Hoping in the Lord: From Negotiation to Worship

• The Purpose of Salvation [00:02:22 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor argues that the chief benefit of salvation is not escaping hell, but honoring God for eternity.
• Authentic Prayer vs. Negotiation [00:04:19 ▶️ 📄]
  > He contrasts insincere 'negotiations' with God during affliction against humble, worshipful prayer that seeks God's glory.
• Obedience and Divine Help [00:10:42 ▶️ 📄]
  > The speaker emphasizes that while humans are masters at sinning, they require divine grace and help to obey God's statutes.
• Servanthood and Leadership [00:15:14 ▶️ 📄]
  > He asserts that biblical leadership is defined by servanthood, noting that even Jesus and great leaders served rather than being served.
• Reformed Theology and Human Will [00:17:51 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor addresses criticisms of Calvinism, clarifying that God changes the human will rather than creating 'robotic' people.
• Faithfulness and Joy [00:16:03 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor defines faithfulness not as getting what one wants, but as blessing the Lord and performing His works, which brings true pleasure and joy even amidst opposition.
• The Nature of God and Salvation [00:16:53 ▶️ 📄]
  > Contrasting worldly gods with the just and holy God of Scripture who punishes sin but extends mercy; salvation is described as an entrance into a 'great party' (communion with God) rather than standing still in a doorway.
• Reformed Theology and Human Will [00:17:51 ▶️ 📄]
  > Addressing the misconception that Calvinism views humans as robots; the pastor asserts that God changes the human will from serving self to serving God, creating people with feelings and a will.
• Priorities in Evangelism and Worship [00:18:40 ▶️ 📄]
  > Correcting the view that saving sinners from wrath is the highest priority; the pastor argues the highest priority is for sinners to turn and glorify God forevermore through worship and service.
• Daily Devotion and Prayer [00:19:52 ▶️ 📄]
  > Exhorting believers to seek the Lord early and often, citing Psalm 119, and arguing that prioritizing prayer over immediate work tasks is essential and will not result in negative consequences.
• Spiritual Warfare and Temptation [00:22:20 ▶️ 📄]
  > Using the example of Jesus' disciples sleeping in Gethsemane to illustrate the weakness of the flesh; the pastor warns that the devil seeks to discourage faith rather than just cause physical harm, and quotes John Owen on the danger of entertaining temptation.
• Divine Compassion and Trials [00:30:48 ▶️ 📄]
  > Explaining that trials and insomnia can be opportunities to meditate on God's Word; the pastor emphasizes that God is always listening to prayers and provides divine compassion and relief to those who call upon Him.
• Prayer and Divine Access [00:31:52 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor contrasts human limitations with God's constant availability, using personal anecdotes and biblical examples (Hannah, David, Jesus) to illustrate that God always hears and relieves the heavy soul.
• Soul Revival and Scripture [00:35:41 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor argues for the necessity of constant spiritual revival through hearing God's promises and stories, noting that believers grow weak and distracted and need the Holy Spirit to remind them of covenant promises.
• Separation from the World and Evangelism [00:38:08 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor contrasts the 'sinful lens' of the unsaved who seek unity in opposition to God with the Christian mandate to evangelize while remaining loyal and separate from ungodliness, citing Abraham's descendants and the Canaanites.
• The Reality of Judgment and Hell [00:40:22 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor addresses modern theories that deny eternal conscious torment, asserting the truth of God's Word and the sobering reality of judgment as a primary motivation for evangelism and confidence in Scripture.
• Submission and Humility [00:42:43 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor concludes with an exhortation to submit to God, resist the devil, and humble oneself, citing James 4 to explain that drawing near to God results in His drawing near to the believer.

• Sermon Illustration [00:04:26 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor shares a personal anecdote from his youth as an unbeliever, describing how his first serious conversation with God was a 'negotiation' to cure a sickness, which he now views as dishonorable.
• Sermon Illustration [00:13:58 ▶️ 📄]
  > He uses the analogy of a 'captain of an army' (rather than a boat) to describe Jesus as the captain of our faith, leading believers through spiritual battle.
• Sermon Illustration [00:14:15 ▶️ 📄]
  > He employs the simile of 'melted butter' to describe the temptation of sin, contrasting it with the strength believers have to stand firm through Christ.
• Sermon Illustration [00:20:47 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor recounts a personal childhood story of negotiating with God: promising to treat his sister better if God healed him, acknowledging this as a 'terrible way to speak to the Lord' due to his fierce fighting with his sister.
• Sermon Illustration [00:25:11 ▶️ 📄]
  > An analogy comparing God's responsiveness to prayer to a mother who drops everything and runs to her child when hearing a cry of horror or pain, illustrating how much more faithful the all-knowing Lord is to react to our cries.
• Sermon Illustration [00:24:10 ▶️ 📄]
  > A reference to the biblical story of Job, noting that Satan was given liberty to afflict Job physically (boils) not to take his life, but to discourage him from trusting and calling upon the Lord.
• Sermon Illustration [00:32:26 ▶️ 📄]
  > A reference to Hannah in 1 Samuel and David, who put their burdens to prayer, and Jesus, as examples of crying out to a living God who responds with divine compassion.
• Sermon Illustration [00:32:02 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor shares a personal anecdote about receiving a call at midnight because his ringer was off to sleep, contrasting his limited availability with God's 'emergency hours' and constant hearing of prayers.
• Sermon Illustration [00:32:29 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor references the biblical figure Hannah from 1 Samuel who 'put her burden to prayer' as an example of bringing burdens to God.
• Sermon Illustration [00:39:07 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses the historical analogy of Abraham's descendants being told not to dwell among or marry Canaanites to illustrate the need for Christians to remain separate from the world while engaging in evangelism.

• Pastoral Charge [00:02:17 ▶️ 📄]
  > Praying for God's blessing upon the congregation for His name's sake.
• Pastoral Charge [00:13:44 ▶️ 📄]
  > Sharing the experience of God's love and salvation with others.
• Pastoral Charge [00:19:52 ▶️ 📄]
  > Seek the Lord frequently and hope in His word.
• Pastoral Charge [00:22:30 ▶️ 📄]
  > Watch and pray to avoid temptation.
• Pastoral Charge [00:30:03 ▶️ 📄]
  > Keep watch over their souls and stop rationalizing lusts.
• Pastoral Charge [00:41:20 ▶️ 📄]
  > The congregation is asked to verbally or inwardly affirm ('say amen') the Scriptures and the ways of the Lord whenever they read or meditate on them.
• Pastoral Charge [00:42:05 ▶️ 📄]
  > The congregation is encouraged to confirm truths by reading, believing, and speaking to one another about God's word.

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:00:00] Let me direct you now to your Bibles. We have some Bibles in the pews if you need one.
[00:00:06] To the book of Psalms, Psalm 119 in particular, verses 145 through 152.
[00:00:16] Psalm 119, verses 145 through 152.
[00:00:23] Hoping in the Lord and His Word is the title of the sermon today.
[00:00:32] Let's hear the Word of God.
[00:00:37] I cry out with my whole heart, hear me, O Lord, I will keep your statutes.
[00:00:45] I cry out to you, save me, and I will keep your testimonies.
[00:00:50] I rise before the dawning of the morning and cry for help.
[00:00:54] I hope in your word. My eyes are awake through the night watches that I may meditate on your word.
[00:01:06] Hear my voice according to your loving kindness, O Lord. Revive me according to your justice.
[00:01:16] They draw near who follow after wickedness. They are far from your law. You're near, O Lord, and all your commandments are truth. Considering your testimonies, I have known of all that you have founded them forever.
[00:01:36] Let us pray.
[00:01:37] Father, we pray that you bless us through this not only the hearing of the word, but the preaching of the word and the meditating upon the word, the application of your word.
[00:01:49] For you have given us your eternal truths for your people to be educated.
[00:01:55] for your people to be instructed in all the ways of righteousness, to receive correction at times, to receive encouragement and confirmation of their faith.
[00:02:06] And so we pray for the abundance of your grace that comes through receiving your word by faith, that you would bestow that upon all that are here, Lord.

[00:02:17] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:02:17] So bless us, we pray, for your blessed name's sake.
[00:02:22] Amen.

[00:02:22] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:02:22] first point of consideration today salvation has the goal for the Lord to receive honor now maybe you kind of wonder why we have to say that but a lot of times I don't think people think in those terms
[00:02:43] a lot of times people think people need to be saved so they can be saved so they don't go to hell in other words well that that is a great benefit but that's not the chief benefit that's not the chief reason for being
[00:03:02] saved from your sins and your guilt to to be free from the consequences of them and i like i said that is a a a absolute benefit and we rejoice in that but the purpose of your being of your
[00:03:19] creation and furthermore of your redemption is to honor the lord your god all your days for all of eternity so look at the first two verses i cry out with my whole heart hear me oh lord
[00:03:37] i will keep your statues i cry out to you save me and i will keep your testimonies remember when we deal with statues and testimony, ordinances, precepts.
[00:03:52] We're talking about the law of God.
[00:03:55] These are sentiments of the law of God, commandments of our God.
[00:04:02] And so, indeed, the unsaved in desperation will often say anything to get out of their affliction, to gain deliverance from trouble.
[00:04:19] And they may foolishly think I will negotiate with God.
[00:04:26] And I draw from my own personal experience in my many years in my youth of being an unbeliever.
[00:04:34] First time I really spoke at length to God was in negotiations because of some sickness that was on me.
[00:04:44] But this is very dishonorable to the Lord to speak to him in such a manner.
[00:04:51] to seek to bend the will of the Lord to your desire, for your service, for your purpose.
[00:05:03] There's no humility in that approach.
[00:05:07] And indeed, the demeanor is not one of worship, nor one of dependence, and not one of seeking mercy at the terms of the conqueror.
[00:05:19] conqueror. Those who want mercy will often say anything to get relief, and so we question the sincerity. Of course, the Lord knows our hearts, so that's a great advantage the Lord has. It should be a comfort to us if we come to him sincerely, but if we're not coming to him sincerely,
[00:05:40] it reveals our sin and our hostility to the Lord.
[00:05:50] But the promises the Lord has are heard through the Word.
[00:05:58] We can be pretentious and make covenants with God in haste and really have no commitment to keep them if our affliction of whatever kind is lifted.
[00:06:10] And then we go back to our old ways, thinking that I will not be afflicted again.
[00:06:18] But we have here, by the words of the psalmist, by the Holy Spirit, a commitment in the words given.
[00:06:29] I cry out with my whole heart, hear me, O Lord.
[00:06:34] There's a plea there.
[00:06:35] I will keep your statutes.
[00:06:38] There's a covenant promise there.
[00:06:40] And as the Lord suffers for righteousness, think of the Lord Jesus Christ living in this world as he's doing good to all, as he's preaching from town to town, as he's healing people.
[00:06:54] He suffers at the hands of unbelievers for his righteous stance, for his righteous words, for his righteous proclamation of the gospel.
[00:07:07] his dedication to the heavenly father brings the hatred of many people upon him because he calls people to holiness he calls people to righteousness and he calls them to forsake their sin he rebukes leaders for their hypocrisy for he does know their heart but here we have a blessed prayer cry
[00:07:35] Indeed, we are to pray, and this is our first obligation.
[00:07:40] This is your foremost goal in your prayer.
[00:07:44] I hope this is not new to you.
[00:07:47] The purpose of your prayer, again, is not to lift your affliction, because this is what we're obsessed about, my affliction.
[00:07:55] Now, you are to pray about your affliction.
[00:07:56] Don't get me wrong.
[00:07:57] But the primary purpose of your prayer is to honor the Lord.
[00:08:04] It's an act of worship.
[00:08:06] To praise and to express your faith in God Almighty.
[00:08:14] We pray to the Lord.
[00:08:15] We want to grow in faithfulness, especially as we are afflicted.
[00:08:22] Because the temptation of affliction, and you think about your affliction that really bothers you, is to put God, put God's ways, his commandments, a little away from us.
[00:08:36] because it makes it really hard with other people.
[00:08:41] It makes it uncomfortable in work life or in school or with family.
[00:08:50] But we are to be faithful, and we need help to be faithful, help from the Lord.
[00:08:56] So we pray to the King of glory, and we pray, Lord, help me to glorify you.
[00:09:01] Indeed, we acknowledge the forces of evil.
[00:09:03] seek to have me linger, to stall in obedience, and not take that road of obedience to the Lord.
[00:09:16] See, brothers and sisters, the ungodly want you to go away from the statues of the Lord and go with them into iniquity. So I cry it out with my whole heart, hear me, O Lord,
[00:09:35] I will keep your statutes.
[00:09:38] It might seem like, well, how are those two connected?
[00:09:41] Well, he's saying, Lord, help me, because there's something going on.
[00:09:47] You notice the psalm never gives you the details of what that affliction is.
[00:09:51] Something is going on, but he's going to confirm at the end, after he asks for help, but I will keep your statutes.
[00:09:57] This is the common refrain.
[00:09:58] I will obey your word.
[00:10:02] I will keep your commandments, because the temptation is not to do that.
[00:10:11] The voices are saying, do not go that way.
[00:10:16] So help me, Lord, in other words.
[00:10:18] Give me your strength and your powerful grace to do your will.
[00:10:27] Now, sometimes when we're frustrated, we might just tell our kids, especially when they're younger, just obey.
[00:10:32] Just simply obey.
[00:10:35] And that's true.
[00:10:35] And the Lord can speak to us that way.
[00:10:40] But we need help.
[00:10:42] We need divine help to obey.
[00:10:45] You don't need divine help to sin because that would be contrary to the character of God.
[00:10:50] And you and I are masters at sin.
[00:10:54] We have a compulsion to sin if we're not meditating upon the Lord.
[00:10:58] If we're not unregenerate, we're swimming in sin.
[00:11:01] So verse 146, I cry out to you, save me, and I will keep your testimonies.
[00:11:08] And we talked about this phrase, save me.
[00:11:11] The first kind of application we think about is save me from my sins.
[00:11:16] What must I do to be saved before God?
[00:11:18] What must I do to be hence forgiven of my sins and not go to hell?
[00:11:23] There's that saving, but there's also the daily saving you need.
[00:11:27] I need deliverance.
[00:11:28] I need help.
[00:11:29] I need to be pulled out of this pit that I am in, this pattern of sin, This persecution against me that's wearing me down.
[00:11:40] And I feel like it's going to destroy me and cause me to abandon my faith.
[00:11:45] But I will keep your testimonies.
[00:11:48] So this is not a promise for sinners to take a break from their rebellion to appease the Lord for a time.
[00:11:59] But we want to live in order to obey the Lord, to worship him openly and testify often of his wonderful salvation.
[00:12:11] And that we realize this in the Son, Jesus Christ, the world's only Savior.
[00:12:19] So there's hope for sinners.
[00:12:22] And just as an aside here, there's a lot of talk about the sinner's prayer.
[00:12:27] I don't like the sinner's prayer because it's just, you know, prayer is not to be written out and handed to somebody.
[00:12:36] It has to come from the heart.
[00:12:40] And we have to be honest.
[00:12:43] We struggle in prayer.
[00:12:45] We struggle in sincerity.
[00:12:47] We are not as thorough as we should be.
[00:12:50] I'm talking about as Christians.
[00:12:52] We need grace in order to pray to the Lord.
[00:12:59] So salvation for sinners brings a special honor to the Lord.
[00:13:04] The Lord saves a people for himself.
[00:13:08] Why? We can ask, and we won't have the answer.
[00:13:14] The Lord has no need of us, but he does save a people for himself.
[00:13:18] He communes with his people. He loves them.
[00:13:23] He will protect them for all eternity, and he'll give us blessings beyond our imagination.

[00:13:28] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:13:28] and he gives us his spirit again why it's a love that is beyond our comprehension but it's a love that you and i and others can enjoy and experience and so it's wonderful so we should share that with

[00:13:44] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:13:44] others but we must acknowledge that jesus jesus christ is the captain of our faith he leads us in other words and when you think of a captain this is not a captain of a boat this is a captain
[00:13:58] of an army. And hence, he leads us through spiritual battle. He leads, he teaches, he guards us, he equips us for holy living and evangelism to make us stand for Christ and not to fall like melted butter before the temptation of sin. We are workers in his blessed
[00:14:24] holy vineyard and we're seeking to do his will each and every day and because he has given us a new heart regeneration we delight to do his word we don't do that delight perfectly we're not always consistent and this is the problem we have not fully sanctified but overall
[00:14:46] God's people delight to hear the Lord, to be in His worship even. And indeed the goal of this life or the glory of heaven is to delight and to worship and serve the living God.
[00:15:06] Serve the living God. Not to be the one served.
[00:15:12] We must confess that.
[00:15:14] In fact, in heaven, is anyone going to be served among men?
[00:15:21] Scripture doesn't speak about anyone being served in heaven.
[00:15:28] Jesus said it is more blessed to give than to receive.
[00:15:33] And he taught his disciples to be servants.
[00:15:39] There is no sermon in the Bible about leadership.
[00:15:43] The greatest leader, like Moses, or think about Paul, indeed, Jesus, the greatest of all, have shown us how to serve as servants and the blessing in that.
[00:16:01] And so we're called to faithfulness.
[00:16:03] Indeed, faithfulness does not entail getting what we want, getting what we enjoy, but blessing the Lord by performing his works, laboring to advance the kingdom of God and remaining faithful to the Lord in every turn.
[00:16:21] And that brings us pleasure.
[00:16:22] that brings us joy even when we face opposition for his honor not ours is indeed what matters most of all and now the world's religions they have gods small g's they have vengeful hateful cruel gods and they also have indulgent gods like there is no standard there there is
[00:16:53] no morality, do all the waywardness of your heart. But we have a just God in Scripture, a holy God who does punish those who sin against him. And that is an absolute truth that is clear
[00:17:10] from Genesis through Revelation. And yet we also have in all those 66 books, the gospel mentioned again and again because this just God extends mercy and restores whole sinners who were his enemies at one time. As I said earlier, you are created. It doesn't matter who you are, but you
[00:17:34] are created for the purpose to glorify God. And if you receive redemption, if you seek it, you will receive it then that will equip you to fulfill that holy purpose with joy now one of the attacks
[00:17:51] against calvinists i don't like that term i don't call myself a calvinist uh i refer to myself more reform because there's a system of teaching uh that no we are cold or robotic uh well no the
[00:18:07] Lord doesn't have any robotic people.
[00:18:10] He doesn't have any puppets. He has people with feelings and a will. But he has changed their will from serving self and sin and the devil and the world to serving God and keeping the word. And it's
[00:18:27] not perfected this side of heaven, but we are called to perfection. Be you holy as I am

[00:18:33] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:18:33] holy, scripture says multiple times. So

[00:18:38] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:18:38] the Lord saves sinners.
[00:18:40] from his own wrath.
[00:18:44] Indeed, that is not the highest priority.
[00:18:47] That is an important responsibility.
[00:18:48] We pray for evangelism and missions.
[00:18:52] The highest priority is for sinners to turn and glorify their Lord forevermore by worship and serving him always.
[00:19:04] your salvation has a purpose to equip you to enjoy God to serve God to rejoice in God to proclaim his word so you should really think of salvation as the entrance into the glorious kingdom
[00:19:23] in communion with God we don't stand still in salvation it's like being in the doorway of a great mansion

[00:19:32] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:19:32] and there's a great party inside You're just rejoicing.
[00:19:36] You're in the doorway.

[00:19:37] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:19:37] The action, the greater blessings are ahead of you.
[00:19:44] They can be enjoyed today.
[00:19:46] Our second point, seek the Lord early and often, always hoping in what he says.
[00:19:52] Verse 147 and 149, I rise before the dawning in the morning and cry for help.
[00:19:58] I hope in your word.
[00:20:00] My eyes are awake through the night watches that I may meditate on your word.
[00:20:08] Hear my voice according to your loving kindness, O Lord.
[00:20:11] Revive me according to your justice.
[00:20:17] So we have the dawning, early morning, and we have late at night.
[00:20:22] Indeed, you know, as I mentioned earlier, we have the desperation of the unsaved who cry out.
[00:20:30] and if they're not regenerated just get me help for this one thing perhaps it's an upcoming surgery perhaps it's praying for someone else who is dear to them and they're in a precarious situation and then
[00:20:47] if you do this for me Lord I will promise not to do this usually that's a negotiation that was my negotiation I said to the Lord when I was a young boy Lord if you heal me
[00:21:00] I will I'll treat my sister better I mean I knew that was a sin my sister and I fought like cats and dogs you know we have multiple scars if we can show each other
[00:21:12] today because of our fighting it was that fierce and I knew it was a sin so I promised not to do something if you would do something for me which is a terrible way to speak to the Lord
[00:21:26] but if you're in the faith you need and should have a desire each day to seek the Lord when you arise in the morning.
[00:21:37] Now you might think, I've got to get ready for work.
[00:21:40] I've got to eat my breakfast fast and I have to get on the computer.
[00:21:45] Seek the Lord.
[00:21:47] You take some extra time to seek the Lord, you're not going to get fired.

[00:21:52] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:21:52] I pretty much assure you that will happen.

[00:21:55] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:21:55] And you won't be so far behind in your day.
[00:21:56] Just put the Lord first.
[00:21:58] but notice that this stanza here you know and these these eight verses we're looking at there's so much similarity you know from one to another but it's interesting new testament's kind of summed up in matthew 26 41 where jesus says as he's in this terrible hour of anguish and
[00:22:20] wants to pray he wants his disciples there to pray with him but he finds him asleep again and And again, he says, watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.
[00:22:30] The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
[00:22:36] Doesn't that sum up a lot of our walk?
[00:22:42] As we are Christians, we need to be watchful.
[00:22:46] We need to keep praying.
[00:22:50] The spirit is indeed willing, but we don't have the flesh and discipline.
[00:22:55] We're not trained enough.
[00:22:57] So all of Jesus, under these instructions, his personal time of great affliction before he is betrayed by Judas Iscariot, Jesus is already, in many ways, betrayed by his disciples because they are sleeping.
[00:23:17] They've been with this friend of theirs for three and a half years, their master, and they should know him by now.
[00:23:26] and they don't see that he's in great distress.
[00:23:31] Their belly too full from the Passover meal that they're just kind of sleepy-eyed.
[00:23:41] They're abandoning him when they're right there with him.
[00:23:45] So praying to keep the word of God is watching and praying, knowing the enemy is upon us and seeks to harm us, and most of all, in the faith.
[00:23:59] The devil has far more pleasure to discourage you in the faith than to break your arm.
[00:24:06] Understand that.
[00:24:10] If he's given liberty, think about Job, you know, where he could do any physical thing to Job and take his life.
[00:24:17] You know, we don't know what Job had, but, you know, boils on his skin.
[00:24:23] You know, it felt awful.
[00:24:26] was to discourage him from trusting the Lord, from calling upon the Lord, to discourage him to be faithful upon the Lord because he didn't know what was going on.
[00:24:40] And that's the devil's way.
[00:24:42] So praying to keep the Word of God, to be watchful and knowing the enemy, but knowing that our Helper is the Lord.
[00:24:51] He is there.
[00:24:53] He wants us to call upon Him.
[00:24:55] And just like, you know, a parent, you know, I know the world celebrates Mother's Day today, but, you know, a beautiful mother, when she hears a cry of her child from the other end of the house or from outside,
[00:25:11] and it's not a cry of glee and delight, but of horror or pain, she drops everything and runs out.
[00:25:21] She reacts.
[00:25:22] How much more faithful is the Lord to react to our situation than he's all-knowing at the same time?
[00:25:32] Now, as I think about it, there's kind of, in general, two forms of spiritual attack.
[00:25:36] There's persecution for faithfulness, we understand that, and temptation to sin against God, if the temptation is outward.
[00:25:47] Now, our greatest temptation is inward, but there is outward temptation.
[00:25:53] But when those embracing evil come after you, they often simply want you to be their ally, to be their friend, to be their companion in iniquity, to say things that are offensive to God, to dismiss God,
[00:26:17] to not go to the word of God.
[00:26:20] And we can go on and on.
[00:26:26] So we must always understand that.
[00:26:30] So beware of the growing ignorance concerning temptation.
[00:26:36] And I feel like there's just so much today.
[00:26:40] We talk about temptation so removed from it.
[00:26:45] We talk about temptation when we don't define temptation.
[00:26:49] We don't talk about how to battle with temptation.
[00:26:51] And that's a sermon in itself.
[00:26:54] But I want to quote, it's a little bit lengthy, a quote from John Owen.
[00:26:58] So it's over 300 years old.
[00:27:01] You think of it as written today.
[00:27:03] I know a few people have already heard it because I put it out on Facebook.
[00:27:07] Sometimes I put good things on Facebook.
[00:27:09] But this is from Owen's book, Temptation Resisted and Repulse.
[00:27:15] It's a great little paper book.
[00:27:17] So here's my book recommendation for the day.
[00:27:21] He says, how many professing believers have I known that plead for their liberty?
[00:27:28] As they call it, they proceed to hear any opinion from any person.
[00:27:33] They seek to try all things, whether they come to them in the ways of God or no.
[00:27:39] They run to hear every teacher of false and abominable opinions, and every seducer, though condemned by the saints in general.
[00:27:50] Yes, they are free to hear them, though they claim to hate their views, but what is the outcome?
[00:27:56] I have hardly known any who have come away without a serious wound.
[00:28:04] The faith of most is overthrown.
[00:28:07] Let no man then pretend to fear sin that does not fear temptation also.
[00:28:16] These two are too closely united to be separated.
[00:28:20] Satan has put them together so that it is very hard for any man to separate them.
[00:28:27] He does not truly hate the fruit who delights in the root.
[00:28:34] Boldness to venture into temptation for various spacious reasons has ruined countless professing Christians in these days.
[00:28:48] It continues to cast many down from their excellency.
[00:28:51] Nor have I any hope for a more fruitful profession among us until I see more fear of temptation.
[00:28:59] Sin will not long seem great or weighty to any who consider temptation a light or small thing.
[00:29:09] Now, this is really directed to Christians.
[00:29:12] For non-Christians, unbelievers, they don't understand temptation.
[00:29:17] What's the problem?
[00:29:20] I like to explore or entertain the idea of doing this sin to this person or indulge in this.
[00:29:28] imagination of wickedness, violence, or sexual sin, or covetousness, whatever.
[00:29:35] But this is really for the Christian to be on guard, seriously on guard for the good of their soul, and for the honor of their Lord.
[00:29:43] Because when we sin, we don't honor the Lord, and we should be convicted by that.
[00:29:48] But, brothers and sisters, you fight temptation only through continual application of the commandments to your life and watching the inclinations of your wandering heart.
[00:30:03] So keep watch for your souls.
[00:30:07] Do not begin the daily process of putting a rationale to your lusts.
[00:30:14] Again, verse 148, 149, my eyes are awake through the night, watch as that I may meditate on your word.
[00:30:22] Wonderful exercise.
[00:30:24] Hear my voice according to your loving kindness, O Lord.
[00:30:27] Revive me according to your justice.
[00:30:29] I don't know how many times I've done look it up.
[00:30:31] Loving kindness.
[00:30:33] I know a short way of saying it is mercy.
[00:30:35] But it sounds a lot better to our ears.
[00:30:38] Loving kindness.
[00:30:41] And this is the Lord's disposition.
[00:30:45] Now, we know the Lord tests.
[00:30:48] He does give us trials.
[00:30:52] Those tests.
[00:30:53] He stretches us.
[00:30:54] He exposes our weaknesses, our doubts.
[00:30:57] Yet these trials can reinforce our faith as well.
[00:31:02] They're meant to strengthen us in our faith and our resolve for the Lord or have us to grow stronger in reliance upon the Lord, increase our dependence upon the Lord, and our understanding and application of the Word of God.
[00:31:18] Now the psalmist is not sleeping, for he is troubled.
[00:31:21] he's doing a good exercise when insomnia is upon him he's meditating upon the word of God the Bible he's in prayer and there's troubles in his life and brothers and sisters when there are troubles in your life
[00:31:42] that consider it's just the break path that leads you to prayer and prayer is your access to God it's your community Your audience is God.
[00:31:52] God is always hearing you when you pray.
[00:31:56] Your pastors might have certain hours.
[00:31:59] We have extended hours.
[00:32:01] We have emergency hours.
[00:32:02] But as somebody mistakenly called me yesterday, last night, my ringer was off so I could sleep.
[00:32:10] So I did see it at midnight, just FYI.
[00:32:14] But the Lord is ever hearing our calls to him.
[00:32:19] and he relieves the heavy soul.
[00:32:26] Think about Hannah, 1 Samuel.
[00:32:29] She put her burden to prayer.
[00:32:32] David did that certainly again and again.
[00:32:34] Most of all, Jesus.
[00:32:38] And why do we call, why are we crying to God?
[00:32:43] Because we have a living God who does respond.
[00:32:48] We want divine compassion.
[00:32:52] Hearing compassion is wonderful.
[00:32:55] Some people do it.
[00:32:56] They have a special gift for it.
[00:32:58] But it's nothing compared to divine compassion.
[00:33:02] And think of sin, then apply confession and repentance.
[00:33:07] Think of obedience and service.
[00:33:09] Seek the Holy Scripture to inform you of the excellent way of the Savior.
[00:33:15] And according to the Lord's inclination, He will demonstrate his loving kindness or mercy.
[00:33:23] For he always hears the pleas for help and spiritual deliverance.
[00:33:28] He knows our situation and he has a lesson for us to learn before he does bring the relief.
[00:33:36] But consider the firm hope you have through what God says to those in faith.
[00:33:44] We have promises for eternal life.
[00:33:46] Romans 2, verse 6 through 11.
[00:33:49] Who will render to each one according to his deeds eternal life to those who by patient continuance and doing good seek for glory, honor, immortality, but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation, and wrath,
[00:34:13] tribulation and anguish on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good to the Jew first and also to the
[00:34:32] Greek, for there is no partiality with God. And we have the covenant commitments made to us for protection. Psalm 23, verse 4. We're getting a lot of mileage out of Psalm 23 last month. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
[00:34:48] I will not, I will fear no evil. I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. And then express love of the Lord. Micah 7, 18. If anyone thinks the Old Testament is only by judgment,
[00:35:09] consider these words who is a god like you pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of his heritage he does not retain his anger forever because he delights in mercy the psalmist psalmist 119 knew this again and again and we see it line after line
[00:35:34] after the line.
[00:35:37] And so as we've said before, we need a constant reviving of our souls.
[00:35:41] In part you are here, in part you're here to revive your soul. You don't have to be downcast to have your soul revived, but you need further strengthening, further encouragement, just like Wednesday night prayer meeting. I want to hear
[00:35:58] the words of my God. I want to hear the promises of God. I want to hear again, just like a child, tell me again the stories of the Lord, of his victories, of his mercies, of his faithfulness, how he worked through
[00:36:09] meek and beggarly people like me. Because we grow weak, we grow distracted, we are downcast often in our faith. We need the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit to move us, to remind us of the covenant promises, to enlighten us of what God has done, is doing, and will do for
[00:36:38] his people, for his church. We don't want to be stagnant. We don't want to be pressed down by temptation or affliction. We don't want to go with the flow of the world, but if need be,
[00:36:53] against the flow of the world, if it is for the glory of God. And so we are to grow and hope. We are to read and believe in the scriptures and the promises that only God can make and keep
[00:37:08] for you. And so this brings us to the third and last consideration, keeping close to the Lord and his confirmed word. Again, the Christian faith is an ongoing faith. It's a living faith. It's not
[00:37:24] just professing Christ and you're good, check it off the list, and you're a Christian the rest of your days verse 150 to 152 we draw near who fall after wickedness they are far from your law
[00:37:41] you are near oh lord and all your commandments are truth concerning your testimonies i have known of all that you have founded them forever and the wicked dwell in the world as do the faithful and when the wicked draw near this is near to god's people it's not near to god
[00:38:03] they are ultimately evangelizing.
[00:38:08] So it's interesting.
[00:38:09] The Great Commission is given to the church, but the unsaved, in fulfilling their understanding of the to have dominion over the earth mandate,

[00:38:25] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:38:25] they're doing it in a sinful lens, sinful perspective.
[00:38:29] They want everyone to be united in opposition to God.

[00:38:33] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:38:33] And so they want you to join their ranks, ultimately.
[00:38:38] And we Christians certainly reach out to the unconverted.
[00:38:44] We seek to evangelize them, calling them to come to Christ.
[00:38:47] But as Abraham's descendants were told not to dwell among the Canaanites, not to take them as spouses in marriage because Abraham's descendants were to be separate, And the Canaanites were a people destined to destruction.
[00:39:07] Now, it is a vivid picture of what would be at the end.
[00:39:11] But we are to remain loyal to the Lord, faithful to his commandments, and we live in a fallen world.
[00:39:19] We engage unbelievers.
[00:39:21] And we should know, some of us know the ways of unbelievers so well because we were among them for a long time.
[00:39:30] But here it says the wicked are far from God's law.
[00:39:35] They're not near God's law, but they're far from God's law.
[00:39:39] We see this unfolding every day.
[00:39:43] But our assurance, your assurance, believer, is that God is near you.
[00:39:48] In the Scriptures, I think you have it in your hand.
[00:39:50] I can't see your hands in the pews.
[00:39:53] This is my disadvantage, man.
[00:39:54] I need to be 10 feet higher.
[00:39:56] But basically you have the Word of God in your hands.
[00:40:00] to read what is the mind of God, what is the will of God, what are the promises of God, what are the works of God in times of old.
[00:40:11] But often we hear the echo of unbelief, and these repeated theories that God's teachings were taught incorrectly, like the church got it wrong.
[00:40:22] And we've been hearing that of late about hell.
[00:40:26] It's like, well, what is the state of unbelievers when they die?
[00:40:30] Some people want to put out these theories, And usually the objection is that eternity in hell, a conscious torment forever, is too much.
[00:40:45] It is awful, no doubt.
[00:40:48] And none of us want it.
[00:40:49] We don't want it for others.
[00:40:51] But this is why we evangelize.
[00:40:53] This is why the warning is brought forth that God's word is true.
[00:40:59] And so God is true.
[00:41:01] He is faithful to that word and everything he says.
[00:41:04] and indeed the son of god is a word that has become flesh and we rest on these marvelous truths and these are sobering truths about judgment this is why we plea with people now because today
[00:41:20] is the day of salvation tomorrow might be too late for anyone so anytime we read scriptures and meditate on the implications of the Scriptures for our life and for this world, we must say amen.
[00:41:36] Even if it's just inwardly, we must say amen, right and good is the ways of the Lord.
[00:41:42] And we should have confidence in the Word of God, a confidence that just strengthens your faith in what is revealed to you.
[00:41:51] The Lord is near.
[00:41:53] The Lord is present with us here.
[00:41:56] You're a small church.
[00:41:57] He's present with every small church that is declaring his word.
[00:42:01] Every believer, however weak they may be,

[00:42:05] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:42:05] we confirm these truths as we read them and believe upon them, as we hear it preached.

[00:42:13] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:42:13] But the Lord delights to hear his saints confirm his word and speak to one another about these excellent things.
[00:42:22] And submitting to God is an exercise of drawing near to him.
[00:42:28] We need to do that.
[00:42:29] We need to read the scriptures and know the scriptures and to delight in them and share them with others.
[00:42:35] We are to walk closely with the Lord and away further and further from the ways of ungodliness.
[00:42:43] And so we should learn the wisdom of James in James 4, verses 7 through 10.
[00:42:49] therefore submit to God resist the devil and he will flee from you draw near to God and he will draw near to you cleanse your hands you sinners and purify your hearts you double-minded lament
[00:43:04] and mourn and weep let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, and he, yes, he will lift you up.
[00:43:21] And so may we indeed draw near to the Lord.
[00:43:23] May we confirm every word that he speaks to us,

[00:43:28] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:43:28] and may we rejoice in the graces and loving kindness of our God towards sinners.
[00:43:37] Amen.

[00:43:37] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:43:37] Let's pray.
[00:43:39] Heavenly Father, we pray that we will grow in your word, grown our delight in it we would meditate deep upon it and then we would share it with the world that is perishing and that where we are
[00:43:51] facing great opposition hostility or just playing out hatred for God and the things of God may we be patient may we be loving may we share a word as we are able

[00:44:05] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:44:05] that others too may be plucked out of the fire and so Lord may we share the wonders of salvation that is realized in the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in his name we do pray, Amen