 00:06:19,049 of the Lord. And in his law does he meditate day and night out 73 00:06:19,049 --> 00:06:23,449 of the Old Testament. A few handful like he. It just boggles 74 00:06:23,449 --> 00:06:28,929 my mind that all of this was confounded out of a short few books. 75 00:06:29,089 --> 00:06:33,489 But look what he says in verse one. It says, blessed is the man 76 00:06:34,609 --> 00:06:38,669 that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth 77 00:06:38,669 --> 00:06:41,869 in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 78 00:06:42,349 --> 00:06:46,629 So the blessings, the fullness of blessings, God, the writer of 79 00:06:46,629 --> 00:06:50,109 Psalm and God is telling you and I that there are some places 80 00:06:50,109 --> 00:06:55,629 in which the blessings of God cannot flow. So if you want the blessings 81 00:06:55,629 --> 00:06:58,869 of God, there are some areas that you and I need to stay away 82 00:06:58,869 --> 00:07:03,149 from. There are some people that we need to distance ourselves 83 00:07:03,149 --> 00:07:06,329 from. It's okay to be friendly, but. But how much time 84 00:07:06,329 --> 00:07:11,129 are you spending? Look at the first one. It says that walketh not 85 00:07:11,129 --> 00:07:16,649 in the counsel of the ungodly. When you've had a bad day, when you're 86 00:07:16,649 --> 00:07:21,489 just tired of dealing with people. Or maybe life has hit you 87 00:07:22,129 --> 00:07:26,169 right square in the face. Maybe trials are coming in, or maybe 88 00:07:26,169 --> 00:07:29,489 the storm clouds are rolling, or maybe you just had a long day, 89 00:07:29,489 --> 00:07:34,979 or maybe you. Whatever the case may be, where do you turn? Where 90 00:07:34,979 --> 00:07:40,699 do you turn to? Where are you spending your time? Is it scrolling? 91 00:07:43,019 --> 00:07:50,099 Is it videos? Is it listening to talk shows? Or who. Where are 92 00:07:50,099 --> 00:07:54,699 you spending your time with? Because that is a council. We think 93 00:07:54,859 --> 00:07:58,139 counsel is just sitting in a chair and talking about your problems. 94 00:07:58,489 --> 00:08:02,529 But counsel is receiving knowledge from someone else. Counsel 95 00:08:02,529 --> 00:08:06,609 is you're being influenced by where you spend your time and who 96 00:08:06,609 --> 00:08:11,129 you listen to. Whoever influencer or whoever video that 97 00:08:11,129 --> 00:08:17,049 you see online or where are you taking them. Are you listening 98 00:08:17,049 --> 00:08:19,649 to what they have to say about gardening? You say, hey, it's just 99 00:08:19,649 --> 00:08:23,249 gardening, it's just fixing the truck. That's all good, but that's 100 00:08:23,249 --> 00:08:27,899 counsel. But where do you go when you went. When things are tough, 101 00:08:28,699 --> 00:08:33,179 are you turning to the word of God? But right here, the Bible says 102 00:08:33,579 --> 00:08:40,539 that blessings do not flow with ungodly counsel. So in direct 103 00:08:40,619 --> 00:08:45,579 contradiction, if you want God's blessings on your life, you 104 00:08:45,579 --> 00:08:49,419 better find some godly men to get some godly men and women and 105 00:08:49,419 --> 00:08:52,749 families to get some counsel from. Be careful who you're listening 106 00:08:52,749 --> 00:08:57,509 to. And then it says, nor standeth in the way of sinners. You 107 00:08:57,509 --> 00:09:03,429 know, we have an obligation to reach a lost and dying world. So 108 00:09:03,669 --> 00:09:08,709 there's some balance here. But there's. How much time are you spending 109 00:09:08,709 --> 00:09:16,749 with unsaved folk? How much energy are you giving them? Or maybe 110 00:09:16,749 --> 00:09:19,129 they're an old friend and they're not saved and they. That's 111 00:09:19,129 --> 00:09:22,489 okay. They can be old friends and you can be nice to them. But 112 00:09:23,609 --> 00:09:28,009 are you to the point where you're specially listening to their 113 00:09:28,009 --> 00:09:32,809 counsel? But are you spending time there? Or. Here's the next one. 114 00:09:32,809 --> 00:09:37,129 Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. You've heard this before, 115 00:09:37,129 --> 00:09:42,529 but the progression is walking. Now you've stopped. Now 116 00:09:42,529 --> 00:09:46,549 you're standing. Now you're having a seat. Now you're listening. 117 00:09:46,549 --> 00:09:50,229 Now you're embracing all the things that they have, which they 118 00:09:50,229 --> 00:09:55,149 don't have a biblical worldview. They don't start at the 119 00:09:55,149 --> 00:09:58,389 same source that you start with. They don't follow the same 120 00:09:58,389 --> 00:10:03,109 course that we all claim to be true. And they definitely don't end 121 00:10:03,109 --> 00:10:08,629 at the conclusion that we end at. So it's. How can two walk together 122 00:10:08,629 --> 00:10:12,779 except they be agreed? We should be careful. We should be careful 123 00:10:12,779 --> 00:10:17,699 with where we spend in our time. Because God. To receive what 124 00:10:17,699 --> 00:10:21,619 God has for you, we just position ourselves. We just sang 125 00:10:21,619 --> 00:10:26,499 about showers of blessings. Well, yesterday we were driving and 126 00:10:26,499 --> 00:10:29,819 you could see the storm coming in and just. It was just raining 127 00:10:29,819 --> 00:10:32,939 in one spot and just in another spot and it was like, hey, 128 00:10:32,939 --> 00:10:35,499 it's raining there and it's raining there. Pretty neat to see 129 00:10:35,659 --> 00:10:38,899 how the sky just falls right there and you can see, see clear 130 00:10:38,899 --> 00:10:43,059 day and then the storm. Well, if you want the showers of blessing, 131 00:10:43,059 --> 00:10:47,859 you have to position yourself to receive them. Now, God can bless 132 00:10:47,859 --> 00:10:52,459 anybody, anywhere, anytime. But generally speaking, God wants 133 00:10:52,459 --> 00:10:56,899 you to live a particular life, you and I, to live a particular life 134 00:10:57,139 --> 00:11:01,939 that is separate from sin, that is away from the ungodly counsel 135 00:11:02,659 --> 00:11:05,749 and definitely from the scorner who, who wants to belittle 136 00:11:05,749 --> 00:11:10,269 the things of God or to joke about it. Do you know you got to 137 00:11:10,269 --> 00:11:15,749 be careful with what you watch anymore because everything is a joke 138 00:11:15,749 --> 00:11:23,629 about God and what Satan can get you to laugh at. You'll never 139 00:11:23,629 --> 00:11:30,189 take serious again. We need to be so careful about where we're putting 140 00:11:30,189 --> 00:11:34,429 our time and our focus. And so the location does matter, our environment 141 00:11:34,749 --> 00:11:40,069 does matter for the blessings of God. But let's take another step. 142 00:11:40,629 --> 00:11:44,549 Let's look at verse two. It says, but his delight, his enjoyment, 143 00:11:46,709 --> 00:11:51,389 he cannot wait to get into this next part. He says, but his 144 00:11:51,389 --> 00:11:56,469 delight is in the law of the Lord. And in his law does he meditate 145 00:11:56,469 --> 00:12:01,549 day and night. So there are a couple different blessings. Can God 146 00:12:01,549 --> 00:12:06,249 bless you with material things? Yes. Is that all the blessings? 147 00:12:06,889 --> 00:12:13,049 No. The Bible says in Ephesians that we received spiritual 148 00:12:13,049 --> 00:12:18,448 blessings from Christ. That's referring to the ascension, that 149 00:12:18,448 --> 00:12:22,009 after Christ's death, burial and resurrection, where did he go? 150 00:12:22,489 --> 00:12:26,049 He went to heaven. That's where he is right now. He is seated 151 00:12:26,049 --> 00:12:30,539 at the right hand of the Father. He is able. Now there's a 152 00:12:30,539 --> 00:12:36,779 man right there's a member of the human race sitting in a place 153 00:12:36,779 --> 00:12:44,939 of authority in heaven. And he is interceding for you and me. He 154 00:12:44,939 --> 00:12:48,659 has your best interest at heart. And he, yes, is the God of 155 00:12:48,659 --> 00:12:52,419 creation. And he already deserves that place. But not a man. 156 00:12:53,709 --> 00:12:58,509 But now there's a man in heaven. And this spiritual blessings 157 00:12:58,509 --> 00:13:02,989 flow. And how do we receive this spiritual blessing? How do we 158 00:13:03,069 --> 00:13:09,149 receive the blessings of God in the fullest? Well, I want to refer 159 00:13:09,149 --> 00:13:16,829 to you. I want to ask you this question. Let's start here. Is God 160 00:13:17,469 --> 00:13:26,159 enough? Is God enough really? I mean, we can say it. And this is 161 00:13:26,159 --> 00:13:30,159 the easiest place to be a Christian. Inside these four walls 162 00:13:30,159 --> 00:13:33,999 is the easiest place to say amen and to live right and to do 163 00:13:33,999 --> 00:13:38,759 right. Everyone's watching. We see everyone. This is the easy part. 164 00:13:39,239 --> 00:13:44,199 But is God enough? Now, I didn't ask you. Is God necessary? 165 00:13:45,009 --> 00:13:49,409 We all know God is necessary. We know that the earth is spinning, 166 00:13:49,729 --> 00:13:55,409 rotating on its axis at 1,000 miles an hour, orbiting around the 167 00:13:55,409 --> 00:14:01,849 sun at 63,000 miles an hour, suspended in nothing. Yes, God's 168 00:14:01,849 --> 00:14:06,169 holding this world together. We know that there's so much order 169 00:14:06,169 --> 00:14:10,369 in this earth that we know a hundred years from now, what minute 170 00:14:10,759 --> 00:14:15,159 the sun will rise. God is necessary. That's not the question. 171 00:14:15,879 --> 00:14:22,199 Is God enough? Is he enough? You see, sometimes when life comes 172 00:14:22,199 --> 00:14:27,439 at you and things start to. Maybe you've lost your job, maybe 173 00:14:27,439 --> 00:14:31,279 you're getting laid off, maybe there's some financial struggles 174 00:14:31,279 --> 00:14:35,599 or some marital problems or whatever life. Or maybe your child 175 00:14:35,599 --> 00:14:41,349 is sick, this little five month old baby who passed away. That's 176 00:14:41,349 --> 00:14:49,109 life. That's so tough. I don't know what I would do. I really don't 177 00:14:49,109 --> 00:14:52,269 know what I would do. And I can sit here tonight and tell you, 178 00:14:52,269 --> 00:14:57,749 yes, God is enough. But I have not faced that storm. But I do know 179 00:14:57,749 --> 00:15:02,029 that God is enough. Do you know why I know that? It's because 180 00:15:02,029 --> 00:15:07,199 this book is filled with men and women who have put God to the 181 00:15:07,199 --> 00:15:12,399 test. And they have been able to go through all the storms of life. 182 00:15:13,919 --> 00:15:18,239 Job lost everything, all of his children, all of his livestock. 183 00:15:18,319 --> 00:15:24,239 His wife cursed him and he came away. And he says, the Lord 184 00:15:24,239 --> 00:15:28,079 giveth, the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. 185 00:15:28,799 --> 00:15:33,949 You see, David. David was hunted by Saul. Joseph was thrown 186 00:15:33,949 --> 00:15:40,109 in prison. And they can still stand. Based on the law of the Lord, 187 00:15:40,269 --> 00:15:44,149 based on the word of God, to be able to withstand anything that 188 00:15:44,149 --> 00:15:49,829 this world has for us. You say, how do you do it? How? How do 189 00:15:49,829 --> 00:15:58,709 you do it? Well, the blessing is to know the blesser it's to know 190 00:15:58,709 --> 00:16:02,519 the God in which all blessings flow from. You say, well, what is 191 00:16:02,519 --> 00:16:07,559 a blessing? We say, bless you when you sneeze. Well, is that the 192 00:16:07,559 --> 00:16:12,879 same blessing? Maybe a little bit. They want benefits. So just 193 00:16:12,879 --> 00:16:18,439 know that divine blessing is basically God's approval. It's his 194 00:16:18,439 --> 00:16:24,319 stamp. He is stamping. When God blesses you, it's his hand is 195 00:16:24,319 --> 00:16:32,559 on you. Do you remember Daniel who was kidnapped and brought in 196 00:16:32,559 --> 00:16:38,119 as a slave into Babylon? And he was. They. They said that he was 197 00:16:38,119 --> 00:16:43,839 somewhere between 14 and 17 years old. And this young man had 198 00:16:43,839 --> 00:16:48,119 enough Bible knowledge of the character of God that it didn't matter 199 00:16:48,119 --> 00:16:52,799 what happened to him. And when, when he was supposed to be 200 00:16:52,799 --> 00:16:57,019 influenced by the Babylonians, by. To drink their meat and to speak 201 00:16:57,019 --> 00:17:02,659 their language and to drink their wine, Daniel influenced them. 202 00:17:04,099 --> 00:17:07,939 They changed the way, they changed the menu. Because Daniel 203 00:17:07,939 --> 00:17:14,819 had a way of doing things that honored God. He positioned himself 204 00:17:15,619 --> 00:17:18,659 to be able to receive the blessings of God, to receive the 205 00:17:18,659 --> 00:17:24,239 favor of God. And he could walk into, into the king's palace 206 00:17:24,239 --> 00:17:29,199 and speak. That was their goal. Well, he was already chosen 207 00:17:29,199 --> 00:17:31,519 to do that. That's why the Babylonians picked him. They said, 208 00:17:31,519 --> 00:17:34,919 huh, there's something different about that guy right there. 209 00:17:35,959 --> 00:17:38,719 Same thing. Same thing with all these men and women. Look at 210 00:17:38,719 --> 00:17:44,679 Rahab. Look at all these examples of men and women who had 211 00:17:44,679 --> 00:17:50,029 a relationship with God that went beyond the material. Do you 212 00:17:50,029 --> 00:17:56,229 know that people right now, Christians in America and Christians 213 00:17:56,309 --> 00:18:02,029 back 400 years, 4,000 years ago, 6,000 years ago, throughout 214 00:18:02,029 --> 00:18:06,549 all time, there's nothing new under the sun. But there are some 215 00:18:06,549 --> 00:18:12,829 people that only know God by what he does. And so when God does 216 00:18:12,829 --> 00:18:17,569 something that we don't know or understand or like we say, God, 217 00:18:17,649 --> 00:18:20,169 you must forget about me. I can't believe God would do this to 218 00:18:20,169 --> 00:18:24,329 me. I can't believe that this is happening. And that's what the 219 00:18:24,329 --> 00:18:28,249 children of Israel did when they came out of Egypt after 400 220 00:18:28,249 --> 00:18:32,569 years of bondage and slavery. They saw the Red Sea opened up and 221 00:18:32,569 --> 00:18:36,249 they walked through on dry ground and they went to Mount Sinai. 222 00:18:36,249 --> 00:18:39,849 They saw the thunder and lightning. They saw all this. Then 223 00:18:39,849 --> 00:18:44,899 they started eating manna. Then they started drinking water. 224 00:18:45,139 --> 00:18:47,499 Then they noticed that their shoes weren't wearing out and their 225 00:18:47,499 --> 00:18:53,659 clothes were still fine after how many years? But why didn't they 226 00:18:53,659 --> 00:18:59,899 go into the Promised Land? Because they only knew God by what 227 00:18:59,899 --> 00:19:04,579 he did. And when God stopped doing good things to them, they said, 228 00:19:04,579 --> 00:19:08,779 huh, the character of God, he's not. He's not what I thought 229 00:19:08,779 --> 00:19:14,619 he was, but he is because you and I need to learn God by his word 230 00:19:15,419 --> 00:19:19,499 so that we can understand his ways. And that when things don't 231 00:19:19,499 --> 00:19:23,019 go the way that we think that they should, when life happens and 232 00:19:23,339 --> 00:19:29,059 circumstances are not in our favor, we're not shaken by every 233 00:19:29,059 --> 00:19:33,459 little thing. We are grounded in the word of God. Look what it 234 00:19:33,459 --> 00:19:36,379 says here. I'm jumping ahead, but look at verse three. It says, 235 00:19:36,769 --> 00:19:43,489 and he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that 236 00:19:43,489 --> 00:19:48,249 bringeth forth fruit in a season. His leaf also shall not wither, 237 00:19:48,249 --> 00:19:53,849 and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. That's what I want. How 238 00:19:53,849 --> 00:20:01,609 do I get there? Do you realize that in Genesis 15, God was speaking 239 00:20:01,609 --> 00:20:06,399 to Abraham? This was after the Abrahamic blessing that God will 240 00:20:06,399 --> 00:20:09,119 bless him and he'll give him a land. He'll make his name great, 241 00:20:09,199 --> 00:20:13,039 give him descendants as numerous as the stars. He said, hey, 242 00:20:13,439 --> 00:20:19,399 I've called you. Abraham left. Abraham did a covenant with God. 243 00:20:19,399 --> 00:20:24,479 And then he was to go to a particular place. There was a famine 244 00:20:24,479 --> 00:20:29,759 there. So he left and went to Egypt. And he left Egypt with a bunch 245 00:20:29,759 --> 00:20:32,799 of cattle, a bunch of riches. He should have been happy there. 246 00:20:32,799 --> 00:20:35,789 Was then his nephew Lot ran off, and then he had to go rescue 247 00:20:35,789 --> 00:20:42,029 Lot. And then the king of Sodom wanted to give him some land. 248 00:20:42,029 --> 00:20:45,149 He said, no, I don't want that land because I want to make sure 249 00:20:45,149 --> 00:20:49,269 I'm honoring God. And he was kind of confused a little bit at 250 00:20:49,269 --> 00:20:53,109 verse end of 14, end of Genesis, chapter 14. He was trying 251 00:20:53,109 --> 00:20:56,669 to understand God. I'm trying to live for you. And I keep running 252 00:20:56,669 --> 00:21:02,879 into problems. What's going on? God said this. Let's turn there. 253 00:21:02,879 --> 00:21:16,159 Genesis 15. Is God enough. Genesis 15 says, after these things, 254 00:21:16,239 --> 00:21:21,359 the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, fear not, 255 00:21:21,439 --> 00:21:31,369 Abram, I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward. The blessings 256 00:21:31,369 --> 00:21:40,329 of life flow from the blesser. And when you and I get to know God 257 00:21:40,329 --> 00:21:44,769 in a way that's beyond just this materialistic point of view, 258 00:21:44,769 --> 00:21:49,369 and when we. Even when our comfort level isn't met and things 259 00:21:49,449 --> 00:21:55,489 happen in life, God is still faithful. God is still true. You 260 00:21:55,489 --> 00:22:02,129 can still. I mean, I think of Peter. Peter was arrested by King 261 00:22:02,129 --> 00:22:06,329 Herod for preaching the gospel. King Herod already took off 262 00:22:06,329 --> 00:22:11,649 John the Baptist's head. Peter was next. Peter was placed in prison 263 00:22:11,649 --> 00:22:16,329 with 16 soldiers. He knew that his next morning he was going to 264 00:22:16,329 --> 00:22:22,619 be executed. And when the angel came in to rescue Peter, he 265 00:22:22,619 --> 00:22:27,019 had to kick him. He was sleeping. How do you sleep when you 266 00:22:27,019 --> 00:22:30,739 know you're about to die? The next morning. See, that's peace. 267 00:22:31,539 --> 00:22:35,699 That's peace. In the midst of the storm, there was a promise. He 268 00:22:35,699 --> 00:22:41,299 knew the character of God. It's just amazing. I love to see 269 00:22:42,989 --> 00:22:52,029 the result of knowing God, of knowing God. And you say, well, how 270 00:22:52,029 --> 00:23:00,349 can I know him better? How can I understand him more clearly? Hopefully 271 00:23:00,349 --> 00:23:05,069 you're holding it tonight. Hopefully you're holding this. And 272 00:23:05,229 --> 00:23:12,519 this book is like no other book. This is a feast about the nature, 273 00:23:12,919 --> 00:23:17,559 about the character, about the person, about the work, about the 274 00:23:17,559 --> 00:23:23,319 life of your creator, the one that put you here, who designed you, 275 00:23:23,959 --> 00:23:28,119 who put you right in the space of time, right where he wants you 276 00:23:28,119 --> 00:23:33,279 today to do something. Well, how are we going to get to know what 277 00:23:33,279 --> 00:23:38,019 he wants to do if we don't know him? I've told my boys this. 278 00:23:38,019 --> 00:23:40,819 I said, hey, there are some things, son, that you don't have 279 00:23:40,819 --> 00:23:45,019 to pray for. He's like, really? I'm like, yeah, you don't 280 00:23:45,019 --> 00:23:49,859 have to pray. Should I marry an unsaved girl? You don't have to 281 00:23:49,859 --> 00:23:53,899 pray for that. God's already answered that. So the will of God 282 00:23:55,019 --> 00:23:59,179 for you is found right here. You can pray about it, but you just 283 00:23:59,179 --> 00:24:06,909 got to read it and find it. So this is this blessing. So the law. 284 00:24:06,909 --> 00:24:11,749 Look at verse two again. It says, but his delight, his enjoyment 285 00:24:12,309 --> 00:24:17,709 is in the law of the Lord. And in his law does he meditate day and 286 00:24:17,709 --> 00:24:21,989 night. This meditation, you've heard it before, but it's about the 287 00:24:22,549 --> 00:24:26,469 as a. It's about chewing on the word of God throughout the day. 288 00:24:27,299 --> 00:24:30,379 Your devotions in your time of reading, I don't know when you do 289 00:24:30,379 --> 00:24:36,179 your reading, hopefully, hopefully that you're reading something. 290 00:24:36,499 --> 00:24:40,739 Sometimes I would love to do a full out devotion in the morning. 291 00:24:40,739 --> 00:24:43,939 I don't study in the morning, but I do a devotion in the morning. 292 00:24:43,939 --> 00:24:47,739 And I try to take something. You say, well, how long should my 293 00:24:47,739 --> 00:24:54,239 devotion be? Well, start somewhere. But my habit is I read 294 00:24:54,239 --> 00:24:59,519 until I get something. I just read until God speaks to me. That 295 00:24:59,519 --> 00:25:02,999 might be one verse, it might be three verses, it might be two 296 00:25:02,999 --> 00:25:08,239 chapters. But I'm wanting God to speak to me. I want something. 297 00:25:08,639 --> 00:25:11,679 I want to learn something. Every time that you read the Bible, 298 00:25:11,679 --> 00:25:15,759 you should ask these questions. Is there any sin to avoid? 299 00:25:17,119 --> 00:25:24,799 Is there any promise to claim any victory, to gain any blessing 300 00:25:24,799 --> 00:25:31,279 to enjoy out of a passage of scripture, God's revelation to you 301 00:25:31,279 --> 00:25:40,359 and me about himself. It makes me think of Psalm 23, Psalm 23, so 302 00:25:40,359 --> 00:25:49,189 familiar. You probably have it memorized. And I don't believe I'm 303 00:25:49,189 --> 00:25:53,389 Taking this out of context, but this is what I think of when 304 00:25:53,389 --> 00:25:57,349 it gets to verse five. It says, thou hast prepared a table 305 00:25:57,349 --> 00:26:01,349 before me in the presence of mine enemies. Where's that table? 306 00:26:01,349 --> 00:26:05,229 Is it a table of ground? I know where sheep in a pasture. It's 307 00:26:05,229 --> 00:26:09,549 a place on which they feast, where they can eat. Okay. But I want 308 00:26:09,549 --> 00:26:14,559 you to imagine tonight, there's a table set right here. Nice 309 00:26:14,639 --> 00:26:18,879 table, nice covering. There's candles, there's plates, there's 310 00:26:18,959 --> 00:26:24,919 chargers, there's napkins. It's all set right here. Thou has 311 00:26:24,919 --> 00:26:29,999 preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies. Think 312 00:26:29,999 --> 00:26:37,439 of this table tonight I'm going to ask you this question. How 313 00:26:37,439 --> 00:26:47,309 close to God are you right now? How close to God are you right 314 00:26:47,309 --> 00:26:56,029 now? Are you closer than you ever have been before? Or is there 315 00:26:56,029 --> 00:26:59,629 another time in your life where you can say, you know what? 316 00:27:00,509 --> 00:27:05,939 I'm not as close as I used to be. But how close are you to God 317 00:27:05,939 --> 00:27:08,459 right now? I'm going to say something, and I don't mean this 318 00:27:08,459 --> 00:27:17,139 to be rude, but in regards to how close are you to God? You're 319 00:27:17,139 --> 00:27:23,739 as close as you want to be. You are close as you want to be. 320 00:27:24,619 --> 00:27:28,899 God has a table spread right here for you. He's sitting here at 321 00:27:28,899 --> 00:27:32,419 the table and he says, oh, come and taste and see that the Lord 322 00:27:32,419 --> 00:27:37,929 is good. I'm reminded of the song my pastor used to sing. And 323 00:27:37,929 --> 00:27:42,649 he says, oh, Jesus has the table spread where the saints of 324 00:27:42,649 --> 00:27:47,249 God are fed. And he invites his chosen people to come and dine 325 00:27:47,249 --> 00:27:51,009 with his manna he's going to feed oh, he'll supply your every 326 00:27:51,009 --> 00:27:57,369 need. Isn't it sweet when we sup with Jesus all the time? Come 327 00:27:57,369 --> 00:28:03,499 and dine, come and taste and see that the Lord is good. And you 328 00:28:03,499 --> 00:28:08,139 can be like a tree that's planted. You can have your ground 329 00:28:08,379 --> 00:28:13,219 established that when no matter what happens in life, you 330 00:28:13,219 --> 00:28:16,299 don't have to think that, hey, as long as I have these material 331 00:28:16,299 --> 00:28:19,939 things that God is good. No, God is good even if you have them 332 00:28:19,939 --> 00:28:28,909 or even if you don't. Thou hast preparest a table before me 333 00:28:28,909 --> 00:28:34,229 in the presence of mine enemies. Then he goes on to say, 334 00:28:34,389 --> 00:28:40,109 thou has anointest my head with oil. My cup runneth over. Can 335 00:28:40,109 --> 00:28:44,509 you say that? That sounds like a blessing to me. When your cup runneth 336 00:28:44,509 --> 00:28:50,959 over. That's what God is wanting to do with us, all of us. 337 00:28:52,079 --> 00:28:58,759 He wants to build men and women to be able to respond to no 338 00:28:58,759 --> 00:29:04,919 matter what this world throws at you. How Are you doing? How am 339 00:29:04,919 --> 00:29:07,599 I doing? Oh, you should have heard me with my foot through the 340 00:29:07,599 --> 00:29:15,889 ceiling today. Goodness, ah, that wasn't planned. And, and I tell 341 00:29:15,889 --> 00:29:20,009 you, when life comes at you, no matter something little or silly 342 00:29:20,009 --> 00:29:27,009 like that, how you respond is what you and I will be accountable 343 00:29:27,009 --> 00:29:32,409 for, not what happens to you. And I, I've told the students, I 344 00:29:32,409 --> 00:29:37,529 said, what happens to you. This is something I love this, this. 345 00:29:37,529 --> 00:29:40,409 An old preacher friend told me this. He says, what happens to you 346 00:29:41,139 --> 00:29:45,939 isn't nearly as important as how you handle what happens to you. 347 00:29:47,059 --> 00:29:54,819 And that handling our response is truly what God wants from us. 348 00:29:55,539 --> 00:29:59,859 He wants us to be able to be so rooted that no matter what happens, 349 00:29:59,859 --> 00:30:03,619 it's saying, oh, all right, Lord, I know you're doing something. 350 00:30:04,019 --> 00:30:07,849 I know you're good and I know that you're immutable. And, and that 351 00:30:07,849 --> 00:30:10,609 every good and perfect gift cometh down from the Father of Light. 352 00:30:11,249 --> 00:30:15,929 And I know that. You see, now, once you get to know God and you 353 00:30:15,929 --> 00:30:21,729 get to know him by his ways rather than just his works, life 354 00:30:21,729 --> 00:30:32,849 looks different, life feels different. We are told in Second 355 00:30:32,849 --> 00:30:37,859 Peter to grow in the knowledge, to grow in grace and in 356 00:30:37,859 --> 00:30:42,139 the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This response 357 00:30:42,539 --> 00:30:48,899 is the grow. The more that you and I get into the Word. Alright, 358 00:30:48,899 --> 00:30:52,379 if you haven't heard anything, I'm about done. This right here, 359 00:30:52,379 --> 00:30:57,299 you and I, we spend time in the Word of God and we read it and 360 00:30:57,299 --> 00:31:01,869 we chew on it. We start to think about it. For me, I like to. 361 00:31:02,589 --> 00:31:05,709 This is just something that an old preacher told me. He said, hey, 362 00:31:05,949 --> 00:31:11,149 find a verse, read something, something speaks to you. Think about 363 00:31:11,149 --> 00:31:15,069 it throughout the day. Find a song that sings about it. Find another 364 00:31:15,069 --> 00:31:17,829 verse that cross reference that says the same thing in a different 365 00:31:17,829 --> 00:31:21,469 place of the Bible and begin to think through it. Think through, 366 00:31:21,789 --> 00:31:27,109 what is this teaching me and what can I learn? And what is God 367 00:31:27,109 --> 00:31:30,609 trying to show me with this life of this person? What? Or this 368 00:31:30,609 --> 00:31:35,329 illustration over here, because that's what you and I need, 369 00:31:35,809 --> 00:31:42,649 the blessings of God is to know God himself. You and I can have 370 00:31:42,649 --> 00:31:48,769 a relationship with the creator of the universe, the supreme 371 00:31:48,769 --> 00:31:54,849 Being who is holding everything together. He wants to 372 00:31:54,849 --> 00:31:59,639 know you. Well, he actually already does. He knows everything 373 00:31:59,719 --> 00:32:07,799 about you. But how much do you know of him? How can we grow in grace? 374 00:32:07,959 --> 00:32:13,239 How can we respond to the point? Okay, think of this. When 375 00:32:13,239 --> 00:32:20,039 Joseph got thrown into prison, he was the jailer they turned to 376 00:32:20,039 --> 00:32:24,239 jail over. The jailer said, hey, here's the keys. You watch over 377 00:32:24,239 --> 00:32:27,679 these guys. What about the apostle Paul, the Apostle Paul. In 378 00:32:27,679 --> 00:32:33,999 Acts 27, he was. He was a prisoner on the ship. And when things 379 00:32:33,999 --> 00:32:37,959 started falling apart, they're going to him. He became the captain. 380 00:32:39,399 --> 00:32:44,279 Do you see the difference? Do you see that the knowledge of God 381 00:32:44,279 --> 00:32:51,139 can change everything. That's the blessing. That is the fullness 382 00:32:51,379 --> 00:32:58,579 of the blessing of God. Is to know him. Is to know him. To know 383 00:32:58,579 --> 00:33:03,259 him to the point where you can say, nope, my God would not do that 384 00:33:03,259 --> 00:33:06,099 for nothing. There's something in line here for me, and there's 385 00:33:06,099 --> 00:33:09,619 something I need to learn from it. You can say, my God is too good 386 00:33:09,619 --> 00:33:13,019 to do that. Don't you tell me that. One second, sir. Don't you 387 00:33:13,019 --> 00:33:16,739 tell me that, ma'. Am. Nope. I. I know my God well enough that 388 00:33:16,739 --> 00:33:27,779 he would not do this for nothing. As we learn more about God, 389 00:33:28,419 --> 00:33:36,299 it stabilizes us. It secures us in the unknown. In the rockiness 390 00:33:36,299 --> 00:33:42,909 of the boat. Christ is sleeping. Are we going to perish? 391 00:33:42,909 --> 00:33:49,389 Do you not care that we die? Peace be still. You see, the disciples 392 00:33:49,389 --> 00:33:53,949 were even learning more of his nature. More that he had control 393 00:33:53,949 --> 00:33:58,349 of things, more that he knew what was going on. And it seems like 394 00:33:58,349 --> 00:34:06,639 God, you forgot us. Don't forget we're still here. Paul said 395 00:34:06,639 --> 00:34:10,999 it like this, that I may know him and the power of his resurrection 396 00:34:11,159 --> 00:34:15,599 and the fellowship of his suffering. God allows suffering in 397 00:34:15,599 --> 00:34:21,958 our life so that we can know him better. I don't like saying this, 398 00:34:25,079 --> 00:34:34,039 but suffering is a gift. God gives us an avenue. Understand him 399 00:34:34,279 --> 00:34:42,719 fuller through the problems that this life throws at us. I don't 400 00:34:42,719 --> 00:34:48,318 fully understand it. I don't understand a lot of things, but I've 401 00:34:48,318 --> 00:34:52,279 learned. I heard. I heard Dr. Barber say this. He was preaching 402 00:34:52,279 --> 00:34:56,679 a funeral, and he says, you don't have to ask the question, why, 403 00:34:57,399 --> 00:35:02,598 when you know the whole. How well do you know him? Tonight, why 404 00:35:02,598 --> 00:35:13,598 don't we all stand for time of invitation? Let's pray. Lord, thank 405 00:35:13,598 --> 00:35:19,958 you for your word. Thank you for what it does for us right now, 406 00:35:20,118 --> 00:35:23,878 today, this moment, Lord, what it has done for us in the past. And, 407 00:35:23,878 --> 00:35:27,629 Lord, what it will do for us in eternity. Lord, thank you for 408 00:35:27,629 --> 00:35:33,669 the unchanging nature of who you are. And this word is a revelation 409 00:35:33,669 --> 00:35:39,149 of who you are. Lord. I pray that we would each be grounded, be 410 00:35:39,149 --> 00:35:49,909 stable in who you are. Lord. Show us your glory again. Thank you 411 00:35:50,709 --> 00:35:54,229 for what you've done and what you will do. I pray that you be with 412 00:35:54,229 --> 00:35:56,949 this time of invitation. In Jesus name, Amen.