"How To Receive God's Blessings" - Ii

“How To Receive God’s Blessings” – II

INTRODUCTION: A couple of weeks ago, we began a new series on “How To Receive God’s Blessings”. Last time, we looked at Psalm 1, where David gave us a description of the person who is “blessed” by God.

EVERYBODY WANTS God to bless them … AMEN? NOBODY WANTS God to WITHHOLD His blessings … OR … to WITHDRAW His blessings.

The book of Psalms BEGINS with the word “blessed”. NOW, we will continue in the book of Psalms to see how David shows us, throughout the Psalms, how to receive all the blessings that God has for us. It would be UNFAIR for me to just tell you that God WANTS to bless you … without showing you how to RECEIVE God’s blessings. Let’s travel through the Psalms tonight and see “How To Receive God’s Blessings”.

1.- TRUST HIM – Psalm 2:12

Think of someone that you DON’T trust. Does a person come to mind? WHY CAN’T you trust them? Maybe they have proven themselves UNTRUSTWORTHY in the past. Maybe they have BETRAYED your trust. Maybe they have TAKEN ADVANTAGE of your trust.

Is there anyone you can trust implicitly? You have no problem bearing your innermost feelings or thoughts. You know they will keep a confidence. You can depend on them for anything and everything. They are always there for you. They will never let you down. Does someone come to mind?

NOW … think about GOD. He’s always there for you … on your side … wanting what’s BEST for you. He will never betray you, or let you down. You can TRUST Him.

“Kiss the Son”. Who do you kiss? Usually, it’s people you like! Would you have a hard time kissing someone you didn’t trust? In Bible times, a kiss meant something a little different than it means today, in our culture. A “kiss” meant ‘acceptance’. Jesus (the “Son”) wants you to “kiss” Him. If you don’t, you will make Him ANGRY. AND … you don’t want Jesus ANGRY at you … you want Him to BLESS you … AMEN?

How can you make Jesus ANGRY? Jesus went to the cross and suffered unthinkable anguish, pain & suffering for you. He suffered for YOUR sins. He took YOUR punishment on the cruel cross. To reject that … to walk away from it … to refuse it … to spit upon what Jesus did for you … will make Him angry. If you did for someone what Jesus did for you … AND … they spit in your face … wouldn’t it make YOU angry?

What’s going to happen to those who don’t TRUST Jesus … who don’t “kiss” Him … who don’t “accept” what He did for them? “perish”

Can you think of a famous “kiss” in the Bible? The Jewish leaders came to Judas to betray Jesus. Judas said that he would identify Jesus by a “kiss” … a sign of ACCEPTANCE. When Judas “kissed” Jesus, LISTEN to what Jesus said - Matthew 26:49-50 – “And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him. [50] And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.”

“Hail, Master” – Kind of sounds like ACCEPTANCE, doesn’t it. NOW … NOTICE what Jesus called Judas … “friend”. Jesus was telling Judas – “You have kissed Me. Now, you are free to repent and trust Me. You are free to turn your kiss of BETRAYAL into a kiss of ACCEPTANCE.” Judas didn’t … AND … he “perished from the way”.

Do you want to be BLESSED by God? Of course you do! Then “kiss” Him … ACCEPT Him … develop a close and personal relationship with Him. Don’t betray Him, like Judas did.

How to receive God’s blessing …

2.- ASK FORGIVENESS – Psalm 32:1-2

Do we have any sinners here tonight? Anyone who has lived a perfect life? Do you know anyone who has? I’m reminded of a story about the time a preacher asked his congregation if anyone knew a perfect man. An elderly man, who had married a widow only a year before, raised his hand. To the surprise of the Pastor, he asked him who he was. The man replied, “My wife’s first husband!”

You will be “blessed” by God, if you go to Him, and ask His forgiveness. You can’t become a child of God without asking Him for forgiveness. Jesus died to pay for your sins, AND … when you trust Him, “the Lord imputeth not iniquity”.

You can’t maintain fellowship with Him, unless you continue to keep the slate clean. Remember 1 John 1:9? - “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” NOW, our sins were FORGIVEN by Jesus on the cross. BUT, FELLOWSHIP is maintained by a continual confession of our sins.