First Baptist Church Bartow

Have you ever had trouble staying on task? Most people in my family have a hard time staying on task. They’re just so excited about all the things happening in life. If I tell one of my sons to do something, I know instinctively to check in with them about five minutes later and ask, “How’s it going with what I asked you to do?” 

If we get off task, we’re not able to do what we should.

The Lord has a task for our church, doesn’t He? He has a mission for our church.

Today’s sermon is part 2 of a two-part series called “How to Thrive When Your Pastor Leaves.” Last week, we learned that we must fight for unity

We’re going to learn this morning that you can thrive by staying on mission.

Before we talk about how we can stay on mission, let’s go to God in prayer.

(prayer)

Ok, how can this church thrive by staying on mission?

Let’s look at three ways. 

First, . . . 

I. Keep your eyes on Jesus.

There have been a few different times when one of my family members gets hurt or upset in some way, and sometimes they start to escalate into an unhealthy place. One of the ways that I’ve learned to help calm them is to get up close and look straight into their eyes, let them know that I love them, and that everything will be ok. I gently tell them, “Look at me” so that they can focus on me and come to a healthy place. 

Well, this church is already at a healthy place, amen? If you’re going to stay in a healthy place, you must look at Jesus, and you must keep your eyes on Him.

Hebrews 12:1–2 tells us “ . . . Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith . . . ”

Church, as you run the race that God has for you, don’t focus on the past, don’t focus on your circumstances, don’t focus on the “what ifs;” focus on Jesus.

Here are three ways you can keep your eyes on Jesus.

First, follow Jesus.

This is what Jesus said to His first disciples, right? Follow me.

Luke 9:23 tells us, “Then he said to them all, ‘If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.’” 

To follow Jesus doesn’t mean only to believe in Jesus. It doesn’t mean only to say that you’re a Christian. It doesn’t just mean coming to church. 

Following Jesus means that you shape your life to look like the life of Jesus. It means that the direction of your life goes in the same direction as Jesus.

Think about your life right now. What direction is your life going? Are you getting closer to Jesus?

Think about our church. What direction is it going? If this church is to thrive, it must go the direction of Jesus.

Here’s a common sense thought: If you’re going the same direction as Jesus, it’s easier to keep your eyes on Him.

My wife was in the kitchen Friday and asked if I knew where something came from. I was around the corner, so I couldn’t see it. I asked what she was talking about, and she said, “This.” So, I said, “What?” She said, “This.” We were not on the same page in that moment.

If you want to be on the same page as Jesus, you need to be close to Him so you can keep your eyes on Him.

A second way you can keep your eyes on Jesus is to serve Jesus.

The Apostle Paul said in Romans 12:11 “Do not lack diligence in zeal; be fervent in the Spirit; serve the Lord.” 

It takes some focus and determination to continue to serve the Lord. That’s why Paul used words such as diligence, zeal, and fervent. You have to put in some effort to serve Jesus.

This church must not forget the Lord’s commands, calling, and commission. You must stay on task. You must keep serving Jesus.

A third way to keep your eyes on Jesus is to obey Jesus.

James said in James 1:22, “But be doers of the word and not hearers only . . . ”

When you keep your eyes on Jesus, it’s because you love Him and you want to be near Him.

When you keep your eyes on Jesus, it’s because you want to please Him.

If you want to please Jesus, don’t just listen to what He says; do it.

Can you imagine an employee saying, “Boss, I heard everything you said; I can even repeat it back to you. However, I didn’t do any of it”? That would be foolish, wouldn’t it?

So, also, it’s foolish for us to listen to what Jesus tells us to do, yet not actually do it.

Keep your eyes on Jesus by obeying Jesus.

The second way that you can stay on mission is to . . .

II. Keep your focus on others.

Instead of ways you can focus on others, here are three foundational truths about keeping your focus on others.

First, ministry is not about you.

Churches are called to minister, and ministry is inherently about others.

Philippians 2:4–8 says, “Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others. Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death— even to death on a cross.” 

To stay on mission, you must focus on others. To focus on others, you must look to the interests of others. Ministry is not about you. It’s not even about you all. It’s about others.

Here are some good questions for the church to ask going forward:

How can we use our time and energy to reach others?

How can we use our resources to bless others?

How can we align our calendar and schedule to love others?

Church, it’s not about you. It’s about others.

The second foundational truth is that ministry is about people.

I’ve said it often, and I’ll say it again: The hardest part of ministry is people. At the same time, the best part of ministry is people.

Listen, church: Without people, there is no ministry.

Ministry is about people. The mission of God is about people. You must care about people.

Matthew 9:36 says this about Jesus: “When he saw the crowds, he felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd.” 

Jesus had compassion on people. He cared about people.

You might say, “Well, I’m not a people person. I don’t really like people.” I feel that way myself sometimes.

However, God has not called you to like people; He’s called you to love people.

Liking people comes from our preferences and shared interests with others. Loving people comes from God.

Ministry is about people.

The third foundational truth about keeping your focus on others is that the church’s mission is to reach others.

That IS the mission: To reach others.

Matthew 28:18–20 tells us, “Jesus came near and said to them, ‘All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” 

Church, we are to develop disciples. That is the mission.

We cannot develop disciples if our focus is only on ourselves. Our focus must be on others.

If this church is to stay on mission, you must keep your focus on others.

Finally, . . .

III. Keep your hand to the plow.

Do y’all know what a plow is? A plow is used to prepare the ground for planting. 

Before we had powered machinery that could plow fields, people had to do it by hand, pulled behind an animal. It may have looked something like this. Plowing was good old-fashioned hard work.

Listen to what Jesus said about this in Luke 9:62: “But Jesus said to him, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’” 

Once someone starts a job, they need to keep their focus until the job is done.

Listen, church: God has a job for this church, and it is not yet complete. Keep your hand to the plow.

Here are four ways to keep your hand to the plow.

First, serve the community.

Galatians 6:10 says, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us work for the good of all . . . ”

God has not placed this church at 410 E. Church Street by accident. He has placed it here on purpose.

You all have a responsibility given to you by God Almighty to serve the people of this community. 

You should show them what Jesus followers look like. 

The needs are vast. The community should not look to government agencies or various community groups for help. Instead, they should see a picture of love, sacrifice, generosity, and the gospel of Jesus Christ from the church of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Serve the community. 

Second, reach the world.

Jesus said in Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Jesus has given us a task to reach the ends of the earth.

First Baptist Church Bartow has been committed to missions and reaching the world for a long time.

You all must not only keep that commitment, you must become more committed.

You will thrive by increasing your commitment to reaching the world with the gospel.

Give more to missions. Pray more for missionaries. Learn more about the work of God across the world. Go on moremission trips. Send more missionaries. Don’t let your foot off the gas; press that pedal to the metal.

You can do it, Church! You can reach the world with the gospel!

A third way you can keep your hand to the plow is to give generously.

2 Corinthians 9:6–7 says, “ . . . The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously. Each person should do as he has decided in his heart—not reluctantly or out of compulsion, since God loves a cheerful giver.” 

Brothers and sisters, the Christian life involves (among other things) sacrifice and generosity, which are demonstrated quite vividly in our giving.

God wants you to continue to give generously. Don’t stop giving to the work of the Lord’s church. Keep your hand to the plow.

As individuals, be sacrificial in your giving. Be obedient in your giving. Be cheerful in your giving. 

As a church, don’t be afraid to spend God’s money for God’s purposes through God’s church.

I’m afraid that one of the obstacles that this church has not yet moved past is its desire to hold on to too much money.

Listen, church: God has not entrusted us with resources so that we can put them away and admire how much we collected.

God has entrusted us with resources to accomplish His mission. 

I’m certainly not suggesting that you should be flippant or unwise in your spending. We should be wise in saving and planning for the future. However, you should also continually ask yourselves, “How can we best use God’s money for God’s glory?”

So, stay on mission by being generous as individuals and as a church.

The fourth and final way that you can stay on task is to keep moving forward.

I remember a couple of years ago when I was becoming a bit discouraged. We had some people in our church who could not get along with each other. We also had a couple leaving our church because of their disagreement with policies we had in place to protect children. I was quite discouraged. I even mentioned to Pastor Dirck that sometimes it seems easier to give up on knuckle-headed people. Pastor Dirck encouraged me by saying, “Don’t grow weary in doing good.”

It was good word from him. He was actually quoting Scripture. Galatians 6:9 says, “Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.” 

Don’t give up, church. Things may get hard. Don’t give up. Keep your hand to the plow. Keep moving forward.

I’m reminded of these words by the brilliant and very successful Walt Disney: “Around here, however, we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious… and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”

That’s a good word. Don’t look back. Don’t stay still. Keep moving forward.

Keep your eyes on Jesus. Keep your focus on others. Keep your hand to the plow.

Let this bottom line summarize what we’re learning today:

Bottom Line: Never give up on God’s mission for His church.

Don’t give up.

A while back Bob Porterfield gave me a devotional called The Man Minute. Some words from one of those devotions came to my mind as I was preparing this bottom line. The author, Jason Cruise, was speaking directly to men, but this truth applies to anyone. Cruise said, “It’s hard to beat a man who won’t quit.”

Church, you will not fail if you don’t give up on God’s mission. You will not be beaten if you don’t quit. Stay on mission.

Challenge yourself this week in this one way. This is my final challenge to you:

Weekly Challenge: Renew your commitment to the mission of God.

Will you recommit your all to the mission of God? If you do, you will thrive, and First Baptist Church will thrive.

Renew your commitment this week. 

Listen to these final words from Joshua 1:9. The Lord says to Joshua: “Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Church, don’t be afraid. Don’t be discouraged. The Lord your God is with you. Stay on mission.

(closing prayer)

COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER: The text contained in this sermon is solely owned by its author. The reproduction or distribution of this message, or any portion of it, should include the author’s name. The author intends to provide free resources in order to inspire believers and to assist preachers and teachers in Kingdom work.

When I came to pastor this church nearly nine years ago, I walked the campus one day and thought to myself with appreciation and excitement, “I can’t believe the Lord has allowed me to pastor this church.” Now, here I am all those years later thinking, “I can’t believe the Lord has called me to leave this church.”

Indeed, though we’re excited about the future, it’s difficult for me and my family. However, I know it’s difficult for many of you as well.

Today, I want to talk less about me and more about the church. What is the church to do? How does a church thrive when their pastor leaves?

Well, in part one of this series, we’re going to see that the church thrives by fighting for unity.

Before we go any further, let’s go to God in prayer and ask Him to speak to us.

(prayer)

I experienced a really special God moment on Friday. I picked up the flowers that were placed in here today for worship. As I was getting out of my car to bring them into the sanctuary, another man was getting back into his car and started to leave. He started to pull away in his car, and he rolled down his window and asked, “Do you know the pastor here?” I said, “Yes sir, I do.” He then asked if anyone from our church remembered Dr. Charles Stanley, and I told him there were some people who remember his time here. He then asked if there was any way that he could get in the building. I told him that I knew the pastor very well and I thought I could probably get in the building. I then told him that I was the pastor, and he started to cry. Here’s why he cried. The man is African American, and he grew up dirt poor on the west side of Bartow. He said when he was a boy some ladies from the white neighborhood had the courage to come to his part of town and teach children the Bible and songs about Jesus. When that man was just a young boy, he gave his life to Jesus. Then, as he grew older, he wanted a chance to come inside the historic First Baptist Church and see the building where Dr. Charles Stanley was pastor. However, because of his ethnicity, the young man was turned away. He never got a chance to walk inside First Baptist Church. That man would go on to be a church planter and pastor who planted and served churches all over the world. He now lives in California. He came back to Polk County because his brother died and he had to come to Lakeland for the funeral. However, he wanted to take one more opportunity to see First Baptist Church Bartow. He had just finished taking a photo of our historical sign out front, then he was on his way, but God changed everything. That man was crying tears of joy in our sanctuary because he finally got a chance to see First Baptist Church.

Here’s what I want you to catch about that story. God worked it all out, but the man still had to pursue his desire to see First Baptist Church. God was the one who blessed the situation, but the man still had to drive in his car to 410 E. Church Street.

Friends, if this church is to be united, it will be because God is blessing it. However, He will not do so without the church purposefully pursuing unity.

So, let’s look now at three pursuits the church can make to fight for unity.

First, . . .I. Pursue positivity.

Friends, habitual negativity is not from God.

God’s people have joy. God’s people have hope. God’s people have light, life, and love.

As the people of God, we are to pursue positivity. 

Here are a few ways you can pursue positivity.

First, express gratitude.

When you’re grateful for the Lord and His blessings, it’s hard to be negative.

The Apostle Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18: “Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Church, it is God’s will for you that you give thanks in everything, even in hard situations.

Rejoice in the blessings God has given you and this church.

Second, celebrate wins.

We have a time with our staff and volunteer leaders we call “Celebration Stories.” We try to intentionally celebrate good things that are happening in the church.

Friends, all of us should continue to celebrate wins and do it more often.

Focus on positive progress.

Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things.”

Dwell on positivity.

What’s going well? How are people growing in the Lord? What’s the Lord doing in the church? Who is being faithful and encouraging?

Dwell on those things.

Third, focus on God’s blessings.

This is the Lord’s church, and He will not abandon it. He will continue to bless His church.

Do you remember the blessings of God?

Psalm 77:11–12 says, “I will remember the Lord’s works; yes, I will remember your ancient wonders. I will reflect on all you have done and meditate on your actions.”

As you go forward, keep your eyes open for the blessings of God. Remember them, reflect on them, meditate on them.

Finally, for this first point, encourage the staff.

The staff is not only tasked with helping you pursue positivity; they also need you to help them stay positive.

It is challenging to lead a church. They have a tough job, and now they must do it without the one who led them the last nine years.

They need to be lifted up through your words.

Proverbs 16:24 says, “Pleasant words are a honeycomb: sweet to the taste and health to the body.”

Encourage the staff. Support the staff. Bless the staff.

Take these steps and more to pursue positivity.

The second way that you can fight for unity as a church is to . . . II. Pursue togetherness.

If you’re going to be unified, you must be together.

Churches are built on togetherness. If you’re not together, you’re not a very healthy church.

Here are some ways you can pursue togetherness.

First, love others as Jesus loves you.

Jesus said in John 13:34–35: “I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

How much has Jesus loved us? A lot, right? 

Jesus has loved us greatly. We ought to love one another greatly.

There’s a special relationship among those in the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. That relationship is built upon the strongest love in the universe; the love of Jesus.

Next, you should hurt together.

It’s ok to hurt. Jesus wept when His friend died. Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem.

It’s ok to hurt, but the church should work through hurt together.

Romans 12:15 says, “Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.”

Now, some of you may not be hurt that I’m leaving. Praise God! That’s one less person whom I hurt.

However, many of you are hurting. If so, I encourage you to hurt together and love one another in the process.

Next, serve together.

There’s nothing that will keep a church united quite like serving together.

Ephesians 4:11–13 says, “And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.”

Paul says in Ephesians that the leaders of the church were given to the church to equip the church to serve.

Brothers and sisters, serve the church and do so by serving together.

Join a ministry team. Come to a church workday. Go on a mission trip.

Serve together!

Finally, reconcile with one another.

One of the greatest challenges in the church is when the church family doesn’t love one another well.

What a miracle it would be if we saw God work through FBC Bartow during this time to heal relationships that have been damaged.

Ephesians 4:31–32 says, “Let all bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander be removed from you, along with all malice. And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.”

Church, be kind. Be compassionate. Forgive one another.

The final way that you can fight for unity is to . . .III. Pursue purity.

If the church is going to be a unified family, it must flee sin and pursue purity in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Brothers and sisters, God has called us to be holy.

Here are four ways you can do so:

First, redirect negativity.

It’s ok to hurt, but it’s not ok to sulk in negativity.

Reject the idea of being like Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh by grumbling and complaining.

Philippians 2:14 says, “Do everything without grumbling and arguing . . . ”

Don’t grumble or complain. Don’t argue. Reject negative behavior.

Second, shut down gossip and lies.

I hate gossip and lies. I hate them, and you should too.

Do you know why you should hate gossip and lies? Because the Lord hates gossip and lies!

Proverbs 6:16, 19 says, “The Lord hates six things . . . a lying witness who gives false testimony, and one who stirs up trouble among brothers.”

Don’t tolerate gossip and lies. Shut it down, church. Kill it (not the person, the behavior)!

We read Ephesians 4:31–32 earlier. Listen again. Paul says,  “Let all bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander be removed from you, along with all malice. And be kind and compassionate to one another . . . ”

Friends, listen to the words of the Apostle Paul. Remove this behavior from among you.

Gossip and lies are never good for a church. They’re particularly dangerous when a church is experiencing difficulty.

Next, deal with sin.

Deal with sin in your own heart, for sure. More specifically for this point, deal with sin in the church.

Ephesians 5:11 says, “Don’t participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them.”

If there is fruitless darkness in the church, expose it.

When I announced that I was going in view of a call to another church, there was someone who it seemed was trying to stir things up and cause issues for me. I’m so grateful that more than one person exposed that to me. The behavior of that person was fruitless. Here’s what that means: Nothing good could come from it.

Church, don’t tolerate fruitless and dark behavior. Expose it.

In Titus 3:10–11, Paul says, “Reject a divisive person after a first and second warning. For you know that such a person has gone astray . . . ”

I’ve tried to do this in my time as pastor. I’ve tried to be full of grace, while not tolerating repeated and unrepentant sin. Paul says to reject such a person.

Don’t put up with divisiveness. If someone is being divisive, they have gone astray. Reject that person.

Finally, follow Jesus.

Jesus said in John 15:4–5, “Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.”

If you want to be pure, follow Jesus, both as individuals and as a church.

Pursue positivity, pursue togetherness, and pursue purity.

Let this bottom line summarize what we are learning.

Bottom Line: The Lord’s church can thrive when they are united.

God had not merely called FBC Bartow to survive; He has called you to thrive! 

As your pastor, my hope is not simply that you would come through this difficulty. My hope is that you would come out stronger, more faithful, more motivated, and more on fire with the Holy Spirit of God.

You can do so, in part, by being united.

Weekly Challenge: Take a purposeful step for church unity this week.

What can you do?

What step can you take to fight for unity among you and others in the church?

What step can you take to pursue positivity, togetherness, and purity?

(Gospel presentation)

(closing prayer)

COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER: The text contained in this sermon is solely owned by its author. The reproduction or distribution of this message, or any portion of it, should include the author’s name. The author intends to provide free resources in order to inspire believers and to assist preachers and teachers in Kingdom work.

Sermon on Hosea

It isn’t disagreement.

Or distance.

Or even rejection.

It is betrayal.

Although we repeatedly prove unfaithful to God, he remains perfectly faithful. He pursues, redeems, and restores his unfaithful bride through his promised King, Jesus Christ

The word of the Lord that came to Hosea son of Beeri during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and of Jeroboam son of Jehoash, king of Israel.

2 When the Lord first spoke to Hosea, he said this to him:

Go and marry a woman of promiscuity,and have children of promiscuity,for the land is committing blatant acts of promiscuityby abandoning the Lord.

1. Israel is an adulterous nation.

a. God commands Hosea to live out a model of Israel’s spiritual condition.

“I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.

“… for the land is committing blatant acts of promiscuity by abandoning the Lord.”

She does not recognizethat it is I who gave her the grain,the new wine, and the fresh oil.I lavished silver and gold on her,which they used for Baal.

b. Israel used God’s gifts to worship false gods.

“Every good and perfect gift is from above.”

2. God pursues, redeems, and restores his unfaithful people.

Then the Lord said to me, “Go again; show love to a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, just as the Lord loves the Israelites though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes.”

2 So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and nine bushels of barley. 

4 For the Israelites must live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, and without ephod or household idols. 5 Afterward, the people of Israel will return and seek the Lord their God and David their king. They will come with awe to the Lord and to his goodness in the last days.

…

…

…

I was recently around a man who was very confident in his position about something. Yet, I knew that he was wrong, at least in part. He was an older man, so I wanted to respect him (he’s not a part of our church, by the way). He stated that he didn’t like it when he heard preachers say that we should have hope in the gospel of Jesus Christ. He said, “I don’t hope that I’m saved, I know that I’m saved.” I tried to explain to him that there are different kinds of hope, including the biblical kind of hope, which means we have assurance in something that brings us joy and comfort. For example, I have sure hope that the sun will rise tomorrow, I have sure hope that college football season will start in a few weeks, and most of all I have sure hope that no matter what happens in this world the Lord God loves me and He’s in control of all things. The man with whom I was speaking didn’t really want to hear my explanation, but I have sure hope in the fact that I won’t lose any sleep over what he thinks of me.

In today’s psalm, written by the sons of Korah, we learn to “Put Your Hope in God.”

Indeed, that is the message of Psalm 42. 

Would you join me in prayer as we prepare to hear from God?

(prayer)

The sons of Korah were Levites, descended from someone who actually rebelled against Moses and Aaron. 

Yet, this family line became known not as a rebellious people, but as people who were instrumental in leading Israel in the worship of God. Indeed, their legacy was redeemed (by the way, that’s a lesson for all of us; your family history does not determine your legacy).

In Psalm 42, they write in the singular first-person perspective, meaning they’re writing from the perspective of one person who is speaking of the hope of God.

However, there are several emotions that are swirling around in this psalm.

Let’s look at what’s present here.

First, let’s read the entire psalm.

1 As a deer longs for flowing streams,

so I long for you, God.

2 I thirst for God, the living God.

When can I come and appear before God?

3 My tears have been my food day and night,

while all day long people say to me,

“Where is your God?”

4 I remember this as I pour out my heart:

how I walked with many,

leading the festive procession to the house of God,

with joyful and thankful shouts.

5 Why, my soul, are you so dejected?

Why are you in such turmoil?

Put your hope in God, for I will still praise him,

my Savior and my God.

6 I am deeply depressed;

therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan

and the peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.

7 Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls;

all your breakers and your billows have swept over me.

8 The Lord will send his faithful love by day;

his song will be with me in the night—

a prayer to the God of my life.

9 I will say to God, my rock,

“Why have you forgotten me?

Why must I go about in sorrow

because of the enemy’s oppression?”

10 My adversaries taunt me,

as if crushing my bones,

while all day long they say to me,

“Where is your God?”

11 Why, my soul, are you so dejected?

Why are you in such turmoil?

Put your hope in God, for I will still praise him,

my Savior and my God. 

As we reflect upon this psalm, notice first the . . . 

I. Negativity from others.

We experience negativity from others sometimes, don’t we?

At times, it’s beyond mere negativity, and it’s downright evil.

The psalmist spoke of this in Psalm 42.

He said in verse 3, “My tears have been my food day and night, while all day long people say to me, ‘Where is your God?’”

He’s filled with tears day and night. 

Have you ever felt that way?

Also, people are not merely mocking him; they’re mocking God.

We see a lot of that in our world. People who speak negatively against us and our faith.

In verse 5, he asks, “Why, my soul, are you so dejected? Why are you in such turmoil?”

In verse 6, he says, “I am deeply depressed . . . ”

In verse 10, he says, “My adversaries taunt me, as if crushing my bones, while all day long they say to me, ‘Where is your God?’”

He then follows once again (in verse 11), “Why, my soul, are you so dejected? Why are you in such turmoil?”

We all experience negativity at times, and for some of us it seems unbearable.

What are we to do in such circumstances?

Well, these next three points will speak to that.

Second, the psalmist speaks of . . . 

II. Memories of God.

Brothers and sisters, we must remember the Lord’s faithfulness to us.

We must remember the Lord’s blessings in our lives.

We must remember when we felt intimately close to the Lord.

We must remember our heartfelt devotion to and worship of the Lord.

We must remember the spiritual decisions we made in our lives.

We must remember how the Lord has never let us down.

Listen to what Psalm 42 says about this reality:

In verse 1, the psalmist says, “As a deer longs for flowing streams, so I long for you, God.”

If you’re out in the wilderness looking for animals, a good place to look is near a water source. 

Animals need water. Animals long for water.

Catch this as well, church: Animals remember where water is located.

The psalmist remembers that the Lord is good and the Lord is what he needs.

These memories of the goodness of God drive him to say, “I long for you, God!”

Do you remember how good the Lord is?

Verse 4 says, “I remember this as I pour out my heart: how I walked with many, leading the festive procession to the house of God, with joyful and thankful shouts.”

These words likely refer to a worship procession of God’s people.

Remember, the sons of Korah (who wrote this psalm) helped lead people in worship.

The particular son writing this psalm remembers what it was like worshiping God with others. He longs for that experience as he remembers the goodness of God.

He says in verse 6, “ . . . I remember you from the land of Jordan and the peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.”

No matter where he is, in Jordan or in Jerusalem, he remembers how good God is.

Is that true of you? No matter where you are, no matter what you are going through, do you remember the goodness of God?

Well, what if you are experiencing negativity, you remember the Lord’s goodness, yet you still have unanswered questions?

That leads to the third element we see in Psalm 42:

III. Questions to God.

Friends, it’s ok to ask God questions.

We talked about this some last week with Psalm 27. 

It is 100% ok to ask questions of God, while doing so with reverence and humility, and also while realizing that God doesn’t owe you any explanation.

However, it’s ok to tell Him how you feel.

Listen to what the psalmist:

He asks in verse 9, “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about in sorrow because of the enemy’s oppression?”

Now, in case you’re wondering, God had not forgotten him.

God knew everything he was going through. God saw every moment of his life.

The same is true for you and me. God knows all your burdens and blessings. He knows all your tears and laughter. He knows all your doubt and all your confidence. He knows all your sin and all your repentance.

God knows everything about you, and God has not forgotten you.

God sees you, and He sees our church.

However, sometimes the difficulty of the moment is so intense that we feel compelled to cry out to God and ask, “Why must I go about in sorrow?”

Have you been there, friends? I know I have.

First of all, you’re not alone. God’s people, ever since the beginning of time, have brought their questions to God. You can too.

Remember, He doesn’t always answer in the way that we expect. Sometimes it feels like He’s not answering at all.

However, what you need most is not an answer from God. What you need most is God Himself.

Because (among other things) God is the one who gives us hope.

That’s the last element we see:IV. Hope from God.

We must remember not to be like the man in my opening story who didn’t understand the biblical concept of hope.

The Bible constantly calls us to find hope in God.

Lamentations 3:22–24 says, “Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for his mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness! I say, ‘The Lord is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in him.’” 

Romans 5:3–5 says, “ . . . we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. This hope will not disappoint us . . . ”

Romans 15:13 says, “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” 

(return to point #4 slide)

Here in our passage today, we are also called to find our hope in God.

In verse 1, the psalmist says that he longs and thirsts for God. 

What he needs is found in God.

God can give him hope and so much more.

In verse 5, he says, “Why, my soul, are you so dejected? Why are you in such turmoil? Put your hope in God, for I will still praise him, my Savior and my God.”

In verse 8, he says, “The LORD will send his faithful love by day; his song will be with me in the night . . . ” 

Day and night, he can take hope in the reality that God will faithfully love him.

In verse 9, he refers to the Lord as his rock. 

Friends, we also can take hope in the fact that God is steady and strong.

Then, in verse 11, he says again, “Why, my soul, are you so dejected? Why are you in such turmoil? Put your hope in God, for I will still praise him, my Savior and my God.”

Church, do you have some problems that are bringing you down? Do you have some unanswered questions that are causing you worry? Are you suffering in some way? Why, friends, are you dejected? Why are you in such turmoil?

Put your hope in God! Continue to praise God! 

This is the point of Psalm 42, and this is our bottom line:

Bottom Line: Put your hope in your Savior and God.

God gives us all the hope we need when life tempts us to be dejected and in turmoil. 

Brothers and sisters, this world is not an easy place for the follower of Jesus. Put your hope in your Savior and God.

Things happen that are difficult and sometimes unexplainable. Put your hope in your Savior and God.

You will experience suffering. Put your hope in your Savior and God.

The more difficult this life is, the more we must focus on the hope of God.

Do so by challenging yourself this week in this one way:

Weekly Challenge: List five ways God gives you hope.

Some of us may easily forget how the Lord gives us hope. Spend some time this week focusing on that. 

What are five ways that the Lord gives you hope?

(Gospel presentation)

(closing prayer)

COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER: The text contained in this sermon is solely owned by its author. The reproduction or distribution of this message, or any portion of it, should include the author’s name. The author intends to provide free resources in order to inspire believers and to assist preachers and teachers in Kingdom work.

I have a routine when our family prepares for bed each night. I turn off the lights, lock the doors, and check the A/C thermostats. Well, our kids play with Lego sets, Hot Wheels cars, and all sorts of other toys, which are often left on the floor. The path of our living room has me turning off lamp #1, turning off lamp #2, locking the door, then walking back to where I started. Well, if I do that in the dark, I can have some problems because there are all sorts of toys on the ground, including Lego bricks, which can make a grown man cry if he steps on them with bare feet. So, I’ve learned to turn on the overhead fan light before I start the process, then turn that light off at the end.

You see, light can help protect you. Light can help you see the way you should go to avoid trouble.

In Psalm 27, David says, “The Lord is my light and salvation.”

Indeed, the Lord can protect us and show us the way. This is just one of the ways in Psalm 27 that we encounter “The Goodness of the Lord.”

Let’s go to prayer to our good God before we learn more about His good ways.

(prayer)

Ok, let’s discover now four ways that we see the goodness of the Lord in Psalm 27 and in our lives.

The first good blessing we encounter is that we can have . . . 

I. Confidence in the Lord.

I recall when I was a child walking down the dirt road that led from my parents’ house to my aunt and uncle’s house, who lived right behind us. The road seemed long as a child, especially at night when it was dark. Often, I’d walk down that road to hang out with my cousin, and then I’d have to walk back at night by myself. Let me tell you, I was quite scared at night, as that road had woods all the way down one side of it and a pasture on the other. However, if I had someone else with me, it gave me more confidence. If an adult were with me, it would give me a lot more confidence.

Let’s hear what David says about someone being with him who gave him confidence. Look at verses 1-3:

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—

whom should I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life—

whom should I dread?

2 When evildoers came against me to devour my flesh,

my foes and my enemies stumbled and fell.

3 Though an army deploys against me,

my heart will not be afraid;

though a war breaks out against me,

I will still be confident.

David is very clear about this point, and we must catch it: When God is on our side, we can be confident. When God is on our side, we have nothing to fear.

David said God is his light.

David could see and understand this world better because of his relationship with God.

David said God is his salvation.

David felt safety and security in this world because of his relationship with God.

David’s point was this: When the Lord is on your side, you have nothing to fear.

David then mentioned that people were trying to harm him.

A lot of people wanted to hurt David throughout his life.

As a future king, then as a king, he had lots of enemies who wanted to cause him harm.

Yet, David was confident. Why? Because God was his light and salvation.

David mentioned in verse 2 that those who were against him stumbled and fell.

The reality is, David’s enemies didn’t always stumble and fall. Sometimes David was the one who stumbled and fell.

Yet, David still said in verse 3 that his heart would not be afraid. Why? Because God was his light and salvation.

Listen, friends: If you belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord is your light and salvation.

Jesus said of Himself in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”

He said in John 3:36, “The one who believes in the Son has eternal life . . . ”

Can we guarantee that if we follow Jesus, bad things will never happen to us? Of course not.

The Bible is full of examples of bad things happening to the people of God.

However, the Bible is also full of examples of God being faithful to His people during those times.

The Bible is full of examples of God not abandoning His people.

The Bible is full of examples of God being light and salvation.

Friends, you can have confidence in the Lord.

The second sign of God’s goodness which David spoke of was . . .

II. Care from the Lord.

Look at verses 4-6:

4 I have asked one thing from the Lord;

it is what I desire:

to dwell in the house of the Lord

all the days of my life,

gazing on the beauty of the Lord

and seeking him in his temple.

5 For he will conceal me in his shelter

in the day of adversity;

he will hide me under the cover of his tent;

he will set me high on a rock.

6 Then my head will be high

above my enemies around me;

I will offer sacrifices in his tent with shouts of joy.

I will sing and make music to the Lord.

Now, it’s important to realize that at this time, the people of Israel did not have a permanent physical temple. That would come later during the time of David’s son, Solomon.

Instead, the people had the tabernacle, which was a tent that was used for purposes of worship, and it was where the Lord often manifested His presence.

Here’s the point: David did not simply want to be in a building or tent; he wanted to be near God.

David wanted to gaze on the beauty of God.

David wanted to seek God.

Why did David want to be near God? 

Well, first of all, David loved God, so he wanted to be near him.

Also, David knew that God would care for him.

David said in verse 5 that God would conceal him in his shelter.

He said God would hide him under the cover of His tent.

David said God would set him high on a rock so that he was above his enemies.

As a result of all of this care, David felt moved to make sacrifices to God and sing to God.

God’s care for David led to David’s desire to worship God.

What about you?

Do you desire to be near God?

Do you know that the Lord cares for you?

Do you desire to worship God?

By the way, in case you didn’t know, there is no longer a temple in which we worship God.

The Lord God now lives in the hearts of His people through the power of His Holy Spirit.

God lives in the hearts of every individual Christian, and He lives in His Church (the people, not a building).

If you want to be near God, as David wanted, then experience His presence through His Spirit and His people in His Church.

Worship Him (as David did), together with your brothers and sisters.

Have confidence in the Lord and experience the care of the Lord.

Third, David spoke of . . . 

III. Calling to the Lord.

Look at verses 7-12:

7 Lord, hear my voice when I call;

be gracious to me and answer me.

8 My heart says this about you:

“Seek his face.”

Lord, I will seek your face.

9 Do not hide your face from me;

do not turn your servant away in anger.

You have been my helper;

do not leave me or abandon me,

God of my salvation.

10 Even if my father and mother abandon me,

the Lord cares for me.

11 Because of my adversaries,

show me your way, Lord,

and lead me on a level path.

12 Do not give me over to the will of my foes,

for false witnesses rise up against me,

breathing violence.

Does anyone notice a change here in David’s tone?

David seemed very confident before, but here he seems concerned.

If you’ve followed Jesus for any amount of time, you know that some days you feel closer to the Lord than others.

Some days you are more confident in your faith than others.

Some days you are on top of the world, and others you feel like crying out to God, “Help me!”

You’re like David.

Church, do you know what you should do when you are in fear, you are doubting, you feel far away, or you feel like you are in sin? You should call out to the Lord.

David was calling out to the Lord.

He wanted God to hear his voice. 

He wanted God to be gracious to him.

He wanted to see God’s face. 

He didn’t want God to turn His face away. 

He didn’t want God to leave him. 

He wanted God to show him the way. 

He wanted God to lead him on a level path.

Pay attention to this, church: David felt free to tell the Lord how he really felt.

He didn’t do so in a disrespectful way, but he poured out his heart to God.

You also should feel free to call out to God with honesty. Let Him know how you really feel.

Sometimes, we’ll feel things that we know not to be true, but we still feel like we need to express them to God. Sometimes what we feel doesn’t even make sense. That’s ok.

David said, “Do not leave me or abandon me,” then he said, “Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord cares for me.”

David knew God wouldn’t leave him, yet he cried out to God, “Do not leave me or abandon me.”

Even if you’re confused about what you feel, call out to God.

Are you tired? Call out to God.

Do you need healing? Call out to God.

Are you scared? Call out to God.

Do you doubt your faith? Call out to God.

Are you in sin? Call out to God.

Is your family struggling? Call out to God.

Do you need provision? Call out to God.

Are you worried about the future? Call out to God.

As we call out to God, friends: We can have . . . 

IV. Courage in the Lord.

Listen to what David said in verses 13-14:

13 I am certain that I will see the Lord’s goodness

in the land of the living.

14 Wait for the Lord;

be strong, and let your heart be courageous.

Wait for the Lord. 

I’m so grateful for these last two verses.

Earlier, David expressed what he felt. Here, he expressed what he knew.

David knew that he would see the Lord’s goodness.

David knew he could be strong.

David knew he could be courageous.

David knew that he could trust the Lord and wait on the Lord.

Friends, you can trust God. 

You can trust that in His timing, He will fulfill all of His promises to you. 

You can wait on the Lord.

Be courageous. Be courageous based on what you know about God, not what you feel in the moment.

Wait for the Lord.

Be courageous in the Lord.

Let this bottom line summarize what we’re learning in Psalm 27.

Bottom Line: We can trust in the Lord.

Listen, friends: Trust God. 

There’s no one else in this universe that you can trust like God.

He will never leave you. He will never forsake you. You can trust Him, and our church can trust Him.

Challenge yourself this week in this one way:

Weekly Challenge: Take your burden to the Lord.

Some of you have burdens right now. You have some difficulties right now.

In just a moment, we’re going to have a special time of prayer for you.

However, this week, on your own, take your burden to the Lord. Speak to Him respectfully, yet honestly.

(Benediction)

COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER: The text contained in this sermon is solely owned by its author. The reproduction or distribution of this message, or any portion of it, should include the author’s name. The author intends to provide free resources in order to inspire believers and to assist preachers and teachers in Kingdom work.

Floridians are reminded this time of year that the sun is a powerful force. It radiates light and heat.

People who visit Florida often underestimate the sheer power of the sun. Those of us who grew up here know that you can get a burn from an old vinyl car seat or a metal seatbelt buckle.

When I was interviewing at my first church in Naples, I flew in from Kentucky and forgot to bring my sunglasses. While the pastor drove me around and showed me the town, all I saw was a bright light the entire time because I was virtually blinded by the sun.

The sun is powerful. It’s just one of the many marvelous aspects of God’s beautiful creation.

Today, in Psalm 19, we’re going to read what David writes about the sun and other parts of God’s creation. Today, we’re going to learn about “God’s Beauty on Display.”

Let’s pray together before we go any further.

(Prayer)

As we dive into the Word of God, let’s discover three displays of God’s beautiful work in our world.

First, . . . 

I. The beauty of God’s creation.

Think about what you consider to be the most beautiful part of God’s creation. Think about how wonderful God is to be able to create something that beautiful.

When God creates something that is wonderful, it declares His glory.

Remember, God’s glory is best understood as the God-ness of God. 

God’s glory is the display of who He is.

So, God reveals His glory by displaying how beautiful and wonderful He is through His creation.

Let’s read about this reality. Look at verses 1-6:

1 The heavens declare the glory of God,

and the expanse proclaims the work of his hands.

2 Day after day they pour out speech;

night after night they communicate knowledge.

3 There is no speech; there are no words;

their voice is not heard.

4 Their message has gone out to the whole earth,

and their words to the ends of the world.

In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun.

5 It is like a bridegroom coming from his home;

it rejoices like an athlete running a course.

6 It rises from one end of the heavens

and circles to their other end;

nothing is hidden from its heat.

In verse 1, David begins by stating that the heavens declare the glory of God. 

David is not necessarily referring to God’s heavenly home, but to all that is out there beyond our earth. 

All that is out there in our universe declares how wonderful God is. Why? Because it’s vast, and beautiful, and wondrous, and it all came from the creative work of the Lord God.

David goes on to say the expanse proclaims the work of God’s hands.

Expanse likely refers to the vast sky that we are able to see. Just go outside at sunset today and let your eyes take in the vast expanse of the sky. It’s amazing!

That amazing expanse proclaims how great the work of God’s hands is.

Now, we must remember that the sky doesn’t really talk and God doesn’t have hands as we humans do.

Yet, David is using this poetic language to declare how wonderful God is.

In verse 2, David presses more into this idea that God’s creation speaks about God’s greatness.

He says, “Day after day they pour out speech; night after night they communicate knowledge.”

Then, in verse 3, he says, “There is no speech; there are no words; their voice is not heard.”

The universe does not audibly speak, but it does tell a story of how glorious God is, and it’s a beautiful story.

In fact, this message about the greatness of God is so powerful and so loud that (as verse 4 says) it has gone out to the whole earth.

Brothers and sisters, every square inch of this earth and the universe around it shouts how beautiful and glorious God is.

David then shifts his focus specifically to the sun.

David is using poetic language to describe how God accomplishes the miracle of the rising and setting of the sun.

He speaks of the setting of the sun as if the sun is going to sleep in a tent that God prepared for it.

He speaks of the rising of the sun like a newly-married groom coming out to meet his bride.

He speaks of the movement of the sun like an athlete running a course.

He speaks of how the sun moves all the way across the Earth.

David then mentions how nothing is hidden from the heat of the sun. We know that, this time of year, right?

Pay attention to this truth, church: David is focusing on just one beautiful aspect of God’s creation: the sun.

Yet, there are so many other beautiful aspects of God’s creation, aren’t there? 

We must recognize that the glory of God is declared in the beauty of all of God’s creation.

Not only is there beauty in God’s creation. We also see . . .

II. The beauty of God’s law.

Listen to what David says in verses 7-11:

7 The instruction of the Lord is perfect,

renewing one’s life;

the testimony of the Lord is trustworthy,

making the inexperienced wise.

8 The precepts of the Lord are right,

making the heart glad;

the command of the Lord is radiant,

making the eyes light up.

9 The fear of the Lord is pure,

enduring forever;

the ordinances of the Lord are reliable

and altogether righteous.

10 They are more desirable than gold—

than an abundance of pure gold;

and sweeter than honey

dripping from a honeycomb.

11 In addition, your servant is warned by them,

and in keeping them there is an abundant reward.

David uses several different words to describe the law of God.

He speaks of the instruction of the Lord, the testimony of the Lord, the precepts of the Lord, the command of the Lord, the fear of the Lord, and the ordinances of the Lord.

All these refer to God’s good design for the people of His creation. 

God has not left us to ourselves. He created us from nothing, and He knows what is good for us.

God’s law tells us what is good for us. God’s law tells us how we were designed.

Friends, God’s law is not here to harm you or restrict you; it’s here to help you. 

We ought to want to know God’s law because it helps us to thrive as human beings.

As David said, God’s law is perfect, it is trustworthy, it makes us wise, it is right, it makes our hearts glad, it is radiant, it endures forever, it is reliable, and it is righteous.

David goes on in verse 10 to list some of the other beautiful benefits of the law of God.

He says that the ways of God are “ . . . more desirable than gold—than an abundance of pure gold.”

Now, that’s remarkable, isn’t it?

If I told the City of Bartow that we were handing out gold at church today, everyone would be sure to attend to receive their gold.

However, it I said that we were going to hear the Word of God today, we can’t even get all of our church members to attend.

However, David said the ordinances of God are more desirable than gold.

David adds that the ways of God are “ . . . sweeter than honey dripping from a honeycomb.”

I love some fresh honey! I bet many of you do as well.

You know who really loves honey? Winnie the Pooh! He’s crazy about honey, isn’t he?

Listen, church: We should love the Word of God like Winnie the Pooh loves honey and like Scrooge McDuck loves gold!

Notice, also, what verse 11 says. David says:

In addition, your servant is warned by them, and in keeping them there is an abundant reward.

David said the Word of God warns us. Warns us from what?

The Word of God can warn us about (1) foolishness and (2) sin.

Foolishness will bring us harm and destruction.

Sin will separate us from God.

Foolishness and sin often overlap and are both bad for our lives.

However, God’s law warns us to keep us from foolishness and sin.

Yet, sometimes we are foolish, aren’t we? Sometimes we do sin, don’t we?

What do we do then?

That takes us to . . . 

III. The beauty of God’s forgiveness.

Forgiveness is a beautiful thing. Listen, folks: Some of you are missing out on the beauty of forgiveness.

Some of you have not experienced God’s forgiveness of your sins.

Some of you have given your lives to Jesus and have received forgiveness, but you’re still living in the guilt of past unforgiveness.

Some of you are unwilling to experience the beauty of forgiving someone else who has wronged you.

Some of you are unwilling to experience the beauty of seeking the forgiveness of someone you have wronged.

Friends, forgiveness is a beautiful thing.

Listen to what David says here in the remaining verses:

12 Who perceives his unintentional sins?

Cleanse me from my hidden faults.

13 Moreover, keep your servant from willful sins;

do not let them rule me.

Then I will be blameless

and cleansed from blatant rebellion.

14 May the words of my mouth

and the meditation of my heart

be acceptable to you,

Lord, my rock and my Redeemer. 

David acknowledges that human beings can sin in two ways: intentionally and unintentionally.

I know I have certainly sinned many times in both these ways.

In fact, the closer you get to Jesus, the easier you recognize your sin against God and others, even when it’s unintentional.

David asked God to cleanse him from the faults that were hidden to him.

Listen, church: That takes some humility before God. 

We have to really want to be changed in order to ask God to cleanse us from the sins that we didn’t even know we had.

David then asked God to keep him from willful sins.

We need protection and rescue from both those types of sins. 

Are you willing to stop sinning in intentional and unintentional ways?

Are you willing to open yourself to God so that He can show you the areas that you didn’t even know were a problem for you?

David ends by saying, “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.”

David wants to be acceptable before God. What about you?

There’s a powerful peace that comes when you can stand before God and others in the beauty of forgiveness, with a clean conscience.

Through Jesus Christ, the descendant of David, we can be made new so that we can stand before God and live well before others.

God’s forgiveness is a beautiful thing.

Let this bottom line summarize what we’re learning today:

Bottom Line: God’s beauty is displayed in all that He does.

We see God’s beauty in creation.

We see God’s beauty in His law.

We see God’s beauty in forgiveness.

Listen, church: All that God does is good and beautiful. We simply have to open our eyes to see His beauty on display.

Challenge yourself this week in this one way:

Weekly Challenge: Take in God’s beauty.

Savor the beauty of God’s blessing of grace.

Thank God that He uses you to accomplish His purposes.

Enjoy the warm rays of the sun (just a bit this time of year).

Take in a deep breath and appreciate the beauty of life that God has given you.

When you wake up tomorrow morning, thank God that He gave you the beautiful gift of rest.

Look at your favorite part of creation, and simply take in the beauty of God.

(Gospel presentation)

(closing prayer)

COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER: The text contained in this sermon is solely owned by its author. The reproduction or distribution of this message, or any portion of it, should include the author’s name. The author intends to provide free resources in order to inspire believers and to assist preachers and teachers in Kingdom work.

If you observe humans, you may come away thinking that some are really bright and some, not so much.

However, if you observe animals, you’ll realize that even the smartest among them are not nearly as intelligent as even a human child.

A wild turkey will approach a fake plastic decoy looking for love, only to meet its death. Rather than running to safety, a possum will play dead and lie in the middle of the road, only to eventually end up really dead. Cats will chase a laser until they’re exhausted. Dogs will chase their own tails at times. Animals may be intelligent, but they’re not that intelligent.

Yet, there’s something different about humans. 

Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created man in his own image; he created him in the image of God; he created them male and female.” 

While we don’t know exactly what it means to be created in the image of God, we do know that it means that God made us special in some way.

Today, as we begin our series called “The Psalms of Summer,” we will look at how we see the greatness of God through His creative work among humanity. As we look at Psalm 8, we’ll discover “The Magnificent Name of God.”

Let’s pray together before we go any further.

(prayer)

As we start, I want to note that most of your translations probably have a short introduction to this psalm that mentions the word Gittith. 

We’re not exactly sure what this means, but it likely is connected to a musical instrument or a musical style, perhaps something connected to the land of Gath.

We must remember that a lot of these psalms were intended to be sung in worship.

So, Psalm 8 was likely meant to be sung in a style connected to a Gittith, whatever that may be.

Now, let’s look at Psalm 8 together:

1 Lord, our Lord,

how magnificent is your name throughout the earth!

You have covered the heavens with your majesty.

2 From the mouths of infants and nursing babies,

you have established a stronghold

on account of your adversaries

in order to silence the enemy and the avenger.

3 When I observe your heavens,

the work of your fingers,

the moon and the stars,

which you set in place,

4 what is a human being that you remember him,

a son of man that you look after him?

5 You made him little less than God,

and crowned him with glory and honor.

6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands;

you put everything under his feet:

7 all the sheep and oxen,

as well as the animals in the wild,

8 the birds of the sky,

and the fish of the sea

that pass through the currents of the seas.

9 Lord, our Lord,

how magnificent is your name throughout the earth!

As we journey into this beautiful psalm, we’re going to notice three characteristics of God.

First, notice . . . 

I. The majesty of God.

This psalm begins and ends with these words, “Lord, our Lord, how magnificent is your name throughout the earth!”

David wants to make sure that those who read this psalm know how wonderful God is.

At the same time, David is praising God for His great name.

In ancient times, a name carried so much. It carried meaning, it carried honor, and it carried value.

The name of God represented God Himself. The name of God is magnificent because God is magnificent.

David goes on to say that the heavens are covered with the majesty of God.

Majesty refers to an impressive stature, a regal nature, or a special beauty.

Of course, all of those characteristics belong to God.

The heavens, and all of creation for that matter, reflect the majesty of God.

Notice in verse 2 that David speaks of babies and toddlers reflecting the strength of God.

He says the mouths of infants and nursing babies establish God’s stronghold.

Obviously, babies don’t speak much, but even the babylike noises they make reflect how magnificent the Lord God is. Only God could make such a magnificent creature.

In fact, the beauty and majesty of God are seen so much, even in a small child, that the enemies of God are silenced.

For those who doubt the power of God, for those who speak against the greatness of God, for those who underestimate the majesty of God, we need only to look at a small child to realize that they are wrong.

Friends, all we need to do is look around the world in which we live to notice that the Lord God is majestic.

Notice His majesty in the beautiful sunset. Notice His majesty in the love shared between two people. Notice His majesty in the wonderful plant and animal life. Notice His majesty in the birth of a child. Notice His majesty in the crash of an ocean wave. Notice how magnificent the Lord’s name is throughout the earth.

Second, we see . . . 

II. The grace of God.

In verse 3, David sets the scene for the greatness of God. 

David observed the creative work of God, including the heavens, the moons, and the stars; and in so doing, he knew that the Lord is wonderful and powerful.

Yet, even though God is great, He chooses to show His grace to humanity. How specifically does God show His grace to us? Well, David tells us at least one way God does so.

David says in verses 4 through 6 that God has remembered us, looked after us, made us a little lower than heavenly beings, crowned us with glory and honor, and made us rulers over His creation.

Let’s walk through these wonderful displays of God’s grace upon us.

First of all, God remembers us. 

Church, God does not owe us anything.

Even though He created us, He is not obligated to us in any way.

His very act of creating us was a kind and loving act.

However, He not only created us, He remembers us.

Also, God looks after us.

God not only remembers us; He actually takes care of us.

If God removed His caring hand from the universe, we would go into complete chaos. Yet, by His grace to all people, God holds this earth together. 

More specifically, He blesses His children in unique ways because of His grace.

Third, God made us a little lower than heavenly beings.

Now, we must acknowledge here a tricky translation. The word that the Christian Standard Bible translated as “God” in verse 5 is elohim.

Elohim can be translated as God, angels, or gods. Of course, there’s only one God, so David likely didn’t mean “gods.”

While we don’t know exactly what David meant in his usage of the word elohim, we do know that he meant that God has shown his grace to humanity in making us special among all earthly creation; so special, in fact, that we are a little lower than the heavenly beings.

Fourth, God has crowned us with glory and honor.

Again, this points to the fact that we are special among all creation. We’re not the same as the other creatures. We have a special role in God’s creation.

We have glory and honor that God gives us as a display of His grace.

Finally, God has made us to be rulers over creation.

David says God has made humanity ruler over the work of God’s hands.

Brothers and sisters, it is a great sign of God’s grace that He would use us as rulers of His creation. 

All of these truths point to God’s grace that He would entrust us with His creation.

I remember a story where I felt great grace shown to me. When I was a young seminary student, I was blessed by the writings and work of a man named Dr. Thom Rainer. Thom Rainer is one of the best-selling Christian authors of all time, he was dean of the Billy Graham School at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, he was the CEO of Lifeway Christian Resources, and he is currently the founder and CEO of Church Answers. When I was preparing to be pastor here, I was a member of Church Answers and greatly benefited from the resources they provided. I remember one day when I received an email from a member of Thom Rainer’s team indicating that he wanted to have a Zoom meeting with me. In that meeting, he shared that he wanted me to write a book for Church Answers and do some work for them on the side. That moment was very moving to me. It came across to me as a tremendous act of grace. My thought was, “Who am I that Thom Rainer would consider me to be someone worthy of contributing to the work of Church Answers?” 

On a much larger scale, David asks the question, “What is a human being that you remember him?”

Church, who are we that God would show His grace to us in so many ways? Yet, by His great love, He has.

In Psalm 8, we encounter the grace of God.

Finally, we see . . .

III. The design of God.

Going back to verse 6, in the act of God’s grace, we also see God’s design.

David says that God made mankind ruler over creation and put everything under the feet of humanity.

In verse 6, David says “everything” is put under the feet of humankind.

However, it goes on in verses 7 and 8 to name some of God’s creation that is put under the feet of human beings.

David names domestic animals, including sheep and oxen.

David names wild animals.

David names the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea.

These, of course, are not an exhaustive list but are just a few examples.

We are rulers over plant life. We are rulers over animal life. We are rulers over the land, sea, and skies. We are rulers over space. We are put over God’s creation.

This plan and design by God is a big responsibility for us. We should be wise and responsible caretakers of what God has given us.

We should seek to take care of our earth.

We should be careful not to pollute and destroy that which God has given us.

We should be responsible in the way we treat animals.

We should consider it an honor to be able to beautify the world around us.

Friends, this was God’s design. This role did not simply fall upon us by default; God planned it this way.

What a privilege and what a responsibility given to us by our magnificent God.

In Psalm 8, we see the majesty of God, the grace of God, and the design of God.

God really is marvelous; He really is magnificent.

That takes us to our bottom line:

Bottom Line: The name of the Lord is magnificent.

David goes on to say once again in verse 9: “LORD, our Lord, how magnificent is your name throughout the earth!”

Indeed, the Lord is great. In Psalm 8, David praises God at the beginning and at the end. He is always worthy of praise.

David cannot help but praise the name of God.

That takes us wonderfully to our weekly challenge.

Weekly Challenge: Proclaim the magnificence of God.

Think about some of the wonderful displays of the greatness of God. 

Think about how God is marvelous; think of how He is magnificent.

Think about how God has shown His grace in your life.

Then, like David, tell others about how incredible God is.

(Gospel presentation)

(closing prayer / Lord’s Supper)

COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER: The text contained in this sermon is solely owned by its author. The reproduction or distribution of this message, or any portion of it, should include the author’s name. The author intends to provide free resources in order to inspire believers and to assist preachers and teachers in Kingdom work.

My son loves video games, especially ones that star the adorable pinky hero, Kirby. Kirby can fly through space and time on a star! He can eat just about anything, and when he does, he gets special powers from what he eats. He routinely saves the universe from galactic catastrophe; Kirby is the ultimate hero, and my son absolutely loves him. 

We introduced my son to these games by letting him watch me play them first. However, these games are incredibly child-friendly, and it didn’t take long for my son to learn how to play these games on his own. Now, not a day goes by that he doesn’t want me to sit with him and either watch or play a Kirby game with him. It’s an experience that he loves, and he loves to share it!

Just like my son loves to experience, and share his experience of video games with me, the Bible teaches us that we should have that same child-like fascination with our experience of God. In a similar way, the Book of Psalms points us to this beautiful experience called worship, and it challenges us to be part of the collective experience of worshiping God.

As we begin our summer season, we are going to be looking at selections from the Book of Psalms. This is an eclectic book that contains 150 different poems, prayers, and hymns written by different authors throughout Israel’s history. Even though each Psalm varies in style and emotional expression, the purpose of each Psalm is the same: they are written to guide believers into a personal and congregational experience of God through the act of worship.

I’ve entitled the sermon for today “The Worship Experience”, and we’ll be looking at Psalm 95. This is a short passage that describes a deeply profound experience of God. In it, the author (who is unknown) invites us to collectively celebrate, acknowledge, and experience the greatness of God with an urgent plea to remain faithful to Him. So, let’s take a look at this psalm and see how it addresses us and the worship experience.

(read the passage)

This psalm is very straightforward, and it contains extremely profound truths that apply to those who know God. It calls us to experience Him and His greatness with joy, humility, and receptiveness. So, today we’re going to be looking at how the structure of this psalm guides and urges us to worship God with an appropriately responsive heart. Let’s begin with this first point: An invitation to worship.

This psalm opens with an all-inclusive invitation to enter into the presence of God. The author invites “us”, not as isolated worshippers, but as a collective group of people to enter God’s presence with praise, and then he tells us what that looks like.

Beginning in verse 1, the psalmist invites us to “…shout joyfully… and triumphantly”; we are to “…enter (God’s) presence with thanksgiving… and joyful song.” We are invited to have an attitude of joy, triumph, and thanksgiving, and we are encouraged to be loud about it! This is an incredibly emotional experience, filled to the brim with joy and thanksgiving. However, we should take note that it’s not haphazard or disorganized; this act of worship is focused and purposeful.

It’s easy for us as worshipers to get caught up in this experience that we focus more on the motions of worship (ie; the joyful shouts and triumphant songs)  and less on the object of worship. So, the psalmist reminds us that we are worshiping “…the Lord… the rock of our salvation”. Our worship should be fixated on the God of our salvation, and it begins with our knowledge of who He is, which is exactly where the passage takes us next.

Picking up in verse 3, the psalmist explains that we are not worshipping just any god; our God is the supreme God; He is “…a great God and king above all gods”. In a world full of rulers, authorities, and other recipients of worship (whether those are people or false gods), God remains the ultimate authority over all things.

Then, the passage continues to describe the extent of God’s authority. Verses 4-5 tell us  “…the depths of the earth are in His hand… the mountains are His… the sea is his… the land was formed by His hand”. God is the authority over all things because He created all things and all things belong to Him. This idea is repeated all throughout scripture. Hundreds, if not thousands of years after this psalm was written, the Apostle Paul would reiterate this idea in Colossians 1:16:

“For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him.”

This ultimate authority is the object of our worship; this is God, and we would do well to consider the magnitude of Him. We are not being called to merely appreciate the existence of an exceptional peer-like entity who craves verbal affirmation; we are being called to enter the presence of the all-powerful creator of the universe who holds the very fabric of reality in His hands. We’re told to go before Him with unrestrained joy and boldness because, while being the authority over all creation, He is also incredibly personal. He is “…the rock of OUR salvation”, and this leads to the second point of this passage: Our security in relationship.

The psalmist has led us through exuberant expressions of praise, which are absolutely appropriate. But as the passage continues, we are redirected into a posture that is less boisterous and more restrained. Let’s look at verse 6-7 again.

6Come, let us worship and bow down;

let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.

7For he is our God,

and we are the people of his pasture,

the sheep under his care.

We are called to bow down and kneel in worship. We started with shouts of joy, but in the recognition of God’s magnitude, we are now called to the only appropriate response: humility. In Jewish culture, standing was an acceptable posture for prayer, but kneeling signified a greater depth of reverence. It is the outward expression of an inner understanding; it expresses a profound reverence and earnest submission to God.

It’s in this position that we experience the beautiful security we have in God’s relationship with us. The passage calls God “…our Maker”, and then in verse 7, “…the people of His pasture, the sheep under His care”. It’s awesome that God, whose hands are mighty enough to form the earth and strong enough to hold its depths, is also capable of such intricate work to form each of us, and gentle enough to lead us as a shepherd leads his sheep. It’s remarkable that someone so powerful can also be so incredibly gentle and personal.

Throughout the Bible, God is constantly described as being a shepherd to His people. Probably one of the most famous passages like this comes from Psalm 23, and in it, David describes God in this way:

1The LORD is my shepherd,

I shall not want.

2He makes me lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside quiet waters.

A shepherd’s role is extremely important; they lead and care for their flock. They are completely responsible for the sheeps’ well-being. If we are truly “…the people of (God’s) pasture, and the sheep under His care”, we can take comfort in the fact that our shepherd has authority over all things.

However, this analogy (as beautiful as it is) paints an unflattering picture of ourselves. Sheep, even those belonging to God, are inherently stubborn, not particularly insightful, and prone to wander away from their shepherd. The last section of our passage highlights this unfortunate trait of ours, which leads us to our third point: a warning from history.

Shepherds are uniquely qualified to care for their sheep, but sheep can (and usually do) make a shepherd’s job difficult, if not frustrating at times. I have a video that shows what it looks like to care for a sheep who clearly has other ideas about their well-being (video clip). This video is an amusingly accurate depiction of God caring for His sheep.

This last section of the psalm ends with a warning NOT to be this sheep. The psalmist describes an attitude that completely contracts everything we have been called to do so far. Let’s read these last few verses, starting in the middle of verse 7:

Today, if you hear his voice:

8Do not harden your hearts as at Meribah,

as on that day at Massah in the wilderness

9where your fathers tested me;

they tried me, though they had seen what I did.

10For forty years I was disgusted with that generation;

I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray;

they do not know my ways.”

11So I swore in my anger,

“They will not enter my rest.”

Verse 8-9 describes an event that happened in Israel’s history, which is documented in the book of Exodus 17. So we can understand the context of this reference: God’s people were slaves in Egypt, but God miraculously set them free. God physically led them out of Egypt and into the wilderness, providing and protecting every step of the way. Our psalm says in verse 9 that God’s people “…had seen (everything He) did”. 

However, as soon as God’s people experienced hardship, they turned away from Him, complained, and asked if God was even with them. This attitude is described as a “hardened heart”. This is an attitude that “…tests and tries” God; He was actively disgusted, and the result was God’s anger and an inability for His people to enter rest with Him.

This “hardness of heart” is a stark contrast to the joy, thanksgiving, and humility that we discussed earlier. Unfortunately, this stubbornness is a common theme throughout the Bible. The prophet Isaiah has this to say about us in Isaiah 53:6:

“We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way…”

We are all prone to this same hardness of heart, but take note: this warning begins with a hopeful statement. Verse 7 says, “…today if you hear his voice“. The psalmist tells us “today” we can hear God’s voice; “today” we can respond to God, not with a hard heart, but with humility, thankfulness, joy, and triumph. This is the whole point of this worship experience: that we recognize God, and respond appropriately. This is the bottom line of this entire Psalm: worship God with a responsive heart.

This passage recognizes the struggles we face. Be encouraged that God does not write us off before we have a chance to respond. 2 Peter 3:9 tells us that God “…is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance”. God wants us to experience His rest because He loves us. Don’t take my word for it though. Psalm 103:8 tells us that,

“The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion.”

We should find comfort in the fact that God, the supreme Creator of all things, is compassionate and loving. He desires us to experience His love and goodness, and if we find ourselves fighting with an attitude that is not joyful, thankful, or humble, we can remember that God has provided for that situation as well. We referenced Isaiah 53:6 earlier, but let’s look at the entirety of that verse again. 

“We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way, and the LORD has punished him for the iniquity of us all.”

In God’s loving devotion for us, He recognized our faults, sent His Son Jesus (who is the “Him” in this verse); He would pay the cost for our shortcomings, He would take the testing, the trying, and the disgust for the hardness of our hearts so we could “enter God’s rest”. We have an inexpressibly remarkable God whose supreme authority is over all things, most significant of which is our sin. THAT is why the psalmist tells us to enter God’s presence with “…shouts (of triumph) to the rock of our salvation”. Let this Psalm challenge you in the following ways:

(Gospel presentation & closing prayer)

COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER: The text contained in this sermon is solely owned by its author. The reproduction, or distribution of this message, or any portion of it, should include the author’s name. The author intends to provide free resources in order to inspire believers and to assist preachers and teachers in Kingdom work.

My family recently saw two movies; one at home and one at the theatre. We saw Project Hail Mary, and we saw The Breadwinner. Both movies were very good and were very family-friendly. I would highly recommend them to you.

When we have a good experience with something, we like to tell other people about it, right? 

Pastor Dirck loves to tell others about things that he’s cooked. Pastor Richard likes to tell others about good deals he found on eBay. 

We like to inform others when we are blessed by something.

Last week, we learned about a woman who encountered Jesus, and He revealed to her that He was the Messiah.

In this week’s passage, we learn that she went to tell others about Jesus. You see, it was not only this woman who would be changed. Many people would be changed. 

In fact, Jesus compared the many people coming to Him to a field to be harvested. He instructed His disciples to “look at the fields.”

Before we learn about that and so much more, let’s go to God in prayer and ask Him to speak to us.

(prayer)

Ok, let’s journey through this passage together.

First, notice . . . 

I. The witness of Jesus.

Have you ever been a witness of something? I once witnessed an auto accident on Interstate 75 in Georgia. I gave a report to law enforcement and to the insurance company.

The Samaritan woman from last week’s passage was a witness of the power of Jesus. She experienced it, and she told others about it.

Look at verses 27-30:

27 Just then his disciples arrived, and they were amazed that he was talking with a woman. Yet no one said, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?”

28 Then the woman left her water jar, went into town, and told the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” 30 They left the town and made their way to him.

First of all, notice that John pointed out that the disciples arrived and were surprised to see Jesus talking to a woman.

You may recall from last week that it was not ordinary for a Jewish man to speak with a woman alone. That was considered unusual.

Yet, none of His disciples asked Jesus why he was doing that. 

They probably were afraid to say anything to Him about it, or perhaps they were just confused. Maybe they were even elbowing each other saying, “You ask Him!” “I’m not going to ask Him; you ask Him!”

Then, notice the actions of the woman.

John points in verse 28 that the woman left her jar there, indicating that she was excited or in a hurry to tell others about her encounter with Jesus.

Listen, church: If we truly encounter Jesus, we ought to be excited and motivated to tell others about Him.

Getting Christians to tell others about Jesus is one of the most basic levels of discipleship, yet it’s one of the most neglected tasks for churches today.

What is our problem? Why are we so reluctant to tell people about our Lord and Savior? 

The early followers of Jesus were willing to lay down their lives to tell others about Jesus.

In Acts 4:19–20 the apostles said to those trying to stop them, “Whether it’s right in the sight of God for us to listen to you rather than to God, you decide; for we are unable to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

Some of us seem unable to stop being silent about what we’ve seen and heard.

The woman at the well said in verse 29, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?”

I believe the woman knew that Jesus was the Messiah, but she was imploring others to “come and see” for themselves.

She was a witness of what Jesus did for her, and she was inviting others to see for themselves.

Verse 30 shows us that her witness had an impact. It says, “They left the town and made their way to him.”

May we do the same. May we be witnesses of what Jesus has done for us, and may we invite others to experience Jesus also.

Next, we see . . . 

II. The mandate of Jesus.

Let’s look at verses 31-38:

31 In the meantime the disciples kept urging him, “Rabbi, eat something.”

32 But he said, “I have food to eat that you don’t know about.”

33 The disciples said to one another, “Could someone have brought him something to eat?”

34 “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work,” Jesus told them. 35 “Don’t you say, ‘There are still four more months, and then comes the harvest’? Listen to what I’m telling you: Open your eyes and look at the fields, because they are ready for harvest. 36 The reaper is already receiving pay and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that the sower and reaper can rejoice together. 37 For in this case the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap what you didn’t labor for; others have labored, and you have benefited from their labor.”

We actually can gather two mandates here from Jesus. One is said outright, and the other is implied.

First, the one that is implied: To do the will of God.

Second, the one that is outright said: Open your eyes and look at the fields, because they are ready for harvest.

Let’s talk about these two for a moment.

Remember, the disciples wanted Jesus to eat some food.

You may recall that Jesus and His disciples were on a long journey from Judea to Galilee.

His disciples were concerned that He would not be well if He didn’t eat.

However, Jesus wanted them to know that there was something more important than eating food. 

What kept Jesus going was doing the will of God the Father. Jesus said, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.” Wow, what a statement!

Jesus was more concerned with being obedient to God the Father than He was with where His next meal would come from.

Some of us can’t even focus right now because we’re dreaming about what’s for lunch. Yet, Jesus was focused on the will of God!

Brothers and sisters, faithfulness to God is more important than anything in this life, including your next meal.

Next, Jesus tells His followers to look at the fields.

Jesus is using an illustration to point to the reality that many people are poised and ready to come to God.

As a farmer can look at a field and tell when the harvest is ready, so should we be able to recognize that God is at work, and people are ready to be saved from their sins by following Jesus.

John even talks about others doing the prep work. Just as on a farm, one person may plant the seed and another person may harvest the crop. So also, God is working miraculously through His Spirit and His people to bring others to salvation.

Jesus said to His followers in verse 38, “I sent you to reap what you didn’t labor for . . . ”

Jesus wants us to look at the fields to see that they are ready to be harvested.

He wants us to look at the world and see that people are ready to follow Jesus.

We must play our part to harvest the fields that God has prepared.

Will you hear the mandate of Jesus? Will you obey the mandate of Jesus?

Third, we see . . . 

III. The experience of Jesus.

Remember the people whom the woman invited? Well, they showed up and had an experience with Jesus.

Look at verses 39-42:

39 Now many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of what the woman said when she testified, “He told me everything I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. 41 Many more believed because of what he said. 42 And they told the woman, “We no longer believe because of what you said, since we have heard for ourselves and know that this really is the Savior of the world.”

The other Samaritan people had heard of the witness of Jesus, but they had not yet had the experience of Jesus. Once they did, they believed in Jesus!

In verse 42, they said, “We no longer believe because of what you said, since we have heard for ourselves and know that this really is the Savior of the world.”

I mentioned those two movies earlier. It’s one thing for me to recommend it to you. It’s another for you to enjoy movies and believe yourself that they’re good movies.

We’ve heard repeatedly in the Gospel of John, this theme of “Come and see.” The Samaritans in that town came and saw. They experienced, and they believed in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Have you had an experience of Jesus? 

Do you remember how incredible that was? 

Do you remember how He set you free?

Do you remember how He made you new?

Do you remember the hope, peace, and joy that He gave you?

Do you remember when you believed?

We see here in John 4 an experience of Jesus.

Finally, we see . . .

IV. The popularity of Jesus.

Look at verses 43-45:

43 After two days he left there for Galilee. 44 (Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.) 45 When they entered Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him because they had seen everything he did in Jerusalem during the festival. For they also had gone to the festival.

Finally, we see that Jesus arrived in Galilee, the region to which He was traveling.

As He got there, He was received with popularity because people had witnessed His ministry in Jerusalem when they were there for the festival.

These few verses remind us of the popularity that Jesus had in Israel.

However, we must also be reminded that thinking Jesus is cool or special doesn’t change a single thing about our lives. We must actually follow Jesus.

It has been popular to claim to be a Christian during different periods throughout the history of the United States.

We had the popularity of the Jesus Movement in the 1960s and 1970s. We had the popularity of the Moral Majority in the 1980s. We had the popularity of the Purpose Driven Church and the Purpose Driven Life in the 1990s and 2000s. We had the popularity of movies and shows such as The Passion of the Christ, God’s Not Dead, and The Chosen.

Those things are not bad. However, none of those things will help you one bit in receiving new life in Jesus Christ.

Your eternity and your new life are found only in believing in and following the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus didn’t come to be popular; He came to seek and to save the lost.

The time for you to believe in Jesus is now. The time for others to believe in Jesus is now.

Look at the fields. The harvest is ready. The time is now.

That takes us to our bottom line:]

Bottom Line: The harvest is ready for people to believe in Jesus.

Listen, church: People are out there who will believe in and follow Jesus.

God wants to use you to bring in the harvest. God wants to use you to bring people to Jesus. 

Weekly Challenge: Tell someone what Jesus has done for you.

As the woman did, take some time this week to tell someone about what Jesus has done for you.

As God would have it, our challenge for “The Hope Initiative” yesterday was to tell your story. Well, I’m challenging all of us to do that now.

Has Jesus changed your life? Tell someone.

(Gospel presentation)

(closing prayer)

COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER: The text contained in this sermon is solely owned by its author. The reproduction or distribution of this message, or any portion of it, should include the author’s name. The author intends to provide free resources in order to inspire believers and to assist preachers and teachers in Kingdom work.

Have you ever been in a really awkward situation with someone, and you didn’t know how to respond?

I recall when I lived in Kentucky that a man was walking near our street and just kind of yelling in pain. When I went to speak to him, his face was bloodied and beaten. At first, I thought he was drunk, then I figured he was just really upset. I learned that he had been beaten up, so I offered to call the police. He didn’t want the police involved, so I didn’t know what to do. It was an awkward situation. Finally, he said he was just going to walk away. I said to him, “You might want to get your jaw looked at . . . I’m pretty sure that it’s dislocated on one side.” Then, we parted ways. It was an unusual encounter.

Have you ever had an unusual encounter with someone like that?

Well, in today’s passage, Jesus has an unusual encounter with a woman. Unlike my story, there was violence involved, but it was unusual. 

Today, we’re going to learn about a well, a woman, and a worshiper.

Before we do, let’s go to God in prayer and ask Him to bless us.

(prayer)

Ok, let’s walk through today’s passage and notice four realities from this passage.

First, . . .

I. Jesus is thirsty.

I always like to have a drink with me. Coffee in the morning; tea for lunch and dinner; sparkling water throughout the day. I don’t like being thirsty.

Jesus was authentically human, so He would thirst as the rest of us do.

Let’s read about it. Look at verses 1-9:

1 When Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard he was making and baptizing more disciples than John 2 (though Jesus himself was not baptizing, but his disciples were), 3 he left Judea and went again to Galilee. 4 He had to travel through Samaria; 5 so he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar near the property that Jacob had given his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, worn out from his journey, sat down at the well. It was about noon.

7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water.

“Give me a drink,” Jesus said to her, 8 because his disciples had gone into town to buy food.

9 “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” she asked him. For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.

First, we’re told by John that Jesus left Judea because the Pharisees learned He was baptizing more disciples than John the Baptizer.

Here’s the reason: The Pharisees (Jewish religious leaders) were giving John a hard time for the work he was doing. Jesus was doing even more work, so it stood to reason that they would give Jesus a hard time also.

A time would come later for Jesus to debate with the Pharisees, but that time had not yet come, so He withdrew from Judea.

We’re told that John went from Judea to Galilee. We have that here on a map for you.

Here’s Judea and here’s Galilee. These are both regions, not cities. There’s another region in between these two called Samaria.

The people didn’t have planes, trains, and automobiles back then, so they often traveled on foot.

So, since Jesus was human, as we are human, He was naturally tired and thirsty from the long journey from Judea to Galilee.

So, Jesus stopped at a well in Samaria, no doubt looking to rest and get a drink.

Then, in verse 7, a woman enters the story; a Samaritan woman (which should be expected in Samaria).

Now, let’s pause here and learn a little something about Samaritans and women in that culture.

First of all, women were not well respected in the ancient world. They were vulnerable and not valued as they should be.

Further, it would have been taboo for a Jewish man to be in communication alone with a woman.

Secondly, this woman was a Samaritan.

Jewish people considered Samaritans a mixed breed. They were descendants of the Jews from the northern part of Israel, who were scattered during the Assyrian conquest several hundred years before the time of Jesus. Those Jewish refugees married refugees from other countries, and then settled in the region of Samaria. To the Jews, the Samaritans were considered an impure people.

Here’s the other thing: The Samaritans knew that Jewish people didn’t like them very much. So, the Samaritans didn’t like the Jewish people very much either.

So, the woman said to Jesus, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?”

Let’s see where the story goes next.

Next, we realize that . . . 

II. Jesus is intriguing.

This woman asked Jesus why He was asking her for water. The response of Jesus captured the attention of the woman. 

Let’s see what He said. Look at verses 10-15:

10 Jesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God, and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would ask him, and he would give you living water.”

11 “Sir,” said the woman, “you don’t even have a bucket, and the well is deep. So where do you get this ‘living water’? 12 You aren’t greater than our father Jacob, are you? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and livestock.”

13 Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again. 14 But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again. In fact, the water I will give him will become a well, of water springing up in him for eternal life.”

15 “Sir,” the woman said to him, “give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and come here to draw water.”

Remember, the woman asked Jesus why He was requesting that she give Him a drink.

Here is Jesus’ initial response: “If you knew the gift of God, and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would ask him, and he would give you living water.”

That’s intriguing, right?

Instead of answering her question, Jesus says something that surely captures her attention and makes her think.

In fact, she doesn’t really understand what Jesus is saying.

Remember, back in Chapter 3, when Jesus told Nicodemus that you must be born again, Nicodemus asked, “How can these things be?”

Now, when Jesus says that He would give this woman living water, she replies, “Sir, you don’t even have a bucket.”

Jesus goes on without even addressing the bucket statement. Instead, He says, “ . . . whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again.”

Jesus said that those who drink from this water will have eternal life!

Well, that’s intriguing! Not only could this woman’s thirst be satisfied, but her eternity could be changed. However, she’s not quite convinced yet.

I have another story from when we lived in Kentucky. We had a neighbor across the street who was into some drugs, and probably some mental illness. One day, he walked across the street to tell me that the government was spying on him. I was like, “Dude, the government is spying on all of us; don’t worry about it.” However, he was like, “No, no; there are cameras under my house that are taking pictures of all of my activities.” Now I’m at the point where I think that if the information he gave me is true, then I’m intrigued. So, I simply replied to him, “Show me the cameras.” Turns out, the guy was just high; there were no cameras. I was intrigued by the idea of what he said, but I wanted some evidence.

This Samaritan woman was intrigued by what Jesus said, so she said (in verse 15), “Sir . . . give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and come here to draw water.”

She’s intrigued, and she wants to learn more.

How does Jesus respond?

Well, . . .

III. Jesus is direct.

Look at what Jesus says in verses 16-22:

16 “Go call your husband,” he told her, “and come back here.”

17 “I don’t have a husband,” she answered.

“You have correctly said, ‘I don’t have a husband,’ ” Jesus said. 18 “For you’ve had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.”

19 “Sir,” the woman replied, “I see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem.”

21 Jesus told her, “Believe me, woman, an hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know. We worship what we do know, because salvation is from the Jews. 

Jesus says two very direct, and potentially somewhat offensive, statements to this woman:

1. “For you’ve had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband.”

2. “You Samaritans worship what you do not know.”

3. “. . . salvation is from the Jews.”

Have you ever had someone who could say something to you that would usually be offensive, but something about that person strikes you in a way that you’re not offended by what they said?

I think this is what is happening here. Jesus is very direct with this woman. He’s not trying to offend her. It seems as if Jesus is trying to draw her in for something greater.

Jesus is essentially saying to her that it’s not about the water or the well, it’s not about her husband, it’s not about this mountain or that mountain, it’s about her as a worshiper.

Jesus says to her that salvation is from the Jews. Here’s what that means:

The way of being saved from our sins and gaining eternal life is found in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who is the God of the Jewish people, and by the way, the God of the entire world.

What’s more, she didn’t know it yet, but the woman was talking to the very one who could bring her eternal life.

She knows that something is unique about Jesus. After all, she said, “I can see that you are a prophet.”

However, Jesus is much more than a prophet.

That takes us to the final reality that we see:

IV. Jesus is Messiah.

Let’s read the final few verses. Look at verses 23-26:

23 But an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth. Yes, the Father wants such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and in truth.”

25 The woman said to him, “I know that the Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

26 Jesus told her, “I, the one speaking to you, am he.”

Jesus has already spoken to Nicodemus about the work of the Holy Spirit. He told Nicodemus that we must be born of the Spirit.

Now, Jesus says, “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and in truth.”

It’s about the place of worship. It’s not about our past. It’s not about prophets. It’s about having a true relationship with God, which takes place in a spiritual way by a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit of God.

When we are truly changed, then we can truly worship God in Spirit.

We must worship in Spirit and in truth.

This lady clearly didn’t understand all that Jesus meant. However, she did remember something about worshiping God.

The Samaritans had a lot of similar beliefs to the Jews since they had a partial Jewish background; she remembered about the Messiah coming.

She probably remembered that the Messiah would help people enter into God’s kingdom. She probably remembered that the Messiah would help people worship God.

So, the woman said, “I know that the Messiah is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

I imagine she may have meant, “I don’t understand everything about worshiping God. I don’t understand everything about what the prophets taught. I’m not sure I understand everything you’re saying to me now. However, when the Messiah comes, He’ll explain all things.”

However, verse 26 changed everything for this woman, and it changes everything for you and me: Jesus told her, “I, the one speaking to you, am he.”

Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus is the Christ. Jesus is the Anointed One of God.

Jesus was the one who could give her the truth.

Jesus was the one who could put her in touch with the Spirit of God.

Jesus was the one who could help her never thirst again.

Jesus is the one who could give her eternal life.

Here’s the reality: Jesus can do all that for you as well, as He’s the only one who can.

That takes us to our bottom line:

Bottom Line: True worship and true life are found in the true Messiah.

The Jewish people (and the Samaritans) were looking forward to the coming of the Messiah who would make all things right, who would rescue them, and who would put them in touch with God.

Little did this woman know that the Messiah was right in front of her, asking for a drink of water.

It was as easy as that.

Listen: It’s as easy as that for you, too.

Jesus is standing in front of you, ready for you to receive Him as the Messiah, the one who can rescue you from your sins, give you eternal life, and lead you to living water which will quench your spiritual thirst forever.

Revelation 3:20 says, “See! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” 

Will you drink the living water that Jesus offers? Will you enjoy the heavenly feast that Jesus has waiting for those who follow Him?

Weekly Challenge: Ask the Spirit to give you the truth.

Ask the Holy Spirit of God to fill you this week in an unusual way to help you discern the truth.

Can you trust Jesus?

Can you follow Jesus?

What is the next step that Jesus wants you to take?

How can you truly know God?

How can you truly serve God?

Do you want to know the truth? Ask the Holy Spirit to show you the truth this week.

(Gospel presentation)

(closing prayer)

COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER: The text contained in this sermon is solely owned by its author. The reproduction or distribution of this message, or any portion of it, should include the author’s name. The author intends to provide free resources in order to inspire believers and to assist preachers and teachers in Kingdom work.