| Talking About Him | ||
| November 18, 2000 | Sermon by DRW | Passage Psalm 40 |
Scripture Reading: Psalm 70
When I was younger, our church used to have Thanksgiving breakfasts. It really was coffee and doughnuts, but nobody ever complained. We gathered together to recount the year that we had. We gave testimonies of the good things that we received and of the hard times we were brought through. For us, Thanksgiving was a time of reflection and drawing closer to those we love. We would think about where we had been and rejoiced over the happy times and mourned over the sad times with those around us. This was a time that each person in the church looked forward too. A time of gathering and thanking, a time of fellowship.
I realized during those special times, that to be truly thankful I must have two qualities in my life: truth and justice. When I am truthful, I give God the credit for all things in my life. Whether they are good or bad, I tell Him and those around me that He has freely given me all things. Justice tells me to take all things into account that God has given me and respond to Him in some tangible way. To perform some ministry as evidence that I am truly thankful to Him for what He has brought into my life.
Let’s look at the first five verses of the Psalm before us. For the sake of time, I will ask you to read these verses to yourself.
I. Does Your Life Show Him? (1-5)
1 I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. 2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. 3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD. 4 Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. 5 Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.
David begins this Psalm with a profession of thankfulness. In being thankful, he shows his confidence in His God. He said: “I waited patiently for the Lord.” What follows is what David was thankful for.
1. God heard his prayers: “He inclined his ear, and heard my cry.”
2. God delivered him from some form of bondage. “He brought me out of the horrible pit, and out of the miry clay.”
3. God placed him in a safe place. “He set my feet upon a rock.”
4. God steadied him so he wouldn’t fall back into the horrible pit and miry clay. “He established my goings.”
5. God gave David every reason to be thankful. “He hath put a new song in my mouth.”
The first three verses offer David’s testimony of His divine rescue. The slimy pit endangered many travelers, it could be a common sin or difficulty that many people get into. It could be things like lust or financial difficulties. Many people fall into this pit, this slippery place, either from willful sin or through no fault of their own. This was David’s case. He was having difficult times in his life and God rescued him. The rescue from the slippery place to the Solid Rock was evident to all around him. It was such a dramatic change, deliverance, that David had to sing out loud for joy.
We have all experienced this. I know that there have been times in my life where I see the hand of God at work and the only way I can rejoice is through singing. I remember hearing about a friend who was in trouble. God helped him in his time of need. I had to sing, “God is so Good.” Deliverance brings joy.
The great thing about this is that other people will see this and they will rejoice, be thankful, for what God has done in your life. They may even trust Him in a greater way because of your changed life, your deliverance, your joy. When God gives you a reason to be thankful, He expects there to be a change in your lifestyle. Your life should be a steady, regular walk and conduct that displays Jesus Christ that others may see this and rejoice in Him. Or, as Jesus said: “Let your light so shine before men that they will see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven.”
David believes, and the Bible testifies, that a changed life becomes a living billboard for God. David says, “Many shall see my deliverance and my thanksgiving, and shall fear God, and acknowledge His grace, His providence, and protection; and because of this, they will be led to put their trust in Him.”
It is here that David provides us with a type of thanksgiving. —
He tells us two great truths:
1. David tells us that the man who trusts and relies on God is truly blessed.
1. “Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust.”
2. “And blessed is he who respects not the proud;” men who are proud of their wealth and power, or those who turn to believe in lies and not the truth.
2. David then admires God’s mercies, and proclaims God’s goodness to people everywhere.
1. He proclaims the vastness of God’s works “Many, O Lord my God, are thy works.”
2. He proclaims their divine origin “Thy wonderful works.”
3. He proclaims the wisdom God had in doing what He had done for him “Many, O Lord, are thy wondrous works; and thy thoughts to us-ward, they cannot be reckoned up.”
I have listed two questions in the notes that you should think about and answer sometime today.
I. Are You Convinced God Loves You?
Do you really believe that God is in love with you, that He always seeks what is best for you? Can you say with Joseph in Genesis 50.20: “What man has planned for evil, God intended for good.” Through the good and bad times, do you see that God loves you?
II. Do Your Actions Show He Loves You?
If you believe that God loves you, that He has given you reason to be thankful, does your life show it? Do you verbally thank God, do you sing joyfully to Him, to you praise Him among all the people?
This leads us into the next five verses of Psalm 40. Although these verses are attributed to Christ by the writer of Hebrews, we see David, and ourselves, in them as-well.
II Do You Proclaim Him? (6-10)
6 Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. 7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, 8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. 9 I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest. 10 I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.
[For David’s thanksgiving, the usual sacrifices and offerings are set aside] in favor of complete obedience from the heart, and full acknowledgment, in public assembly, of the saving goodness of God (Elwell, 1989).
David acknowledges his thankfulness and expresses his gratitude to God. He was so grateful to God that he felt himself bound to be obedient to the Word of God. He felt that his best sacrifice would be the sacrifice of his very life to God, just as Paul mentions in Romans 12.1: “I urge you, therefore, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to present your bodies as living sacrifices—holy and acceptable to God.”
What David is showing us here is that outward worship is of little worth, if sincerity and obedience are not in it. “Sacrifice and offering thou did not require.” David brings to mind here an ancient tradition of slavery that was common in Old Testament Israel. When a slaves time of service was over, after the 6th year, he could be freed. When a slave saw that his master was a good master, full of mercy and kindnesses, he could stay with him. If the slave chose not to leave and the master chose to keep him, the slave would have his ears opened, pierced, to show that he is now a permanent slave to his master. So, when David says: “mine ears hast thou opened,” he is referring to the opening made by the awl that would pierce the ears of the slave. This is the sign of a voluntary and obedient servant (Exodus 21:5, 6). Like Paul, David said: “I will be Your voluntary and obedient servant. Lo, I come! I am ready to hear thy commands.” David then follows with a description of his obedience. David said that he would perform whatever God asked of him with a cheerful heart: “I delight to do Your will. Your law is in my heart. The obedience of eyes, hands, and feet may be hypocritical; that which is of the heart cannot. You desire my heart, and my heart You shall have; and for that purpose I have put Your law in my heart.” David would serve God and tell others about God with all his heart, just as Paul tells us to do in Colossians.
David did this for the glory of God and the benefit of others. His life became a living proclamation of Good News, the Gospel. David says, “I have preached righteousness in the great congregation.” And, “I have not stopped my lips from proclaiming your goodness” And, “I have not hid Your righteousness within my heart.” But, “I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation.” Because “I have not concealed thy loving-kindness and truth from the great congregation.”
The questions that I ask you to ponder as you think about these verses are:
A. Is Your Life Set Apart for Him?
This is asking whether you have given all that you are to Christ. Is your life a walking testimony of God? If it is, praise Him; if not, why not?
B. Do You Profess Him to Others?
The answer to this question determines the answer of the first question. There is no way your life is set apart for God if you are not proclaiming Him to others. A life of thanksgiving is a life that shouts out the greatness of God for all to hear.
If I were to put these verses into something that you could take home, something that would remind you of Thanksgiving, I would put it into an acronym that spells Thanksgiving.
Trust God to be their in every situation that you are in. Whether you are going through good or bad times, trust the goodness of God to bring only those things into your life which will produce a life that is good (Romans 8.28)
Honor God by giving Him the praise that is due His name. Praise Him for all that He has brought you through. Glorify His name for the good times and the hard times. Whatever has happened in your life, honor Him with praise (Colossians 3.17).
Acknowledge your joys and your pains. Don’t merely thank God for the joys in your life, but remember even the pain. This is what makes you, you. In every aspect of your life, acknowledge that God is taking an active part in your life (Proverbs 3.5-6).
Notice the hard times and the good time. This tells us to learn from every situation that comes into our lives. Don’t allow a day to go by without thinking through the day and giving God glory and learning a lesson for it. We should never let a day go by, with all the joys and pains that God allows in it, without acknowledging that it is for a purpose (Psalm 119.71, 73; Isaiah 29.24).
Know you are a part of God’s plan (Genesis 50.20). We need to come to a realization that all that happens in our lives is part of God’s greater plan to mold us into the image of Jesus Christ. Everything that comes our way is to bring us closer to His image. This is God’s plan. Just a cookie is made from both good tasting and bad tasting ingredients, so our life is made. Just as it takes time, heat, and energy to produce a cookie from cookie dough, so it will take time, heat and energy in us to produce Christlikeness.
Set yourself apart for God. We are to give our lives over to God for Him to do as He pleases in it. We are to be people of holiness (1 Thessalonians 4.13).
Give praise to God. Daily we are to offer Him praise, no matter the situation. For us to be truly thankful, we need to praise God much as David did (Hebrews 13.15).
Initiate healing of the hurts you may have. Just as David went before God (Psalms), so we must go before God and tell Him our hurts, pains, griefs. We are to come before Him with everything. We can freely come to Him with all our problems and joys.
Validate your feelings. Once we realize that we are in God’s plans, we must take our feelings into that. We must recognize our emotions and deal with them in the knowledge that God is in control and has a plan for my life. This doesn’t mean I deny my emotions, but I express them to God in a healthy manner. God is concerned with them (Jeremiah 8.21). He allows them to come into our lives and wants us to talk to Him about them.
Invite the Holy Spirit to be active in your life. If there is sin in your life, confess it; if there is a hurt in your heart, have Him cleanse it; if there is joy in your life, let Him enhance it. Allow the Holy Spirit to be active in your life (Ephesians 5.18).
Nail your hurts to the cross. For those who have sinned against you and have caused you pain, forgive them just as Christ has forgiven you and forget them just as Christ has forgotten yours (Psalm 103).
Glorify God in all things for this is the will of God for your life (1 Corinthians 6.20).
For a truly memorable Thanksgiving, let us live out the acronym above just as David has shown us in Psalm 40 to do. I would like you to consider what David has taught us from Psalm 40 during this Thanksgiving time. During this week, ask yourself the questions from the outline, look at the acronym and ask God to give you the strength to live a life that shows Him, proclaims Him, and relies upon Him.
Let us pray
Father, I thank You for caring for each one of us. For bring us good things for us to rejoice in and for allowing hard times so we may grow in them. I pray, that You would enable each one of us to take time this week to be truly thankful to You for all that You have done for us. Show us ways to express our thankfulness to You this week. In Jesus name, amen.
Trust God (Romans 8.28)
Honor God (Colossians 3.17).
Acknowledge your joys and your pains. (Proverbs 3.5-6).
Notice the hard times and the good time. (Psalm 119.71, 73; Isaiah 29.24).
Know you are a part of God’s plan (Genesis 50.20).
Set yourself apart for God. (1 Thessalonians 4.13).
Give praise to God. (Hebrews 13.15).
Initiate healing of the hurts you may have. (Psalms).
Validate your feelings. (Jeremiah 8.21).
Invite the Holy Spirit to be active in your life. (Ephesians 5.18).
Nail your hurts to the cross. (Psalm 103).
Glorify God in all things (1 Corinthians 6.20).
©2012 Teach for God Ministries. Used by Permission.
Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For web posting, a link to this document on our website is preferred. Any exceptions to the above must be approved by Teach for God Ministries.
Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: By David R Williamson. ©2012 Teach for God Ministries. Website: www.teach4god.com