OPEN WIDE by William K. Akehurst
Psalm 81:1-16
Open Wide. We must open and give our all to God, so that we can receive the full blessing He has to offer us. This message will leave your MOUTH WIDE OPEN!
Scriptures Referenced
Psalm 81:10 (Key Verse)
Exodus 34:14
1 Corinthians 8:5-6
2 Timothy 3:2,4
Deuteronomy 26:16-19
Deuteronomy 30:16
1 Kings 2:3
Proverbs 3:5,6
Luke 1:37
Matthew 17:20
What’s all the noise about? What’s all that shouting about? What is everyone saying at the top of their lungs?
Our text comes from Psalm 81 today. It tells us to…
Sing & Shout Happily unto God
Begin with a song, Strike the drum
Play Harps and Blow the Trumpet.
Sing a song. Beat the Drums. Hey…drums in church are ok after all!
Play the harp and blow the trumpet! All in celebration and delight.
God wants us to DELIGHT in HIM!
We are Ordered to Delight in the Lord. It is our Prerequisite.
Our Happiness Comes From God!
This is a Law of God. God commanded us to take a day of celebration! And to give HIM the praise. This can be a holiday, a new season, or everyday…
Next he reminds us…
‘He lifted and freed us from our burdens’
‘You called me in trouble and I delivered you. I answered in the secret place of thunder.’
He WILL care for us in our time of need, our time of trouble, our time of despair
Listen to ME. He says. Just Listen and OBEY
Do not let anything else govern your life – Only God – the One True God.
Don’t let things, material things, run your life.
Don’t let them become your focus.
God is a jealous God. He wants us for His own.
Exodus 34:14 For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:
God is a jealous God. He wants us for His own.
Why shouldn’t He? He created us!
1 Corinthians 8:5-6 says there are many called gods in heaven and earth, but vs. 6 says
6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
2 Timothy 3:2,4 says that men will put themselves before God
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
We are not to allow anything to get between us and the ONE TRUE GOD. We are not to allow money, or job, or things to govern our lives, and become our ‘god’
Open your mouth W-I-D-E and I will fill it!
When I think of mouth wide open, I think of 2 things.
The dentist chair…
And the baby bird.
In the Dentist Chair, we need to open our mouth that we may be worked on. No, that’s not the filling that the Lord has to offer! Lol.
Like the baby bird awaits its mother in the nest. Mouth open waiting to be filled.
Did you know that there are birds where the mother bird will actually place the food with her beak right into the belly of the baby. That baby must have its mouth wide open in order to be filled!
We are to be like that bird…open mouth, ready to be filled.
And why do we need to open our mouths wide?
Because we are to…
Speak/shout/sing/spread wide the praise of God.
We are to Share it widely. And when we do, we open our mouths to get filled with HIS blessing.
He will take care of you and satisfy and fill you!
In the next few verses, we are to learn more of this blessing.
BUT,
And it seems there is always a ‘but’. It’s what we need to look at…its what we need to learn from.
‘But…My People…Did not Listen…They wanted nothing of ME.
Oh my…So…I gave them up to their desires.’
You see…God doesn’t MAKE us do His will. He will allow us to go our stubborn way, to do things we do, to make the mistakes we make, so that we can LEARN the consequences of our sin.
IF…He says…IF ONLY
IF…they had only listened…and WALKED IN MY WAYS.
WHAT???
I would have protected them. Defeating their enemy and punishing their enemy forever.
I would have provided the best food and honey from the rock to satisfy you.
God says we need to listen to Him. And Walk in HIS Ways!
PS 128:1 says…Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways.
Deut 26:16-19 says that…
God commanded that we do this with all our heart and soul.
We are to walk his ways, keep true to His Word and listen to his voice.
God has made us his special family, made high above all nations in praise, name and honor that we might be a holy people unto the Lord our God as he said.
READ Deuteronomy 26:16-19
Deuteronomy 30:16 We are to walk in his way to live and multiply that God will bless us in the land we go.
In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways…that you may live…and that God shall bless you in the land where you live.
1 Kings 2:3 “walk in his ways…that you may prosper in all that you do, and where ever you turn
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not to your own understanding…in all your ways, Acknowledge Him (WITH YOUR WIDE OPEN MOUTH!) And HE will direct your paths (walk in Him and He will FILL YOU!)
We are to Delight in the Lord, in ONLY GOD ALONE.
Walk in HIS ways.
Open your Mouth to receive the Blessing
And He will provide the BEST for us. A Blessing.
Honey from the rock. A sweetness out of something that can’t provide sweetness? Sweetness out of nothing? He will make what seems impossible…possible!
Nothing is impossible with God
LUKE 1:37 Says Nothing is impossible with God
MATT 17:20 SAYS if we have the faith of a grain of mustard…Nothing shall be impossible for us!
That IS something to get excited about.
That IS something to Sing about
That IS something to Shout about. To beat a drum about.
We are to Sing/Shout/Praise GOD – ONLY GOD!
- This isn’t some football game
- This isn’t some baseball game
If we can act like fools and get all excited about a game…what is stopping us from getting all excited about ETERNITY!!!
Like the baby Bird Waits with Mouth wide open. God will fill our inner most being.
Do this exercise with me.
OPEN YOUR MOUTH WIDE.
TAKE A DEEP BREATH.
It fills you – doesn’t it…to the inner core.
Not like breathing through a stuffy nose with your mouth closed.
Only to GOD – ALONE
Open your mouth – take Him In.
Take in…His Goodness
His Provision
His Blessing
HIM
He says OPEN YOUR MOUTH…WIDE
Let the praises out with everything within your being.
A wide open mouth will receive the biggest blessing!
We must OPEN WIDE and GIVE our ALL to God, so that we can receive the full blessing He has to offer us.
HOLD NOTHING BACK!
MAKE EVERYTHING KNOWN UNTO HIM.
Not only Praise, but also PRAY!
3 P’s
PRAISE/PRAYER/PLENTY
Walk in His Ways – NOT yours
SING – SHOUT [sound off] – PRAISE GOD ALONE – SEEK HIM [PRAY] – WALK HIS WAY – OPEN WIDE – BE FILLED – BE FULL – BE PROTECTED AND PROVIDED FOR AND PROSPER.
What about this Honey from a rock????
Something good from what appears as nothing.
He will provide when we can’t see where the provision can come from.
How can Honey come from a rock?
Who is this Rock?
This ROCK – JESUS – How sweet Salvation is. Salvation is the Sweet Honey that comes from the ROCK – JESUS!
So. Today…
OPEN YOUR MOUTH WIDE. Give HIM praise. SPREAD THE WORD. Walk in His Ways…And RECEIVE your blessing…BE FILLED!
AMEN!
You too can have this MOUTH WIDE OPEN experience. Admit your sin, Ask Jesus into your heart and you will be saved. Give Him Praise!
Let’s Pray.
Hymn: ‘Tis So Sweet To Trust in Jesus
Copyright 2007 Harford Sr. Worship Center, William Akehurst
