Letting God Have Control

Psalms 24:1-4 & 25:4,5,20

Ps 24:1 The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

Ps 24:2 For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.

Ps 24:3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?

Ps 24:4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

Ps 25:4 Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.

Ps 25:5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.

Ps 25:20 O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee.

I want to focus on:

1. Realizing God’s In Control

2. Releasing your control to God

3. Results in safe keeping

Psalm 24 This sacred hymn was probably written to be sung when the ark of the covenant was taken up from the house of Obededom, to remain within curtains upon the hill of Zion. Obededom’s house had been blessed and David was looking to God realizing that his blessing is upon all who abide with him. Obededom was probably a servant/worker in David’s kingdom.

The pleas of the Psalmist, should be our pleas

1. Realizing God’s In Control

John Smithson God is a mystery to us. His infinite wisdom, his power, his character. We pray to Jesus, we pray to the Holy Spirit [we need to] to give God the Father exclusive honor. [we need] to praise the King of Kings, The Lord of Lords, The Lion of Judah, The Balm of Giliead. [we need] to offer up our praise to God the Father.

We know him as names that show his power such as

1. Elohim—used 2,570 times, refers to God’s power and might

DIFFERENT COMPOUNDS OF THIS NAME

a. Elyon, the strongest strong One

b. Roi, the strong One who sees

c. Shaddai, the breasted One

d. Olam, the everlasting God

3. Adonai—Master, Lord. God owns all his creation

All these are awesome names of God but none are on a personal level. These would be words of praise, not worship.

The world knows him as God as all one day will call him Lord but what about us, his children. We should know him on a more intimate and personal level and that is his name, Jehovah.

We do this by first realizing he is in control of all.

a. Ps 24:1 The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

MHC - the earth is his, and this lower world; and, though he has prepared the throne of his glory in the heavens, yet his kingdom rules over all, and even the worms of this earth.

b. Ps 24:2 For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.

TOD- The hungry jaws of ocean would devour the dry land if a constant fiat [a decree] of Omnipotence did not protect it.

c. Ps 24:3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?

d. Ps 24:4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

He-Whose actions and conversation are holy and unblameable.

Pure heart-Careful to approve itself to God, as well as to men; ordering a man’s very thoughts and affections according to God’s word.

Vanity-Who doth not value or desire the vain things of this life, such as honours, riches, pleasures; but makes God his portion.

With realizing God is in control of everything we have to submit to his will

2. Releasing your control to God

Steve Shepherd speaks of a recent trip of his to Graceland Home of Elvis and learned of the history of Elvis- Elvis started out his musical life in an Assembly of God church that preached Christ as the Savior and yet he searched all of his short 42 years for something else and never found it. What was he searching for? Why were his gospel roots not enough? Was something missing from his home life and church life? His daughter, Lisa Marie, said that he was always reading books, underlining statements, making notes, etc.

Shepherd says, As we went through Graceland they showed his desk in one room where there was a Bible that apparently Elvis read, but that wasn’t the only book that he read. There were other books about spirituality, which had nothing to do with Christ and Christianity. I thought, “How sad that he was looking for the meaning of life in places other than the Word of God.”