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Sermon Text: Colossians 3:22-4:1 Sermon Title: “Work as Witness” Sermon Slides: SLIDE 1 – Today's Big Idea: Since Jesus has Risen from the Dead, Our Work Must Also Rise with Him… Even if Our Circumstances Haven't. SLIDE 2 – Genesis 3:17-19 – “And to Adam he said, ‘Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,' cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you … By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground …” SLIDE 3 – Romans 8:20-21 – “For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” SLIDE 4 – Sermon Point 1 – Our Work in a Fallen World … Has Been Redeemed by the Risen Lord (Col. 3:22 and 4:1) SLIDE 5 – Galatians 3:28 – “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” SLIDE 6 – 2 Corinthians 4:5 – “For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants [slaves] for Jesus' sake.” SLIDE 7 – 1 Corinthians 9:19 – “For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them.” SLIDE 8 – 1 Corinthians 7:22 – “For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ.” SLIDE 9 – Sermon Point 2 – Our Work in a Fallen World … Should be Motivated by the Risen Lord (Col. 3:23-25) SLIDE 10 – Galatians 1:10 – “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” SLIDE 11 – 2 Peter 1:10-11 – “Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” SLIDE 12 – Luke 16:10-12 – “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much … If you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own?” SLIDE 13 – 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 – “According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.” SLIDE 14 – Five Uses of This Sermon for Your Life SLIDE 15 – Employees: Our Danger is to Underperform and Fail to See Past our Earthly Bosses. SLIDE 16 – Bosses: Our Danger is to Overcorrect and Fail to See Past our Earthly Employees. SLIDE 17 – The Key to our Work is Not Earthly Success, but Godly Faithfulness. SLIDE 18 – Christians: The World is Watching our Work. Who is it Witnessing to? SLIDE 19 – Amid Work Injustice – God is Calling us to both Pursue Flourishing and Endure Persecution. SLIDE 20 – 1 Corinthians 7:21 – “Were you a bondservant when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.)” SLIDE 21 – Romans 12:21 – “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Istrouma Baptist Church (BR) Mar 26, 2023 ========== March 26 l Drop Your Nets Welcome! We're glad you've joined us today for our Sunday morning worship service! For more information about Istrouma, go to istrouma.org or contact us at info@istrouma.org. We glorify God by making disciples of all nations. ========== Connection Card https://istrouma.org/myinfo March 26, 2023 | Tim Keith To G.R.O.W. in Christ, you will have to: Go through trouble Resist temptation Open your heart to forgiveness Walk with Jesus and His people Open your heart to forgiveness. When others FAIL US, we can learn FORGIVENESS. Matthew 27:39-44 "The people passing by (looking at Jesus on the cross) shook their heads and hurled insults at Jesus…and the elders made fun of Him…Even the bandits who had been crucified with Him insulted him in the same way.” Luke 23:34 “Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive these people, because they don't know what they are doing'”. 1 Pet. 2:23 “When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to God who judges justly.” Forgiveness is NOT saying it didn't hurt or that it's okay. ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭18‬:‭21‬-‭35‬‬ Then Peter approached him and asked, “Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? As many as seven times?” “I tell you, not as many as seven,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven. “For this reason, the kingdom of heaven can be compared to a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle accounts, one who owed ten thousand talents was brought before him. Since he did not have the money to pay it back, his master commanded that he, his wife, his children, and everything he had be sold to pay the debt. “At this, the servant fell facedown before him and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you everything.' Then the master of that servant had compassion, released him, and forgave him the loan. “That servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him, started choking him, and said, ‘Pay what you owe!' “At this, his fellow servant fell down and began begging him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' But he wasn't willing. Instead, he went and threw him into prison until he could pay what was owed. When the other servants saw what had taken place, they were deeply distressed and went and reported to their master everything that had happened. Then, after he had summoned him, his master said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Shouldn't you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?' And because he was angry, his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured until he could pay everything that was owed. So also my heavenly Father will do to you unless every one of you forgives his brother or sister from your heart.” 1. Remember how much God has forgiven you. (v.24) ‭‭Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭8‬‬ But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 2. Recognize the unforgiveness in your life. (v.34) 3. Release the anger/bitterness. (v. 34) How do you release the bitterness? Forgive first -- Forgive completely 4. Realize God's purpose (v.27) 2 Corinthians 13:7 “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” Want to receive weekly announcements in your inbox each week? https://istrouma.org/email Give Online Text ISTROUMA IBC to 73256 or go to: https://istrouma.org/give Our Website https://istrouma.org

Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ... The children of Israel served the Egyptians for 400 years until God brought them out of their bondage.   Deuteronomy 15:15  And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee:    We once served this world and the ideas and goals of the flesh of man, but God redeemed us also from the bondage of the flesh.   Now we are a new creature, born again by God, and we serve God now doing the will of God.   I Corinthians 6   9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate (homosexuals), nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.   Romans 6   3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into HIS death? 4 Therefore we are buried with HIM by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of HIS death, we shall be also in the likeness of HIS resurrection: 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with HIM, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin. 8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with HIM:   Even on this earth today, we live with Christ as we follow the Holy Spirit of God, keeping our flesh crucified, not allowing our flesh to do what it wants to do but causing our flesh to be dead by following that which the Holy Spirit of God brings to our mind in the specific situations of this life.  

In Exodus 5, Moses lays out a complaint to God because Moses felt that no one was listening to Him EVEN though God instructed him to speak a certain way. As Dr. Baruch of Loveisrael.org points out, the unskilled speech Moses mentions is his realization of the Holiness of God and how sinful he is in comparison to the GOD OF THE UNIVERSE. But this knowledge also reveals how helpless Moses is in the face of impossible odds to carry out God's will in Egypt. In effect, Moses's complaint was showing that even though he did what God said to do, it wasn't working out as Moses and God intended. So Moses thought. Pharaoh's response was exactly as God intended. Hardening of the heart of Pharaoh is stiffening to the voice of God and staying in rebellion.We can act like this in the face of understanding God's word and the call to change. If you haven't turned toward Christ for salvation, do so today! Pray and ask Him to forgive your sin and get in line with His will.What happens next? Exodus 6 happens. God shows up with His perspective and prophetic plan. Dr. Baruch shares that the future is a done deal in this scripture, and God is going to move and give powerful promises to Moses and REDEEM HIS PEOPLE, even though they acted wickedly. He hears their cries. He hears ours as well. During this time of COVID, call out to Him today.We need God's perspective. But do we study the bible to gain that perspective? Are we willing to change in the face of finding His plans and purposes? This is a crucial question to ask ourselves because it means the difference of one who believes in God...as a head knowledge... or one who desires to be a disciple of Christ...acting on His perspective and word. Who will we be? Join our podcast and video. Please share to help us grow. Bible study company is free to use. 

Even if God does not deliver us from our difficult situation, even if God does not heal our loved one, even if God does not answer our prayers with a "yes", even if God does not we will still honor Him? Even if He does not, is He still worthy of our worship? Is there anything God will have to do more for us in order to receive our obedience and commitment? His sacrifice, His forgiveness, His love and His life for us is enough for our total allegiance to Him. We are quick to run after idols and so quick to dismiss God, while we are so hesitant and slow to obey Him. Today we will look at three brothers who were unwilling to give up their commitment to God even if He does not...

What if God doesn't answer our prayers the way we expect Him to? What if our will is not aligned with God's? Will we be bitter and give up living for Him? Even if through our eyes the worse happens, it would ultimately be for our good and for God’s glory. We need to not just believe in God. They believed Him enough to put our trust in Him.

In Jesus' interactions with Peter in John 21, we see the answer to the question: "What does God do with us when we fail Him?" Even in the depths of our failure, we discover the depths of God's love and grace.

Psalms 40:1-17 Watch Video Listen to MP3 Download Handout Download Manuscript → Click to view the Sermon Outline Quote from C.S. Lewis, Reflections on the Psalms Pastor Brent Aucoin’s Summary: Humanity naturally praises and invites others to praise that which they value, delight, enjoy. The Messianic Psalms are OT songs written about the experiences of God’s anointed Davidic king (primarily King David) that God uses to point prophetically toward the Ultimate King—Jesus Christ. The experiences of the Davidic king in the OT are “heightened” or “escalated” or “contrasted” in the greater person and work of the final Davidic King—Christ. These Davidic experiences form theological patterns of which Christ brought to completion. – Pastor Brent Aucoin Psalm 40:1-17 - For the choir director. A Psalm of David. - King David’s Experience in Trusting in the Lord Alone 1 I waited patiently (or relied completely on) for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. 2 He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, and He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. 3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; many will see and fear and will trust in the Lord. King David’s Conclusion about Trusting in the Lord Alone 4 How blessed is the man who has made the Lord his trust, and has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood. 5 Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which You have done, and Your thoughts toward us; there is none to compare with You. If I would declare and speak of them, they would be too numerous to count. King David’s Response in Offering to God not Sacrifice but His Self 6 Sacrifice and meal offering You have not desired; my ears You have opened; burnt offering and sin offering You have not required. 7 Then I said, “Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is written of me. 8 I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your Law is within my heart.” King David’s Praise Shared 9 I have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great congregation; behold, I will not restrain my lips, O Lord, You know. 10 I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great congregation. King David’s Continued Need for Deliverance From Sin and Sin-Caused Calamities with an Expectation of Another Great Deliverance for Trusting in the Lord Alone 11 You, O Lord, will not withhold Your compassion from me; Your lovingkindness and Your truth will continually preserve me. 12 For evils beyond number have surrounded me; my iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to see; they are more numerous than the hairs of my head, and my heart has failed me. 13 Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me; make haste, O Lord, to help me. 14Let those be ashamed and humiliated together who seek my life to destroy it; let those be turned back and dishonored who delight in my hurt. 15 Let those be appalled because of their shame who say to me, “Aha, aha!” 16 Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; let those who love Your salvation say continually, “The Lord be magnified!”          17 Since I am afflicted and needy, let the Lord be mindful of me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God. Psalm 40 leads us to understand four truths that instill in His people the greatest delight in God and therefore the greatest Praise in God. 1. God’s Beautiful Plan for the His Earthly King and His People—Deliverance Creates Praise A. In distress trust in God Alone--I waited patiently on the Lord (cf. v. 4—“How blessed is the man who has made the LORD His trust and has not turned to the proud nor to those who lapse into falsehood;” Isaiah 40:31) B. Trusting in God alone results in God hearing the cry of faith and deliverance from the near death experience C. God’s deliverance shows that God is the ultimate delight (v. 5) D. Our response to God’s deliverance is—my life offered to Him for delivering me—I exist to do God’s will not mine (cf. of the king Deut 17:15–20) Sacrifices, in general, were substitutionary symbolic offerings, indicating that the life of the animal was given to God as a symbol of the worshipper giving His life to God.  E. With our life breath given to God, we use it to consummate our joy by praising God and sharing it   others in place of my cry of distress (vv. 3, 9-10) The man who life was delivered by the greatest delight—God—gives his own life as a praise offering public witness to God. 2. The Ugly Problem in His Earthly King and His People—Sin Creates the Need for the Greatest Deliverance 3. The Hopeful Cry for a Greater Deliverance for God’s earthly King and His People. 4. God’s Provision for a Greater King and His Greatest Deliverance—Creating the Greatest Praise!!! Jesus Christ gave his body—not because He had been delivered—but in order to deliver as a sacrifice according to God’s will! Romans 12:1 -        Therefore I urge you, brethren in view of God’s mercies, present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.  Outlined Manuscript Last year my family took a few more vacations than normal because we wanted to make some good family memories since our two children were nearing the end of their high school journey. Most of my vacations revolve around tacking on some extra time to a ministry engagement. So last year I had ministry opportunities in Phoenix and Montana. In Phoenix we were three hours from the Grand Canyon so we made a trip there. [Pic of Grand Canyon] In Montana [Montana pic] we went to both Yellowstone [Pic of Yellowstone] and Glacier National Park [pic of Glacier National Park] At all three of those locations we found ourselves staring at the amazing beauty of the landscape and it wasn’t enough to just take it in. When you see something amazing what is your natural inclination to do with it? Share it!! Notice that Janet has not been sharing with you the joys of hiking through glaciers…that was not something amazing to her. Last week, my wife and I saw the 50’s MGM musical, “Singing in the Rain” for the first time. The tap dancing by Gene Kelly and the rest of that crew was simply amazing….what was the first thing that Janet and I did with our experience…share it with the kids. Now I really want to learn tap dancing…   We praise what we value do we not?? And that joy of delighting in the Grand Canyon or the dancing abilities of Gene Kelly is not complete until it is shared…. Sharing it is a natural expression of what you delight in…. Now, some of you have entertained this question about God before…”Is not God egotistical or a pompous arrogant entity” when he asks us to praise Him? In fact atheist and skeptics have gone down the path of saying, “I can not worship a God who demands my praise!” C.S. Lewis had this question and struggle…. Listen to what he says about praise… Lewis, C. S. Reflections on the Psalms When I first began to draw near to belief in God and even for some time after it had been given to me, I found a stumbling block in the demand so clamorously made by all religious people that we should ‘praise’ God; still more in the suggestion that God Himself demanded it. We all despise the man who demands continued assurance of his own virtue, intelligence, or delightfulness; we despise still more the crowd of people round every dictator, every millionaire, every celebrity, who gratify that demand. Thus a picture, at once ludicrous and horrible, both of God and of His worshippers, threatened to appear in my mind. The Psalms were especially troublesome in this way—‘ Praise the Lord,’ ‘O praise the Lord with me,’ ‘Praise Him.’ (And why, incidentally, did praising God so often consist in telling other people to praise Him? Even in telling whales, snowstorms, etc., to go on doing what they would certainly do whether we told them or not?) C.S. Lewis in his brilliant observations about humanity came to certain conclusions about us…. I had never noticed that all enjoyment spontaneously overflows into praise … The world rings with praise— lovers praising their mistresses, readers their favourite poet, walkers praising the countryside, players praising their favourite game— praise of weather, wines, dishes, actors, motors, horses, colleges, countries, historical personages, children, flowers, mountains, rare stamps, rare beetles, even sometimes politicians or scholars. I had not noticed how the humblest, and at the same time most balanced and capacious, minds praised most, while the cranks, misfits, and malcontents praised least. ….. I had not noticed either that just as men spontaneously praise whatever they value, so they spontaneously urge us to join them in praising it: ‘Isn’t she lovely? Wasn’t it glorious? Don’t you think that magnificent?’ The Psalmists in telling everyone to praise God are doing what all men do when they speak of what they care about. My whole, more general, difficulty about the praise of God depended on my absurdly denying to us, as regards the supremely Valuable, what we delight to do, what indeed we can’t help doing, about everything else we value. I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation. It is not out of compliment that lovers keep on telling one another how beautiful they are; the delight is incomplete till it is expressed. It is frustrating to have discovered a new author and not to be able to tell anyone how good he is; to come suddenly, at the turn of the road, upon some mountain valley of unexpected grandeur and then to have to keep silent because the people with you care for it no more than for a tin can in the ditch; to hear a good joke and find no one to share it with (the perfect hearer died a year ago). P. Aucoin’s Summary: Humanity naturally praises and invites others to praise that which they value, delight, enjoy. With that in mind turn in the Scriptures to Psalm 40. That is on page 409 in the front section of the Bible in the chair in front of you. This year our church theme is In Christ Alone Today we are continuing our series on Seeing Christ in the Psalms The NT writers often quote the Psalms when speaking of Christ fulfilling the Scriptures. The NT book of Hebrews in Hebrews 10:5-10 quotes Psalm 40:6-8 in reference to Christ. The Psalms that are referred to in the NT are often termed Messianic Psalms. Let me say an explanatory word about my understanding of the messianic Psalms. The Messianic Psalms are OT songs written about the experiences of God’s anointed Davidic king (primarily King David) that God uses to point prophetically toward the Ultimate King—Jesus Christ. The experiences of the Davidic king in the OT are “heightened” or “escalated” or “contrasted” in the greater person and work of the final Davidic King—Christ. These Davidic experiences form theological patterns of which Christ brought to completion. –P. Aucoin Specifically today we are talking about Contagious Praise in Christ Alone Let’s read. PSALM 40 For the choir director. A Psalm of David. King David’s Experience in Trusting in the Lord Alone       1    I waited patiently (or relied completely on) for the Lord; And He inclined to me and heard my cry.       2    He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.       3    He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; Many will see and fear And will trust in the Lord. King David’s Conclusion about Trusting in the Lord Alone       4    How blessed is the man who has made the Lord his trust, And has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood.       5    Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which You have done, And Your thoughts toward us; There is none to compare with You. If I would declare and speak of them, They would be too numerous to count. King David’s Response in Offering to God not Sacrifice but His Self       6    Sacrifice and meal offering You have not desired; My ears You have opened; Burnt offering and sin offering You have not required.       7    Then I said, “Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is written of me.       8    I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your Law is within my heart.” King David’s Praise Shared       9    I have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great congregation; Behold, I will not restrain my lips, O Lord, You know.       10  I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great congregation. King David’s Continued Need for Deliverance From Sin and Sin-Caused Calamities with an Expectation of Another Great Deliverance for Trusting in the Lord Alone       11  You, O Lord, will not withhold Your compassion from me; Your lovingkindness and Your truth will continually preserve me.       12  For evils beyond number have surrounded me; My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to see; They are more numerous than the hairs of my head, And my heart has failed me.       13  Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me; Make haste, O Lord, to help me.       14  Let those be ashamed and humiliated together Who seek my life to destroy it; Let those be turned back and dishonored Who delight in my hurt.       15  Let those be appalled because of their shame Who say to me, “Aha, aha!”       16  Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; Let those who love Your salvation say continually, “The Lord be magnified!”       17  Since I am afflicted and needy, Let the Lord be mindful of me. You are my help and my deliverer; Do not delay, O my God. Psalm 40 leads us to understand four truths that instill in His people the greatest delight in God and therefore the greatest Praise in God. 1.     God’s Beautiful Plan for the His Earthly King and His People—Deliverance Creates Praise Now we do not know exactly to what occasion King David referred in his earthly struggles in the first part of the Psalm. However, the phrases he used “Pit of destruction” and “miry clay” all seem to indicate a near death experience. It was as if he was going down for the third time. David in his life face death many times….this appears to be a reference to one of them.  In distress trust in God Alone--I waited patiently on the Lord (cf. v. 4—How blessed is the man who has made the LORD His trust and has not turned to the proud nor to those who lapse into falsehood;” Isaiah 40:31) The emphasis here is on the object of trust—God The word “wait” is the same word used in Isaiah 40:31 with a very similar idea—that I am waiting on a certain ONE not just passively thinking something might come my way and help me but WAIT ON GOD ALONE. Isaiah 40:31 (NASB95)       31  Yet those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary. In his military struggles David did not turn to alliances with the proud and deceptive Egypt or Syria or Moab….He did not trust in what seemed to be strong on earth. He waited on Yahweh. In his faith alone in God alone what happened? (Repeat): In his faith alone in God alone what happened? Trusting in God alone results in God hearing the cry of faith and deliverance from the near death experience David turned his attention to God ALONE and nothing else!!! Folks what is your attention and object of hope in or on in your distress? Your spouse? Your job? A particular friend? Your intellect? Your athletic ability? Your  beauty? Your strength? God heard when the trust was in Him alone…Blessed is that man! God’s deliverance shows that God is the ultimate delight (v. 5)       5 Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which You have done, And Your thoughts toward us; There is none to compare with You. If I would declare and speak of them, They would be too numerous to count. Do you see it…there is David’s delight…There is nothing that compares with you God!!! Have you ever got to a place in a moment of your existence or where you have said, “I know nothing on earth compares to you God” and “nothing I desire compares to you.” How do you get there? This psalm answers it….I recognize I am in dire situation….I turn not to my normal gods of entertainment, pleasure, power, praise of man,  I turn to God alone and trust in Him by Faith alone and He delivers!!!!!  And I see that nothing compares to HIM!!!! Now since there is none like Him, He saves my life, what do I do in return? Our response to God’s deliverance is—my life offered to Him for delivering me—I exist to do God’s will not mine (cf. of the king Deut 17:15–20) Look at vv. 6–8 for a moment       6    Sacrifice and meal offering You have not desired; My ears You have opened; Burnt offering and sin offering You have not required.       7    Then I said, “Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is written of me.       8    I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your Law is within my heart.” Let me say a word about sacrifices in the OT. I am going to generalize a bit here. But sacrifices were associated with substitution for the worshipper… When the offered was to give of his best to God what was that communicating…God this is the best I have…it represents me….I give it to you….As a symbol of my life is yours… Sacrifices, in general, were substitutionary symbolic offerings, indicating that the life of the animal was given to God as a symbol of the worshipper giving His life to God.   So God said sacrifice animals!!!…but what was that pointing to…I want your life. Notice that David gets it… Animal sacrifices is not really what you want God…you want me and all of me…thus God my ears are open I am here to do your will.  I am the whole burnt offering for you. Make a note that when David says, “Behold I come. In the scroll of the book it is written of me,” He is most likely referring to this passage in Deuteronomy written of kings…. Deuteronomy 17:15–20 (NASB95)       15  you shall surely set a king over you whom the Lord your God chooses, one from among your countrymen you shall set as king over yourselves; you may not put a foreigner over yourselves who is not your countryman.       16  “Moreover, he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor shall he cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, since the Lord has said to you, ‘You shall never again return that way.’       17  “He shall not multiply wives for himself, or else his heart will turn away; nor shall he greatly increase silver and gold for himself.       18  “Now it shall come about when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests.       19  “It shall be with him and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes,       20  that his heart may not be lifted up above his countrymen and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or the left, so that he and his sons may continue long in his kingdom in the midst of Israel. David was saying, “my life is yours and I am here to do your will as king and I am not to turn aside” Now, you get it don’t you what David said…its not sacrifices that God desires…..sacrifices were the outward symbol of what he desires….YOU In the OT when God says, “I’m weary of your sacrifices” it was because  His people had ritually sacrificed but entirely missed the point…the sacrifice represents that God owns your hands, your mouth, your brain, your eyes, your breath…They were not using their souls for God Therefore the sacrifices were an abomination to God. Today…you’re here and your worshipping God with your mouth but you used your mouth for lies and anger all week…That is an abomination to God…. David get’s it though…His live…his lips are Gods….and if my lips are God’s and my greatest delight is God then naturally… With our life breath given to God, we use it to consummate our joy by praising God and sharing it   others in place of my cry of distress (vv. 3, 9-10)       3    He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; Many will see and fear And will trust in the Lord.       9    I have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great congregation; Behold, I will not restrain my lips, O Lord, You know.       10  I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great congregation. The man who life was delivered by the greatest delight—God—gives his own life as a praise offering public witness to God. This statement invites numerous pastoral questions that God would have us all consider…but let me quickly hit a few other aspects of this Psalm before I apply at the end of our time today. Secondly this Psalm shows us… 2.     The Ugly Problem in His Earthly King and His People—Sin Creates the Need for the Greatest Deliverance King David in His zeal says,       8    I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your Law is within my heart.” But then says….       12  For evils beyond number have surrounded me; My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to see; They are more numerous than the hairs of my head, And my heart has failed me. The book of the Law that the king was supposed to keep….Deut 17:19       19  “It shall be with him and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes,       20  that his heart may not be lifted up above his countrymen and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or the left, so that he and his sons may continue long in his kingdom in the midst of Israel. He can’t keep this… His earthly reign to be a praise offering witness to God is and a light to others is marred by sin.  And possibly his sin is creating problems in his kingdom and with others and others…others look at him and say, “Aha…”Aha”  (v. 15) ---Look at that hypocritical king…. But consequences are not simply with those who would long for David’s demise His sin creates another pit of destruction… He can not stand before God in his sin… He can not fulfill Deut 17:20  where he never turns from the right or the left… But where does he turn….. 3.     The Hopeful Cry for a Greater Deliverance for God’s earthly King and His People. To Whom does David appeal for salvation from his pit of sin? From God alone.       11  You, O Lord, will not withhold Your compassion from me; Your lovingkindness and Your truth will continually preserve me.       12  For evils beyond number have surrounded me; My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to see; They are more numerous than the hairs of my head, And my heart has failed me.       13  Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me; Make haste, O Lord, to help me. ….       17  Since I am afflicted and needy, Let the Lord be mindful of me. You are my help and my deliverer; Do not delay, O my God. The term mindful that I highlighted in v. 17 is the same term that is used in David’s previous proclamation of deliverance in verse 5 that he is now praying       5    Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which You have done, And Your thoughts toward us; There is none to compare with You. David understood that God’s thoughts and ways of deliverance are higher than his thoughts. He was amazed when God delivered him from his pit of death. Now based upon that he is praying again….turn those amazing divine thoughts back to me again in this case that includes deliverance from my sin…. And He still turns to God for salvation from his pit of sin!!! He did not turn to his good deeds….He did not say, “accept me because I am a good person…” He says “deliver me because I am needy and afflicted….” And we don’t have that prayer answered in Psalm 40…. When is it answered? 4.     God’s Provision for a Greater King and His Greatest Deliverance—Creating the Greatest Praise!!! David only attempted to give his body to God after a deliverance And even then he could not consistently maintain that his body is for the Lord….okay lord you have my lips for a while for praise but I need them back to put that person in their place. … Do you realize there was ONE who came only to give His body as living and dying sacrifice to God the Father…not in response to a great deliverance he desperately needed, but because He only delighted in God the Father. He came and said, always, “Thy will be done” He came and fulfilled all the law of Deuteronomy 17 as a king would. He never turned to the right or the left!!! Jesus Christ gave his body—not because He had been delivered—but in order to deliver as a sacrifice according to God’s will! Hebrews 10:4–11 (NASB95)       4    For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.       5    Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, “Sacrifice and offering You have not desired, But a body You have prepared for Me;       6    In whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have taken no pleasure.       7    “Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come (In the scroll of the book it is written of Me) To do Your will, O God.’ ”       8    After saying above, “Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have not desired, nor have You taken pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the Law),       9    then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will.” He takes away the first in order to establish the second.       10  By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.       11  Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; Do you see Christ in the Psalms now?? But that is not all… When Christ became the sin offering and sacrificed His body on the Cross, He cried out to His God in faithfulness…My God…My God….Not any other God!!! And God delivered Him from death by raising him from the dead!! The greatest deliverance in History. And Christ becomes the greatest praise offering witness in History. He is seated at the Right Hand of God, praising the marvelous work of God And those who understand the significance of all of this have been delivered from the greatest pit—eternal separation from God…and themselves have offered their own selves as living sacrifices  become praise offering witnesses…. Read Mark 5:15-20 Questions: Why today are you not filled with Praise? If we praise what we value what is this saying about what we value? What do we need to see in order to praise? The depth of our sin and pit we are in! The greatness of our Savior!! That because he rescued our life, our life belongs to him. Romans 12:1   Therefore I urge you, brethren in view of God’s mercies, present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. I am struck by C.S. Lewis’ statement again… I had not noticed how the humblest, and at the same time most balanced and capacious, minds praised most, while the cranks, misfits, and malcontents praised least. …..C.S. Lewis Here is the bottom line: There is no praise to share with others because your greatest delight is not God.  You don’t know the depths of your pit nor the grandeur of his salvation, and you haven’t given you life to Him. When all of that happens…there will be praise If your lips do not speak of God with joy to kids and friends and family…do you recognize that you are still using your lips to live for self…because you delight in something other than God. 

A daily devotional through the recorded words Jesus spoke while He walked alongside us. Our website http://alittlewalkwithgod.com. Thanks for joining me today for "A Little Walk with God." I'm your host Richard Agee. Here is a question for you to consider for a few moments: How is crew like our Christian mission? Scripture John 17:16-23 Jesus: Like Me, they are not products of the corrupt world order. Immerse them in the truth, the truth Your voice speaks. In the same way You sent Me into this world, I am sending them. It is entirely for their benefit that I have set Myself apart so that they may be set apart by truth. I am not asking solely for their benefit; this prayer is also for all the believers who will follow them and hear them speak. Father, may they all be one as You are in Me and I am in You; may they be in Us, for by this unity the world will believe that You sent Me. All the glory You have given to Me, I pass on to them. May that glory unify them and make them one as We are one, I in them and You in Me, that they may be refined so that all will know that You sent Me, and You love them in the same way You love Me. Devotional I have to admit, there are not many Olympic sports that I like to watch. I enjoy the finals of several of them when the final competitors face each other to determine who is the best in some category. Those are usually exciting. Most competitions through the preliminaries are relatively boring to me I'm not much of a sportsman But I like to watch crew Team sport in which rowers compete Consist of 1, 2, 4, 8 person teams plus or minus a coxswain Men's and women's competition at collegiate, olympic, and international levels A lot of factors in winning but one of the most important is unity of the team in their strokes Coxswain or one of the rowers sounding as coxswain keeps rhythm so every oar goes into and out of water simultaneously Unity in every stroke breeds success, by their unity in rowing you can almost pick the winner Jesus wants His followers to have that kind of unity when it comes to fulfilling His purpose Doesn't mean we're all alike Doesn't even mean we agree on everything Means we all work toward a common purpose - His To go and make disciples; to share His message; to help others know He came to forgive sins and bring eternal life to all who believe in Him Even prayed for our unity, that we would be one in Him and in the Father just as He is, one purpose, one direction, one most important thing - God How do we have such unity? Let Him consume you with His love Love Him back for what He has done for you If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don't, tell me. I hope you'll join me again tomorrow for "A Little Walk with God."