Dr. Wayne A. Lawson
Antioch Institutional Baptist Church
Oklahoma City, OK
RevWLawson@aol.com
Preached, Sunday, September 13, 2009
(I take no credit for the originality of this Sermon – originally delivered by Pastor Marvin Wiley)
TITLE: I WILL BLESS THE LORD
SCRIPTURE: PSALM 34:1-3
1I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. 3O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.
This psalm, like so many others, has its roots grounded in a historical occasion. The historical context of this chapter can be found in I Samuel Chapter 21-22. It is there that we find David who has just changed his behavior before Ahimelech as he is on the run from King Saul. King Saul was not happy with David and how he was being elevated by God. The local woman had been singing songs -Saul killed his thousands and David his ten thousands. The saying displeased King Saul to the point that he now sought to take the Life of David. Saul set in his heart to Kill David. David is now on the run from Saul.
During the time that David Penned this particular Psalm – he is found in Gath. It is interesting to note that Goliath was from Gath. Automatically, I find Problems with this Passage. David runs for his life and temporarily settles in Gath. Can you help me church? I’m having a difficult time understanding –How do you find safety among your enemies?
• How do you go to the enemies Camp and find safety?
• How do you find rest among your enemies?
• I know young people like to sing the song – I went to the enemies camp and I took back what he stole form me
• Most of us recognize it is just a song - we take no comfort in the camp of our enemy
• Bible declares in PSALM 110:1 - ST. LUKE 20:43 - ACTS 2:35 - HEBREWS 1:13 - God will make our enemies our footstool.
• Not our place of Refuge
• Not seated by our side
• But Beneath our Feet!
King Achish who is the King of Gath is somewhat shocked when he discovers David who is now on the run. The king looks at David and asks why have you bought this mad man to me. Bible readers will remember that David had to fane himself mad – Literally act like he was crazy – Like he has lost his mind
• Let me pause here and state for the record that everybody that acts like they are crazy isn’t really crazy
• People around you may Play like they are Crazy – but they know what they are doing
• David played like he was crazy
• Spittle ran down his beard – Scratching on the gates of the city
• Custom of the day – would not kill or imprison those that were crazy or you believed them to be crazy
• David initiated the plan to act as though he were crazy so the King of Gath would not take his life
Fear will make you act foolish and ultimately lead to your failure. When we operate in fear it will literally make you feel like you have lost your mind. This is why Paul spoke with the young preacher by the name of Timothy and encouraged him to be courageous in his ministry. Paul recorded - II TIMOTHY 1:7 “GOD HAS NOT GIVEN US THE SPIRIT OF FEAR, BUT OF POWER, AND OF LOVE AND A SOUND MIND.” David fearing King Saul and now fearing King Achish is on the run again. This is a strong contrast to what David wrote in an earlier Psalm. Just go Seven (7) Chapters forward. Look at David’s Proclamation in this Chapter.
• PSALM 27 - THE LORD IS MY LIGHT AND MY SALVATION, WHOM SHALL I FEAR? THE LORD IS THE STRENGTH OF MY LIFE, OF WHOM SHALL I BE AFRAID?
• VS. 2 WHEN THE WICKED, EVEN MINE ENEMIES AND MY FOES, CAME UPON ME TO EAT UP MY FLESH, THEY STUMBLED AND FELL
• VS. 3 THOUGH AN HOST SHOULD ENCAMP AGAINST ME, MY HEART SHALL NOT FEAR: THOUGH WAR SHOULD RISE AGAINST ME, IN THIS WILL I BE CONFIDENT
• VS. 5 FOR IN THE TIME OF TROUBLE HE SHALL HIDE ME IN HIS PAVILION, IN THE SECRET OF HIS TABERNACLE SHALL HE HIDE ME, HE SHALL SET ME UP UPON A ROCK
• When you get into a Tight Place
• When things don’t look good
• When you find yourself in trouble
• We have assurance that we have a God we can lean on
That was Psalm 27 – We travel just a few chapters down the road -- David now marches himself from Gath and finds a Cave. It is located in close Proximity to the very place where he killed Goliath. What a wonderful place to Reminisce – Reflect – Remember - Recall. David is now hiding in theCave of Adullam.
• Everybody needs a Cave of Adullam
• Place to remember what God has done
• A sealed off Place
• A Place where we can steal away
• A place with no distractions where we can Reflect – Reminisce - Remember
• A place where we can clearly hear the voice of God
The narrative takes an interesting twist at this point. When the friends of David heard that he was found hiding in a Cave at Adullam; they left the problems and issues of home and went to find David. Let me note that 400 men showed up to sit with David and share the cave. I wish I had time to stay here, this is a sermon by itself. Those men that were in Doubt – Distressed – Disenchanted - Disinfeanchised - found David and joined him in the Cave.
This is Where and When this Psalm was Birthed. David now picks up Parchment and Pen and begins to author this Psalm. Something on the inside of David began to Spring Up and he turns his Cave into a Cathedral. David takes his time as he Begins to write. He does not rush, he takes his time during this process. You may say, Reverend how do you know that?
• This Psalm is called an Acoustic Psalm
• That means each verse begins with each letter of the Alphabet
• He says I will Bless the Lord
• It is Personal
• Affirmation of Intent
• David said I Will –that’s where he differs from us - most people say I Will Not
• Bless = Hebrew is where we get our word Eulogy
• I will speak well of God
• Regardless of my situation – I will speak well of God
• Funeral don’t speak ill about deceased
This is the very thing that kept Job at the forefront of his situation. You remember how the Devil said “I’ll Make Him Cuss You.” Job came through his situation with Flying Colors. Job proclaimed – The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. We must learn how to Bless God from both sides.
• Lord Giveth – Bless God
• Lord Taketh – Bless God
• When I’m Up – Bless God
• When I’m Down – Bless God
• When I Have Money – Bless God
• When I am Broke – Bless God
• When I am Working – Bless God
• When I am Laid Off – Bless God
• When I am Feeling Well – Bless God
• When I Have Aches and Pains – Bless God
• When I am Understood - Bless God
• When I am Misunderstood - Bless God
• When I’m Clam – Bless God
• When I’m Stressed – Bless God
This is what also keeps the Worship Service on a High Note. This is why we should stop being nothing more than a Parrot on Sunday Morning. Preacher says “Somebody ought to say Amen” or “Clap your hands for the Lord” No one should tell us when to Praise and when to Bless God. We need to learn how to Bless the Lord on purpose. I heard someone call it a Premeditated Praise.
• Don’t come to Church to think about how good God has been to You
• You should have done that at Home
• Should not have to wait for the Preacher to Warm You Up with Spiritual Cauistetics
• That’s why David proclaimed – PSALM 122:1 “I WAS GLAD WHEN THEY SAID UNTO ME, LET US GO UNTO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD”
• You should come to Church ready to Praise the Lord
• David said HIS PRAISE SHALL CONTINUALLY BE IN MY MOUTH
I’m not just going to look Thankful. I am going to at least say Thank-You. Thank you makes room for more. Anybody ready to Bless the Lord this morning. When somebody does something for me, I ought to at least have sense enough to Say Thank-You. You ever do something for someone and they did not even have courtesy enough to say Thank-You. You don’t go out of your way to help that person anymore if they can’t even say Thank-you. Don’t allow your Gath situation to rob you of your Praise. David said Place does not make a difference – It’s God that makes the difference not the Place. Look at what he says from the midst of his Cave – He identifies why he will Bless the Lord:
• PSALM 34:4 - FREED ME FROM MY FEAR
• PSALM 34:6 – DELIVERED ME FROM TROUBLE
• PSALM 34:7 – HE GUARDED ME
• PSALM 34:8 – HE SHOWED ME KINDNESS
• PSALM 34:9 – HE SUPPLIED ALL MY NEEDS
• PSALM 34:15 – HE LISTENED WHEN I TALKED TO HIM
• PSALM 34:22 – HE REDEEMED ME
David now says in Response to What He Has Done – I will break my silence. David said I have been in the Cave of Adullum too long. I have been running and hiding too long. It is now time to Break my slience.
• If God has Healed you – Break Your Silence
• If God has Protected you – Break Your Silence
• If God has Delivered you – Break Your Silence
• If God has Sustained you – Break Your Silence
• If God has Kept your family – Break Your Silence
• If God has Blessed you with a Job – Break Your Silence
• If God has Blessed you to Retire – Break Your Silence
• If God has Blessed your Breakthrough – Break Your Silence
• If God Blessed you Up and Down the Highway – Break Your Silence
• If He Woke you up this morning – Break Your Silence
• If God Blessed you with Reasonable Portion of Health – Break Your Silence
--David said Praise will not only be in my Mind but it will also be on my Lips
--Problem is too many of us only have God on our Mind
--When it enters your Mouth should be an Overflow
--No matter what’s going on – Overflow
--Children not acting right – Overflow
--Husband and Wife not getting along – Overflow
--When I’m Lied On – Overflow
--When I’m Talked About - Overflow
I WILL BLESS THE LORD
