Sunday Service
Let's pray and ask God's blessing.
Our Father in Heaven, you know, our hearts and our lives and you know the depth of our need to trust you each and every moment and That's sometimes difficult for us because the waves of this world are pretty tall and treacherous.
Yep. Father, you were there? And you're ready to guide and direct and we thank you and we thank you that you're here this morning. It does. Your spirit is active and alive and each of our hearts you are here to change us to renew us to strengthen and Inspire us in our walk with you. This her father we pray for your spirit to truly dig deep into our hearts this morning. Father, take hold of me. That has your spirit speaks to me? I would speak clearly the words that you have chosen and laid upon my heart for you're the one that makes a difference and we trust in that in Jesus name, amen. It will trusting is a difficult thing for all of us sometimes because of those giant waves, the same just around us at times and seem to want to overpower us and take us down. And yet there is a need for us to remember that if we have placed our lives in the hands of the Living God by trusting in Jesus as our savior. Hopefully we've also trusted in Jesus as our Lord and it makes a huge amount of difference for our lives. If that is the case, then we could also all of trust in him as our savior, okay? He's washed away my sins and I'm good. I've got it all together, right wrong. That's not right, because if Jesus is not your lord, then you're not walking in the light of his presence but you're standing in your power and your strength to live this life as you would desire to live it, not as God wants you to live it because God wants us to be out there. Trusting him in all that we do. I just had this picture flashed through my mind of being on a surfboard and going out to the very tip of that surfboard is just passing through the waves and trusting somehow that sir just going to stay up, you know, that's like trusting in God. You know, you get out there and you take the chance and you stepping out in that wave, and it seems like it's going over come and yet can God allow us to stand perfectly in that he can. But our need to be trusting and committed to him. Not only in that moment of time but in all those things that lead up to that moment, are you prepared for the moment? Because God wants us to be prepared for each of those moments and be ready to stand firm and faithful. In those tough times because they ultimately will be the picture for your life. And four others lives when you reveal how God has mightily, worked to make a difference in the pathway of your life. And so we're going to be looking at Psalm 37, a little bit about some, some 37 is it's a song that was written by David towards the end of his life and he's kind of looking back on life. And he's trying to help people understand their need to fully trust in God and walk with him in those pathways. It'd be great to read through the whole song. But that would take too long to preach about. You'd be upset with me if I carried through it all. So we're going to just look at six different verses from that song. Yeah. And see how God calls us. The trust in him and be blessed in that. First of the first two verses are number three and four. Says trust in the Lord and do good, dwell in the land and enjoy safe pastures, take Delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.
Okay, notice is trust in the Lord and do good. It's not just trust in the Lord and then just go your way and do what you want to do. Is trust in the Lord and do the things God has called you to do. See, we all want a great answer from the Lord, but if our desire is not fully trusting him through the process, doing the good that he's called us to in this life then we're not operating as God called us to operate. We're operating as I desire to operate, And if it's about me, it's wrong.
It's about it needs to be about God and what he wants from your life because we all want the rich blessing, right? We want God's provision for our lives and multiple ways, but The ideas, I want them to be Lord and so if he's Lord, I need to do what he had asked me to do. I want to be obedient to his call. I want to have the expression of Christ's flowing from my life. That love joy. Peace patience, kindness goodness, gentleness self-control, all those things flowing out of me.
Because he is truly in charge of my life and that's where he wants us to go. See it's a two-sided issue. God's always going to be there, he's always going to be walking with you and trusting you, but are you going to be hanging on to him or you hanging on to what you can accomplish? Through that circumstance, you face. If you're holding on to him, there's a promise from God, then we find that in the book of Isaiah 26:3, it says, you will keep in perfect peace. Those whose minds are steadfast because they trust in you. In other words, if I want God's peace to rest on me, I need to really believe that he is leading me through the pathway that he is laid out for my life. Sometimes that pathway is really good and smooth and we kind of want to relax in those moments. When those moments are moments, when we can truly be building up our character in him.
other times we get a little bumpy and hits a little rougher and we say, okay well I can trust a little bit but then it gets really bumpy and really rough and we begin to look around as Peter look around when he was walking and buy it through those waves on the Sea of Galilee and all of a sudden taking his eyes off Christ and looking at his own experience, he faltered and sank We don't want that for our lives, do we? We want to be standing facing him and trusting him. All along the way. So we asked us to do that. But it comes with us doing the things God has called us to do as our Lord and our King. His goodness was Flo from our lives 1st Corinthians 4:2 says. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust. Must prove. Faithful will if you trust in the Lord for salvation and him being the Lord of your life, you have a trust that's been given to you and that trust is that you will choose to walk in his life through the circumstances, not in your own. Because if you look at what you can accomplish through, what you're going through, you'll miss God's blessing on your life.
You need to be looking to him to find his guidance and his wisdom. First of all, Jesus speaks to that. Cuz he's on the mount, The Sermon on the Mount. We find in Mathews, 5, 6 and 7. And they're in the middle of that sermon. He's talking about trusting God, through the circumstance of your life and he gets to the end of that process. And he gets the verse 33 in chapter 6, and he says, but seek first, his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. Don't worry about all these little things in life. Worry about your relationship with me. That's the most important thing for your life. All the other things I will bring peace to. I will give you rest in those things. If you first look to me and trust me, first of all, I'm your strength. I'm your guide in all of this may you follow me, you know and it comes from where our heart is. In the first few verses of his message that he delivers on The Sermon on the Mount, he gives blessings what's a blessing to you. That blessing is really what is your relationship with God. Each of those blessings has to do with a relationship. You two have with God in the circumstances that you face in this life. Okay, and he gets the verse 8, Matthew 5:8 and he says blessed blessed. Are the pure in heart for they they will see God. What's the pure in heart will? That's the one that's hard. That is not corrupted by the sin that is in the world that surrounds us. It's a heart that is longing to have that pure and holy relationship with the Living. God, it's a heart that is Holy as God calls us to be holy. And I know that we falter and we fail in that relationship. But when we do falter and fail, like we talked about last week, we need to reconnect as rapidly as possible and seek that forgiveness that cleanses us and makes us pure. And holy before him. God wants that relationship. That doesn't have a hindrance between himself and you, and when that occurs, we have that relationship that allows us to go through life and not worry about the circumstances, but Trump his work and his plan for our life. You know, each of you has God's plan for your life continually playing out as long as you live on this Earth. And that plan revolves around that relationship with him. okay, the idea is To trust God, right? Okay, that's what the focus is on this. And so what do we do with that trust? And that's found in the next two, verses we fly in verses 5 and 6. It says commit your way to the Lord trust in him and he will do this. He will make your righteousness shine righteous. Righteous reward shine like the dawn your Vindication like the Noonday Sun.
Think about this. If we are trusting you know even though I want to keep my eyes on the circumstances rather than God but if we choose okay no Lord I don't want to do that. I want to look to you and we trust you then the answer is here. If I'm committed to the trust then God is committed to vindicate. My life. Okay, do these things and this is a result. This is God's pattern for our lives. Proverbs 16:3 says, commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans. Why will he establish your plans? Because if you're committed the Lord his plans are become your plans because your desire is to do what he's called you to do. So you can recognize, okay? He's at work, he's guiding me through this, he's allowed these circumstances in my life and he still wants to walk with me through them and have that Mighty relationship.
but we look at the circumstances and we get into Get a little queasy and anxious about the things that happen. We got doesn't want that to happen. God wants us to find the peace and not be anxiety. And so, he says, in 1st Peter, 5:7 cast your anxiety on him because he cares for you, he cares for your life. God, who created all things? Who is so far above us that we are nothing but worms in his sight.
Except there are worms that he loves deeply. And gave his life for us. He cares about you. He cares about your life and each of the steps that you take. And as we look to God and frosted the circumstances of Our Lives, that he is still at work in those things, he promises to vindicate. Our Lives, Psalm 18 verse 24, great. Some talking about the struggles and God's response, and his huge effort to come about and really bring about vindication for our lives. While here's part of the end of that, not really the end of the song, but in the end of that scenario, he says, 82 Psalm 18:24, the Lord has rewarded me according to
according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight. You see if I'm walking with him and my life is displaying the righteousness that he has for my life. He says, I will vindicate that life. I will make a difference in the circumstances of your life.
Are you trusting me to do that? Are you allowing me to give you the peace and the comfort that only I can give you? Because the circumstances certainly aren't going to give that to your life.
The circumstances certainly won't and we don't have to be worried about those who come against us. God says, you know, I'm in control. I'm in control of those circumstances. Jesus, and Matthew 1026. Remember Jesus, who was taken to the cross and nailed to the cross and you thought he certainly didn't overcome those circumstances. Did he? He died.
But we all know he overcame. He says so do not be afraid of them. For there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed or hidden. That will not be made known. in other words,
everything that the world has done, it is wrong, will be Revealed, it will be shown. You know, your circumstances are not overwhelming in the eyes of God because he's greater than anything that you face. Okay. But there's one last chance and I said, 6 versus I meant 7 versus when I said, we're laying the last three here, verse 7, through 9, in Psalm, 37 be still before the Lord and wait, patiently for him. Or is that a tough one? You think about patiently waiting? Do not fret when people succeed in their ways when they carry out their wicked schemes refrain from anger, and turn from Wrath. Do not fret. It leads only to evil. For those who are evil will be destroyed. But those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.
You know, I'm thinking through this process, you know, that waiting process is a difficult one. And yet it is one that God calls us through. So often you don't wait on me and part of the reason he asks the weight is to really see that, okay? I'm facing something that is so difficult, I can overcome it. I can't make a difference here but I know who can God can overcome that.
I read this verse a few times and talked about the story and I'll tell you again, the story of the eagle interesting that Kane and Tanya saying a song that mention the eagle in it. And I said to Mary. Well, we're going to take a look at that one again. So here it is. Isaiah 40 verse 31, but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar on wings, like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. And many of you remember the story of the eagle, I told you Mary and I were visiting some friends in Spain. He had this house that was right before a hillside that went up. I don't know how hard it far, it went up but it went a long long way up and it was filled with rocks and everything and we had stayed there, a few days and we were getting ready to leave the next day. And the guy asked us. What would you like to do today? And I said, well I've been looking at that mountain for a couple of days that you're staying with you. I'd really like to climb that mountain, you know? And so I got a chance to begin to. We got together, we got a lunch together and we got water. And when we got gloves to help save our hands began, climbing up that mountain probably about 10 or 9 in the morning and, and we walked up and up that mountain climbing through caves and everything and it was Grand and wonderful, but it is all so tiring because by midday, it was about 90 degrees or so. And we were tired and we looked up and we still had probably at least another half, maybe a 2/3 of a way that we needed to go to get to the top. So we knew we were never get made it to the top when we decided to have lunch and we sat down and there was this wonderful view out there. Yeah, it. It was about as picturesque as you can imagine. and we were sitting there eating and enjoying it, and
we were watching Mary in the the wives of the other guys down there, way down below and all of a sudden this we were watching from a bush that was real close to ladies. This Eagle took off took a couple of laps of his wings and he spread his wings out and that eagle began to soar round and round. And we watch that eagle for about 15 minutes at the end of that, 15 minutes that eagle flew within maybe 10 ft of us going over head. And I just imagine that eagle. Sitting in that bush and watching these three people trying to climb that mountain for 3 hours.
You're going up there and struggling and sweating and everything else in that eagle back in that bush laugh. I can't believe these people out there climbing working that hard to do that and they go say it. I'm just going to wait back here and this bush. And when God gives the opportunity, I'm going to spread my wings. And I'm going to soar over their heads and laugh at them. For all that work. They had to do. Because I don't have to do anything but trust in God. And God will leave the right path for me. And he didn't, I we watch that Eagles soar over the top of that mountain, within less than a half an hour. It would have taken us 810 a horse to climb to the top of that. Can you imagine that? That's the way waiting upon the Lord works. We see all the people in this world that seem to be accomplishing so much, that equal could have said back there. And said, look at those people. They're getting up their way ahead of me and I'm sitting down here not doing anything and I'm struggling with that.
But you didn't have to because, you know what? He's spent his life operating in those. Elevations where God warmed it up and allow the air to rise and he could rise on that. So, he knew why. Because he done it over and over again. He trusted with those lifting breezes, we're going to be there with that would lift him up. Are you there? Are you waiting for those lifting breezes to lift you up and see the mighty hand of God move in your life to guide and protect you? That's the story. Of the eagle and waiting for the Living God. But you know, so often our responses when we look up there and we see those well those three guys advancing in their moving way ahead of me. And there's no way I'm going to catch up, right?
Jeremiah spoke to that as well as a few other prophets habakkuk and the few others asked the question of God, hears your Maya. You're my 12:1. He says you are always righteous Lord, when I bring a case before you. And yeah, I would speak with you about your Justice. Why does The Way of the Wicked Prosper? Why do all the Faithful Is liberties?
You know, and there's times when we look at the success of others and how they are walking. Sinfully. And yet seem to be dominating this world and we go Lord. Where's the Justice in all of this?
That's his weight. Wait for me, trust that I will be the guide in these circumstances and help you along the way. You know, and that really is wisdom when we truly can do that. But just like the eagle. Knowing that he would be lifted up because he had gone through the process over and over again. Remember that God wants us to recognize that we can be lifted up because he's taking us through the process.
Sometimes more and more times than we can even recall, the Lift us up in those times of need. Galatians 5:16 says, so I say walk by the spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. you know, if we allow the spirit to take our lives and we walk in that spirit and resonate, The love of Christ in this world. God will guide and protect us. He will guide and protect us. Is there Justice in this world? God says there is, do we believe that?
Proverbs 2:22 says, but the wicked will be cut off from the land and the Unfaithful will be torn from it.
You see our circumstances should not dictate how we look at life.
There are many times, you can look back in your life and I know there are many times. I can look back in my life and see the circumstances and say, where are you gone? You don't seem to be in this circumstance.
but if we look to God and say, Lord. I don't see you right now, but I'm going to look for you and live for you in this life. And Trust. That somehow you're going to carry me through this situation. and I can tell you in my life because that has been the case I can look back and say he does live through those moments when it seems like God simply isn't there. He's not operating but he is and we need to recognize that and we need to live that way each and every day. Just on Sunday morning when we show up for church, ready to receive the blessing. But each day, God wants to bless your life happy to know in but it comes with trust in him and doing what he's called to do each and every day. Making sure that we Are Holy righteous continually evolving through the process of sanctification in our lives. And so, that's an encouragement. I hope a commitment on each of our parts, to live our lives, as God would have us to live, not as the world desires, you to live going through the struggles that they face and cannot overcome them. Because they don't have the hope that you have in Christ Jesus as pray.
Father in heaven. We thank you for
The love you have for us. the gift that we have through Jesus Christ and the Salvation that you have, but also the joy of living for you each and every moment of this life in recognizing that because I live for your joy and your your recognition I have a peace that overcomes. Any thing. The world can give me. And so each of us are there, may you bless us in walking with you through this life? In Jesus name, amen.