The Path to God’s Joyful Presence PT 2
Ps 16:1-11
I.THIS MONTH WE ARE GIVING SPECIAL EMPHASIS TO SEEKING GODS PRESENCE
A. Our verse of the month comes from Ps 16. and deals with the joy of His presence (Read)
II. THERE ARE SEVERAL CRUCIAL TRUTHS ABOUT THE BELIEVER’S JOY THAT WE MUST CONTINUALLY KEEP BEFORE US .
1. Joy is a gift of God, and like all of his other inner gifts it can be experienced even in the midst of extremely difficult circumstances.
2. Joy is grounded in God Himself and flows from Him. Rom 15:13
3. Joy is not an isolated or occasional consequence of faith but rather an integral part of one’s whole relation to God.
4. The fullness of joy comes when there is a deep sense of the presence of God in one’s life. Ps 16:11
5. We cannot experience joy while being preoccupied with our own security, pleasure, or self-interest.
III. THE PATH TO GOD’S JOYFUL PRESENCE
Verse 11 is the summary of Ps 16
1. David says God will make known to him the path of life that leads to His presence where there is fullness of joy!
2. I believe that path leading to God’s joyful presence is given in the preceding verses.
B. We have seen the first 4 steps on the path to God’s joyful presence.
1. Complete trust in God’s care and protection (1)
Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You.
2 Complete surrender to God as Lord (2)
I said to the LORD, "You are my Lord;
3. A true conviction that God is our chief good. (2)
I have no good besides You."
4. A SINCERE DELIGHT IN GOD’S PEOPLE (3)
As for the saints who are in the earth,
They are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight
*TODAY WE WILL SEE SHALL SEE 3 MORE STEPS
E. STEP-5 A DISSASSOCIATION FROM THE UNGODLY (4)
1. David realizes the life of the wicked in filled with sorrow and pain.
2. He will not associate himself with them and be brought into their wickedness and thus join in their sorrows and misery.
3. His disassociation is expressed in two ways.
*He will not be a part of their pagan sacrifices
*He will not even utter their names.
4. If you want the joy of the Lord in your life you cannot have close associations with the ungodly.
5. The reasons are obvious.
*Bad company corrupts good morals
a. you will be tempted and drawn into their evil ways
b. you lay down with dogs you get up with fleas
*Their worldview is ungodly and their negativism will pull you down.
6. I am not saying you should not have non-Christian friends( how can you witness to them if not) but your close friendships should be with Christians.
7. In summary: How can you experience the joy of His presence when you spend most of your time with those who know nothing of God or His joy?
F. STEP-6 A REALIZATION THAT THE LORD IS OUR TRUE INHERITANCE (5)
1.One’s inheritance was very important in the OT days
*A person’s station in life was greatly determined by their inheritance
*You remember the inheritance was so important to Jacob he tricked his father
Isaac and put himself at enmity with brother Esau in order to obtain the double portion given the elder son.
2.When Israel went into the Promised Land each tribe was given a section of the country as their inheritance.
3.All but one tribe that is, the tribe of Levi
*The Levites were the priestly tribe and those who took care of the tabernacle, etc.
Num 18:20
20 Then the LORD said to Aaron, " You shall have no inheritance in their land nor own any portion among them; I am your portion and your inheritance among the sons of Israel.
4. I believe God was using the Levites to give a spiritual truth to future generations.
5. David saw this truth and proclaims that God is his true inheritance.
*David realized he was only a alien in this world; that his true home was heaven
*What awaited him at death was the fullness of God’s joyful presence.
EX. ABRAHAM Heb. 11:8-15
6.The 6th step on the path to God’s joyful presence is to realize that our true inheritance is God and heaven.
*When you realize that this God and heaven awaits you after this life you can have joy no matter what comes your way.
¨*”All is well that ends well” “All is heaven that ends heaven”
*The time you spend on the earth is but a vapor compared to your eternity in heaven.
*No matter how bad things seem now, remember this too will pass and heaven is your eternal home!
EX. Paul put it this way, Rom 8:18
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
2 Cor. 11:23ff READ
7. Paul could rejoice in this sufferings and adversity because he knew that whatever he experienced in this life (no matter how bad) was not even worthy to be mentioned compared to the joy, glory, and bliss that awaited him in heaven!
DO YOU REALIZE GOD IS YOUR TRUE INHERITANCE?
DO YOU REALIZE YOU ARE AN ALIEN IN THIS WORLD?
TOO MANY OF US LIVE LIKE THIS IS OUR ETERNAL HOME
G. STEP-7 A TRUST IN GOD AS OUR SUSTAINER (5)
1. David said the Lord was not only his inheritance but He was also his cup.
2. David is saying God is not only his eternal hope but God is also his sustainer in this life.
*Cup = that with which we are nourished, refreshed, and kept from fainting.
*That from which we are sustained
3. David in Ps 31:15
15 My times are in Your hand; Deliver me from the hand of my enemies and from those who persecute me.
4. Jesus Matt 11:28-29
" Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.
5. Paul 1 Thess 5:23
23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
6. 2 Cor 12:9-10
He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
7. Christ is our life Col. 3:4
When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
1. Christ is the source of our life.
*That same voice which brought Lazarus out of the tomb raised us to newness of life.
2. Christ is now the substance of our spiritual life.
*It is by His life that we live; He is in us, the hope of glory, the spring of our actions, the central thought which moves every other thought.
3.Christ is the sustenance of our life.
* Jesus said to them, " I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.
*We never get a crumb to satisfy the hunger of our spirits, except we find it in Him!
4.Christ is the solace of our life.
*All our true joys come from Him; and in times of trouble, His presence is our consolation.
*There is nothing worth living for but Him; and His lovingkindness is better than life!
5. When you realize that no matter what comes your way, God will give you the grace to live in a way that will glorify Him and He will sustain you in it, you can rejoice no matter what.
Will you place your trust in Christ to be your sustainer, your cup?
Will you receive from Him everything you need?
CONCLUSION:
We have seen three more steps on the path to God’s joyful presence.
STEP-5 A DISSASSOCIATION FROM THE UNGODLY (4)
STEP-6 A REALIZATION THAT THE LORD IS OUR TRUE INHERITANCE (5)
STEP-7 A TRUST IN GOD AS OUR SUSTAINER (5)
Will you in faith take these steps?
