Sermon Tone Analysis

!!! “God's Call of the Righteous”

*(Part 8)*

*GOD’S PROMISES*

*PSALM 37*

 

We are sharing the message “God’s Call of the Righteous” as brought forth in Psalm 37.

 

*If you recall, Psalm literally means “plucking the strings of a harp.”

They convey in words the inner most feelings of our hearts expression.

It is our heart “playing” to the Lord our prayers, our concerns, our faith, and our praise.*

* *

*Psalm 37 is an acrostic poem, the stanzas of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

(Aleph, Bet, Gimmel, etc.)*

* *

*We stated it is:  **The ABC’s of God’s promise to the righteous.*

*I.

*Can you recall the six elements essential for bringing peace to the believer and bringing about God’s promises?

1.

Do not *FRET*.

2.

*TRUST* in the *LORD*.

3.

*DELIGHT* yourself in the *LORD*.

4.

*COMMIT* our *WAY* to the *LORD*.

5.

*REST* in the *LORD*.

6.

*WAIT* *PATIENTLY* on the *LORD*.

We’ve shared the message “Do not Fret,” concluding that we have peace when we understand God is in control and we do not “fret.”

Then we shared knowing that God is in control our part is to “Trust in the Lord.”

And then God’s call to the righteous is for us to “Delight ourselves in the Lord.”

Then we shared “Commit your way to the Lord.”

And then last week “Rest in the Lord.”

The sixth element we shared of God’s ABC’s of His promise to the righteous was to “Wait patiently on the Lord.”

Today the focus is if we do these things then the promises of God remain for us.

*Hebrews 10:36 (NKJV) * 

For you have need of endurance (patience), so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:

 

In other words after you have done the will of God you will receive the promise.

As you don’t give into fretting, as you put your trust in the Lord, as you delight yourself in the Lord, as you commit your way, as you rest and as wait on the Lord you will receive the promise.

Some people try to go around this process, try to short change the process.

Maybe they do two or three points of the process.

But the promise is only assured to those who go all the way, not just part or some of the way, but all the way.

Are you willing to go all the way to receive the promise?

Have you ever heard the story of Onan?

He was to bring forth the promise but he interrupted the completion of his sexual relation with his wife and it displeased God and God struck him dead.

*Genesis 38:1-30 (NKJV) * 

It came to pass at that time that Judah departed from his brothers, and visited a certain Adullamite whose name /was/ Hirah.

2And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name /was/ Shua, and he married her and went in to her. 3So she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er. 4She conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan.

5And she conceived yet again and bore a son, and called his name Shelah.

He was at Chezib when she bore him.

6Then Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name /was/ Tamar.

7But Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord killed him.

8And Judah said to Onan, "Go in to your brother's wife and marry her, and raise up an heir to your brother."

9But Onan knew that the heir would not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in to his brother's wife, that he emitted on the ground, lest he should give an heir to his brother.

10And the thing which he did displeased the Lord; therefore He killed him also.

11Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, "Remain a widow in your father's house till my son Shelah is grown."

For he said, "Lest he also die like his brothers."

And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house.

12Now in the process of time the daughter of Shua, Judah's wife, died; and Judah was comforted, and went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

13And it was told Tamar, saying, "Look, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep."

14So she took off her widow's garments, covered /herself/ with a veil and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place which /was/ on the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given to him as a wife.

15When Judah saw her, he thought she /was/ a harlot, because she had covered her face.

16Then he turned to her by the way, and said, "Please let me come in to you"; for he did not know that she /was/ his daughter-in-law.

So she said, "What will you give me, that you may come in to me?" 17And he said, "I will send a young goat from the flock."

So she said, "Will you give /me/ a pledge till you send /it?" /18Then he said, "What pledge shall I give you?"

So she said, "Your signet and cord, and your staff that /is/ in your hand."

Then he gave /them/ to her, and went in to her, and she conceived by him.

19So she arose and went away, and laid aside her veil and put on the garments of her widowhood.

20And Judah sent the young goat by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive /his/ pledge from the woman's hand, but he did not find her.

21Then he asked the men of that place, saying, "Where is the harlot who /was/ openly by the roadside?"

And they said, "There was no harlot in this /place."

/22So he returned to Judah and said, "I cannot find her.

Also, the men of the place said there was no harlot in this /place."

/23Then Judah said, "Let her take /them/ for herself, lest we be shamed; for I sent this young goat and you have not found her."

24And it came to pass, about three months after, that Judah was told, saying, "Tamar your daughter-in-law has played the harlot; furthermore she /is/ with child by harlotry."

So Judah said, "Bring her out and let her be burned!"

25When she /was/ brought out, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, "By the man to whom these belong, I /am/ with child."

And she said, "Please determine whose these /are--/the signet and cord, and staff."

26So Judah acknowledged /them/ and said, "She has been more righteous than I, because I did not give her to Shelah my son."

And he never knew her again.

27Now it came to pass, at the time for giving birth, that behold, twins /were/ in her womb.

28And so it was, when she was giving birth, that /the one/ put out /his/ hand; and the midwife took a scarlet /thread/ and bound it on his hand, saying, "This one came out first." 29Then it happened, as he drew back his hand, that his brother came out unexpectedly; and she said, "How did you break through?

/This/ breach /be/ upon you!" Therefore his name was called Perez.

30Afterward his brother came out who had the scarlet /thread/ on his hand.

And his name was called Zerah.

From Perez came David.

David’s gggggggrandson was Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary.

Thus establishing the legal lineage of Jesus.

Also from Perez, through David came the gggggggrandson  Heli who was the father of Mary the mother of Jesus establishing the blood lineage of Jesus.

So Onan by his disobedience forfeited the right to become part of the lineage of the Messiah.

Like Esau he gave up the birthright.

Thereby trying to negate the promise of God.

But God will fulfill His Word, with or without you.

Some of you are disrupting the process and never getting pregnant with God’s promise or you’re aborting the promise before it has developed to the point of completion.

*II.

*You cannot take a *short* *cut* to God’s *PROMISES*.

God sets before you a blessing and a curse – He admonishes us to choose the Blessing.

God gives you the ability to choose, the choice is yours.

*III.

*Psalm 37 gives a *PROMISE* to *BELIEVERS* and a *CURSE* to *EVILDOERS*.

To walk in the blessing what is the choice the believer must make?

Psalm 37 is very clear.

Don’t Fret, Trust, Do Good, Delight, Commit, Rest, Wait, Cease from Anger, Forsake Wrath, Be Content, Depart from Evil, Speak Wisdom, Speak Justice, Keep God’s Way.

 

*Proverbs 3:1-10 (NKJV) * 

My son, do not forget my law, but let your heart keep my commands; 2for length of days and long life and peace they will add to you.

3Let not mercy and truth forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart, 4/and/ so find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man.

5Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

7Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil.

8It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones.