January 4, 2009
Morning Worship
Text: Psalm 86:11-13
Subject: The Truth of God
Title: Developing Abiding Faith in God’s Promises
Do you remember your very first encounter with the Bible? I’m talking about the first time you picked it up and began to read what is written on the pages. I still have my very first Bible – a KJV black leather. It was a graduation present to me from my sister and brother - in - law. Much as I hate to admit it still looks like it did the day I took it out of the box. You have heard me share before about how much I liked to read as a youngster. I loved science fiction books. The very first thing that I ever tried to read in the Bible was the Book of Revelation. It was kind of like science fiction. That was before I received the precious gift of eternal life. It made no sense to me. Little did I know then that this is the word of God. Nearly twenty-one years ago my understanding of what the Bible was began to change. When Charlotte and I gave our lives to Jesus on that weekend youth retreat to which we had taken seven teenagers, we were each given a Good News Bible. Now the Good News Bible is not a translation but a paraphrase, but for the very first time I began reading in genesis and read all the way through to the end of Revelation. My life was changed and my understanding of what the Bible was began to change. It took a while before I came to the undivided conclusion that this book is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. I am going to step out on a limb right now and make a statement that a lot of people are not going to like. Any religion, cult, or denomination that does not accept the whole Bible as the inspired word of God is not from God. It is in bondage to good works.
Once the Devil was walking along with one of his cohorts. They saw a man ahead of them pick up something shiny. "What did he find?" asked the cohort.
"A piece of the truth," the Devil replied.
"Doesn’t it bother you that he found a piece of the truth?" asked the cohort.
No," said the Devil, "I will see to it that he makes a religion out of it."
"Klyne Snodgrass, Between Two Truths - Living with Biblical Tensions, 1990, Zondervan Publishing House, p. 35.
That is where I want to get to today. I want to help you get to the point where you not only confess the word of God with your mouth but that you can really believe in your heart that it is the inerrant word of God.
Turn to Psalm 86:11-13
Lord, open my eyes to see and my ears to hear what the spirit is saying to the church.
I. FLOWING IN THE TRUTH (11a) 11Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; many have undertaken to prove that the Bible cannot be true by looking at the history of the Bible, the science of the Bible or the linguistics of the Bible. Many who have tried have ended up coming to a quite different conclusion. One of those was internationally known speaker Josh McDowell. As the president of his class in college Josh looked like he had everything going for him. But beneath the surface he was out of control and was looking for satisfaction in his life in every way you could think of. Then one day he was challenged by some Christian friends, “Why don’t you look for yourself and come to a conclusion on your own?” As he accepted the challenge he soon came to the realization that the Bible was true and that Jesus was who He said he was. Once he accepted Christ he said it took about a year and a half for the necessary changes to take place in his life that would finally make it all so real. That is why the Psalmist could write this verse, 11Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth… You cannot understand the Bible on your own. It is only through a right relationship with God can it be understood. God must teach His ways to you. You see the Bible is a Holy Spirit inspired book that can only be understood through the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit to you. John 14:25-26, “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. John 16:12-13, 12“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. It is the Holy Spirit who teaches you. Now let’s break this down even a little further. 11Teach me your way, O LORD… If you want to know about the things of God you need to study the Word. As you study the Holy Spirit teaches you by placing truth in your spirit – He makes the Bible come alive in you. That happens by having faith. Hebrews 11:3, By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command… Two dimensions that the word of God operates in – the spiritual and the natural. 1) spiritual - By faith 2) the natural - we understand. It is when our spirits accept the word by faith that our natural man – our minds - can really understand. 11Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth… Once I get it in my spirit I’m going to believe it, and stand on it till I receive it.
II. FOCUSED ON THE TRUTH (11b) …give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. Turn over to James 1. I want you to see the main obstacle that keeps people from receiving everything that God wants them to have. 5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. 1) The first thing I want you to see here is that though this passage begins by talking about wisdom, the focus is not on wisdom but on God’s faithfulness. He gives generously to all without finding fault. 2) If you ask you will receive. it will be given to him… 3) Doubt will keep you from receiving God’s promises. Now let’s take a little more time here. Doubt never begins in the spirit man. It always comes from the soul (intellect, emotions, personality). because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord… Doubt comes from our experiences, our surroundings, our thoughts – everything that stems from the natural man. I suppose we all have come to a place in our faith walk where we absolutely questioned where was God when we needed Him. Lana Dawkins has been through more just in the time she has been here than many will go through in their whole lifetime. The devil wants her to get her focus off Jesus and on her own troubles. We’re not going to let that happen. Many of you think you have troubles too. Look at Paul. He experienced physical danger, religious oppression and emotional stress on a daily basis. 2 Corinthians 11:23, I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. 27I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. Yet after all that he was never swayed. 2 Corinthians 4:17, 17For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 4) We should stay focused on God our rock. That is where our stability comes from. The Psalmist wrote, give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. The word translated as “undivided” means to be unified; to become one. “Heart” refers to the spirit man; “Fear” means to have reverence for… “Name” means position, honor, authority, character… My translation – “Give me unity in my spirit so that I (in my spirit) may have reverence for your position, your honor, your authority, and your character.” Regardless of how bad things seem I will always know in my spirit that all of God’s promises are true. In Psalm 103:2 look at what begins in King David’s spirit. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits— 3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases 4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, 5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
III. FELLOWSHIP WITH THE TRUTH. (12) How do you have fellowship with the truth? It comes from having the right kind of relationship with God. I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. Sometimes I wonder if we have the right kind of relationship with the Lord. So what is the right relationship? It is the relationship that begins in the spirit man (with all my heart) and then is seen I your lifestyle. Everything you do will glorify God. So what kind of relationship do you have with God? 1) Is it a Father/child relationship? A child is dependant upon his father for everything. A father has the child’s bet interest in mind. In Matthew 18, 2He called a little child and had him stand among them. 3And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. In our culture it often appears that the parent is subservient to the children. It seems that some Christians are like that. 2) Is a Master /servant relationship? In the New Testament the type of servant spoken of is often a bondservant who has willingly attached himself to a Master. He is ready to do whatever the Master asks of him because he loves him, not because he is afraid of him. The master in turn gives the servant everything he needs. H also gives him authority to act in his name. The problem is that many know what the Master has asked them to do and still do just what they want to do and nothing else. 3) A King/subject relationship. You do whatever the King wants you to do because you have to. It’s the law so you have to abide by it. This kind of relationship will often lead you away from “relationships” and will just become “religion”. Do you want to have fellowship with the truth? Then get His truth in your spirit and let it flow into your natural man.
IV. FREEDOM THROUGH THE TRUTH (13) For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths of the grave. Who can quote a scripture that tells about God’s great love for us? John 3:16; Romans 5:8; Ephesians 2:8,9; Acts 2:21, etc. Each of those talks about eternal life and the work that has come through Jesus Christ. But I want you to look specifically at one word in that verse – the word “delivered”. The Hebrew word means, “to snatch away”. True, God has snatched us away from death and the grave. But if you look at the context of the whole Psalm it goes beyond that. Look at verse 10. For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God. It is about God’s promises - Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth. For you are great and do marvelous deeds; It is about being sure that God is able to do what He has promised - give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. For you are great and do marvelous deeds; It is about having the kind of faith to live out every promise that God has given you - I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. you alone are God. So what has God delivered you (snatched away) from? Galatians 5:1, 1It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. You are delivered from everything that holds you captive. You have been set free from everything that creates doubt in our minds. You have subjected yourselves to the God who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us… You have been set free by the Son and if the son sets you free you are free indeed. You are free to receive every promise that God has given you.
God’s truth that the Holy Spirit is revealing to us is not something that changes from day to day. It is always truth.
To please his father a freshman went out for track. He had no athletic ability, though the father had been a good miler in his day. His first race was a two-man race in which he ran against the school miler. He was badly beaten. Not wanting to disappoint his father, the boy wrote home as follows: "You will be happy to know that I ran against Bill Williams, the best miler in school. He came in next to last, while I came in second."
Bits & Pieces, September 17, 1992, p. 12.
That is a good example of how the world distorts truth. They say the Bible isn’t really God’s word. There are no absolute truths. Even the church world says that you can’t expect to receive miracles today. God doesn’t act like that anymore.
Everything I have said today comes down to this. Do you accept the word of God for being what it says it is? Have you openly and verbally confessed the promises of salvation, healing, protection, provision, blessing… as a way of settling them into your spirit man? Then do you act on them in order to receive them?
What kind of relationship are you in with God? If it is not the Father/child or Master/servant relationship you can change that today. God is faithful and unchanging. His promises have always been and will always be true. They are here for you right now.
What are you going to do with them?
