July 12, 2011

"1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. 5 God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. 6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. 7 The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. 8 Come and see what the LORD has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth. 9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. 10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” 11 The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress."   Psalm 46

 

Introduction:

This Psalm was written after Hezekiah had prayed and God sent one angel to destroy 185,000 Assyrians. So God's people knew what God COULD do for His people who would trust in Him.

In other words, when trouble comes your way - NO TROUBLE!

I. BE STILL AND KNOW HIM AS THE REFUGE--Vs. 1-3

A.  A Personal Refuge--Vs. 1--"God is our refuge"

1. Nations find refuge in Battalions and Battleships

2. Lost men find refuge in Positions and Possessions

a. Battalions--can be defeated

b. Battleships--can be sunk

c. Positions--can be taken away

d. Possessions--can be lost

3. "God" (Elohim) is our refuge"--Elohim is the word for the Triune God---The Enemy will have to go thru all Three to get us.

B. A Powerful Refuge--Vs. 1--"a very present help in trouble."

1. "Trouble" literally means "in tight places."

2. "Present help"--means right now

3. "Very"---means "speedily"--I thought, "How can you be better than present which means "right now". God has no problem with time you will notice it does not say "in the time of trouble." God has the help already there before the trouble arises.

 

C. A Permanent Refuge--Vs. 2- "Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging."

There are Four "Thoughs" illustrating that even if the whole world is destroyed, when all the noise subsides and all the dust settles, he will still be standing because God is his refuge.

Is God your god? If He is, you have a refuge in the time of trouble! When you flee to God as a refuge,

trouble? No trouble!

July 11, 2011

“The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.”  Psalm 27:1-3

What is God worth to you?

How would you estimate His value in your life?

How would you express that to Him?

The word "worship" comes from two old English words "worth"  and "ship".  It literally means giving worth to God or expressing His worth.

So, the purpose of worship is to express to God how much you realize He is worth to you. Now when that happens, several other good things begin to happen. As you realize how much He is worth to you you also get a fresh sense of how much you are worth to Him! Also, you begin to understand how valuable others are to Him - and you grasp how much others need Him. As you worship Him your catch a fresh glimpse of His holiness and your unworthiness. That humbles you and causes you to call upon Him more. Calling upon Him fills you with more of His presence and restores your hope - and so it goes! Worship is the life-blood of your Christian commitment!

Think about this:

I wonder what would happen if we applied the same standards of loyalty to our Christian activities that we expect from other areas of our lives? 

If your car starts once every three tries, is it reliable? If the postman skipped delivery every Monday and Thursday, is he trustworthy? If you don’t go to work once or twice a month, are you a reliable employee? If your fridge stops working for a day or two every now and then, do you say, “Oh well, it work most of the time.”? If your water heater provides an icy cold shower every now and then, is it dependable? If you skipped a couple of electricity bill payments do you think Dominion Power would mind? If you fail to worship God one or two Sundays a month, would you expect to be called a faithful Christian? We expect loyalty and reliability from things and other people - isn’t it reasonable then that God just might expect the same from us.

Is God worth one Sunday a month to you?

Is He worth two Sundays a month?

Even if you worship every Sunday, is that enough?

If worship helps you understand and express His worth more effectively, how much worship is enough? How much of God is enough?

Check out Romans 12:1-2 as you prayerfully meditate on these thoughts.

July 10, 2011

"The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?  When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident. One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock. Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD. Hear my voice when I call, LORD; be merciful to me and answer me.  My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, LORD, I will seek. Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, God my Savior. Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me. Teach me your way, LORD; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors. Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, spouting malicious accusations. I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. " Psalm 27

This week we have been hanging out in this great Psalm 27 and considering the essential experience of worship. I have learned some helpful things and I hope you have, too. As you prepare to join your church family for worship, allow me to review some truths with you.

Worship Is A Discipline, Vv. 1-3

If you wait until you feel like worshipping to do it - it probably won't happen. Or if you depend on others like your pastor or your worship-leader to make it happen, that's not good. You are darkness by nature and you are spiritually lost by nature - so if He is to be your Light and your Salvation you will have to take responsibility to live in the Word and walk in His Spirit to overcome the flesh! You must willfully chase God every day and choose to obey Him.

Worship Is A Determination, V. 4

The Psalmist had a single-minded determination to seek God and nothing would divert him or distract him. That is what it takes to worship God. If the enemy can distract you from worshipping you will have a thousand distractions. And if you allow him to divert your attention you will have a hundred throughts flood your mind. Chase God like a hungry dog chases a piece of meat or as a thristy man runs to the cool mountain brook. Remember God has promised those who seek find and those who knock will have the door opened while those who ask will receive.

Worship Is Duration, V. 4

Eternity will be spent worshipping God, so shouldn't you spend your life getting the hang of it? Shouldn't you seek Him all the days that you live? He wants to be worshipped willingly and He wants to be worshipped continually and He wants to be worshipped completely and, of course, He wants to be worshipped personally! And those need to happen 'all the days of your life".

Worship Is Desire, V. 4b

Too often we think this is where worship begins. Actually, it is one of the end results of worship! True worship culitivates a stronger desire for God! You don't await the desire to worship but rather you awaken it! It is awakened by your discipline and your determination and you duration!

And, several other benefits of true worship are these that are listed in this great Psalm:

GOD'S PROTECTION, Vv. 5-6

GOD'S PRESENCE, Vv. 7-8

GOD'S PERSONAL LOVE, V. 10

GOD'S PATH, V. 11

GOD'S POWER, V. 12

GOD'S PEACE, Vv. 13-14

The way of worship is the way to victory and the Psalmist shows you how it can happen. As you worhsipping well? Are you experiencing the benefits of worship? Why? What needs to happen? When will it happen?

July 9, 2011

"One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple." Psalm 27:4

In his book "Good Morning Merry Sunshine" Chicago Tribune columnist Bob Greene chronicles his infant daughter’s first year of life. When little Amanda began crawling he records: “This is something I’m having trouble getting used to. I will be in bed reading a book or watching TV. And I will look down at the foot of the bed and there will be Amanda’s head staring back at me. "Apparently I’ve become one of the objects that fascinate her... It’s so strange. After months of having to go to her, now she is choosing to come to me. I don’t know quite how to react. All I can figure is that she likes the idea of coming in and looking at me. She doesn’t expect anything in return. I’ll return her gaze and in a few minutes she’ll decide she wants to be back in the living room and off she’ll crawl again.”

The simple pleasure of looking at the one you love--what Bob and his daughter enjoyed is what we enjoy each time we worship God and bask in his presence.

"...That I may dwell in the house of the Lord." David was not referring here to the tabernacle, the place where God dwelt in the times preceding Solomon, or the temple built during his son’s reign. These places were not dwellings to be lived in, and neither were they eternal (See Psalm 23:6). David was speaking here of an ongoing and intimate relationship with God where we live in His very presence. Worship is meant to bring us to the throne of God that we might grow in our understanding of Him. This is what Jesus referred to as "eternal life" in John 17:2-3. In providing for us life that would never end, God was giving Himself to us.

If worship doesn’t bring us into the presence of God through His Son, then one of two things has gone wrong: Either we are worshipping the wrong thing or we’re worshipping for the wrong reason.

1. The object of our worship.

The very first commandment given to Israel was to "have no other gods before me (See Exodus 20:3). He alone is to be the One we worship. God is clear on this. Whatever we do, it is to be done to His glory (See 1 Corinthians 10:31).

Application: He is so central to our existence that the most routine things can and should be done to His glory!

2. The motivation for worship.

People seek access to the throne of God for many reasons. Often it is because we want something from Him. There is, however, one motive that seems more right than others--because we want to know Him.

CAIN – Tried to worship with a selfish heart – RELIGION

ABEL – Worshipped in a way that pleased God – RELATIONSHIP

There once was an old woman who unfortunately was gradually losing her memory. Throughout her life, however, this woman had cherished and depended on the Word of God, committing many verses to memory. Her favorite was 2 Timothy 1:12 -- "I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day." Confined to a bed in a nursing home, her family knew that she was would never leave it alive. As they  visited, she would quote verses, especially 2 Timothy 1:12. But with the passing of time, even parts of this well-loved verse began to fade. "I know in whom I have believed...he is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him..." Then it was..."what I have entrusted to Him..." A few short days before her death all she could remember was... "entrusted to Him." Finally in her last moments there was only one word left, Him." She whispered it again and again as she stood on the doorstep of heaven. "Him...Him...Him." It was all that was left and it was all that was needed.

He IS the focus of your worship! To seek His face until you enter into His presence AND to learn of Him in the temple (His Spirit).

Do you have a compelling desire to see His face each day?

Do you make it a priority to seek Him in His temple?

July 8, 2011

"You have said, Seek My face. My heart says to You, Your face, Lord, will I seek, inquire for, and require."  Psalm 27:8

What are the necessities of your life? What do you absolutely have to have? Can you even name those essentials that you could not be without?

I'll bet if you took the time to figure it out you would find it is a short list.

David, the Psalmist King knew! The one indispensible thing for him was God's presence! He could not - or more accurately - would allow himself to be denied the presence of God.

To "seek God's face" means to come into His presence. The great John Piper frames it this way:

"This happens through “seeking.” Continual seeking. But what does that mean practically? Both the Old and New Testaments say it is a “setting of the mind and heart” on God. It is the conscious fixing or focusing of our mind’s attention and our heart’s affection on God.

“Now set your mind and heart to seek the Lord your God.” (1 Chronicles 22:19)

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” (Colossians 3:1–2)

This setting of the mind is the opposite of mental coasting. It is a conscious choice to direct the heart toward God. This is what Paul prays for the church: “May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ” (2 Thessalonians 3:5). It is a conscious effort on our part. But that effort to seek God is a gift from God.

We do not make this mental and emotional effort to seek God because he is lost. That’s why we would seek a coin or a sheep. But God is not lost. Nevertheless, there is always something through which or around which we must go to meet him consciously. This going through or around is what seeking is. He is often hidden. Veiled. We must go through mediators and around obstacles."

Herein is the merging of discipline and desire. The desire to seek God motivates the discipline to schedule time and screen distractions and study the Word until you hear from God and experience His presence.

Understand that there is a sense in which you are never out of the presence of God in terms of His protection and care. But communing with Him and connecting with Him in that intimate spiritual fellowship that your soul craves requires you full focus.

If you have not sought the face of God for awhile, why is that? Is it because of a lack of desire? Has your heart grown cold? Has sin crept into your life? Have you fallen in love with the world?

Or have you become distracted or diverted or discouraged due to the commotion around you? Has your lack of discipline allow the world to smother your schedule and clutter your mind?

Seek His face today!

July 7, 2011

"The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident."  Psalm 27:1-3

It occured to me this morning that this whole Casey Anthony circus serves as a good example of the point I have been trying to make concerning the importance of discipline in worship. Here in these verses the Psalmist demonstrates his discipline by staying focused on the greatness of His God even in the midst of attacks from his enemies. Rather than allowing his attention to be drawn to his problems he keep his spirit directed toward God.

Here we are facing some of the most perilous threats in the history of our nation and perhaps, all of humanity and most of the media devotes hundreds of hours of TV time to following this trial. Why not direct all that time and attention on reporting about the growing instability in the Middle East that are on the verge of war? Why not devote time and attention to our debt crisis that threatens to collapse our economy? Greece in on the brink of economic disaster. So is Portugal and Spain. California just passed a law requiring their schools to add a class teaching gay history. Thousands of innocent people are being by murdered by Mexican drug lords just south of our border and some of it is spilling across into Texas and Arizona and New Mexico.

While all of these serious and substantive matters have potential to destroy nations or even destroy large portions of the earth, what are we focused on? A bizarre soap opera masquerading as a murder trial is where all the time and media attention has been devoted. Why? Because it gets ratings!

So, our media which for two centuries has been entrusted with the task of protecting our republic by keeping the public informed on the relevent issues of our time, has sold its soul and defaulted on its constitutional responsibility for good ratings. This is the modern equivalent of Nero fiddling while Rome burned.

That detestable lack of discipline by these "professionals" in the news business has contributed to a culture that majors on the minors while the major issues go underreported. If they were true to their traditional role in serving the public interest they would discipline themselves to focus on the "real" news that affects the daily lives and future of American citizens even if it meant less revenue.

But, in the same way, if you don't discipline your desires to seek after God and His Word and His will, you will also chase after entertainment rather than edifaction and spiritual growth.

Worship happens only when you disicpline your desires to concentrate on what matters most. Worship doesn't happen by accident. Seeking God is a result of learned disciplines that keep us focused on the eternal issues not on entertaining things.

Discipline your desires or your desires with destroy you.

July 6, 2011

"The Lord is my Light and my Salvation--whom shall I fear or dread? The Lord is the Refuge and Stronghold of my life--of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even my enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though a host encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, [even then] in this will I be confident."  Psalm 27:1-3

This idea that discipline is a vital part of worship is a new thought for me and perhaps to you as well. So, I want to spend more time elaborating on it because I think it has powerful potential to improve your worship.

The Psalmist declares the Lord is his "Light and Salvation" and the Lord is the "strength of his life".  As he glorifies God in that state he also indicts himself. By acknowledging God as his light he also admits that he is darkness. When he commends God as His salvation he implies that he is lost without that salvation. With God he lives in light. Apart from God he dwells in darkness. Believing in God he has salvation but without God he is lost.

Therein is the need for discipline! To enjoy worship and to know God's light and His salvation you must discipline yourself to resist the darkness and come out of your lostness. You will only do that if you choose to believe what His Word says about you and choose to act upon it. That requires a conscious decision that goes against your human nature. That is faith! Faith takes discipline because it is not natural.

Discipline may have taken a negative context in your thinking because it usually is associated with punishment. When you were failed to discipline yourself as a youngster and did something bad, your parents had to do the disciplining for you. That was not pleasant for you or them. But let me give you another way to think of discipline - "discipline is saying no to one thing in order to say yes to something better".

So, if you want to become a better worshipper you must say "no" to your darkness and come to His light! That means putting down the TV remote, or the newspaper or the magazine or the video game control and pick up your Bible. It means saying "no' to the selfish desires and the destructive thoughts and "yes" to His Spirit.

Is your lack of discipline hindering your worship? Are you choosing His light above your darkness? Are you saying "no" to self to say "yes" to His Spirit. What should you pick up in order to worship better? What do you need to put down in order to worship well?