The Path To God's Joyful Presence Series

The Path to God’s Joyful Presence

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)

B. Joy is to be a consistent mark of the believer!

1. It is a delight in life that runs deeper than pain or pleasure.

2. It is much deeper than happiness which is dependent on outward circumstances.

3. It is a quality of life not simply a fleeting emotion.

4. Joy is that elation of countenance that comes from the possession or expectation of spiritual good.

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 saw the first step on the path to God’s joyful presence last week in verse 1.

1. Complete trust in God’s care and protection (1)

Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You.

2. Today we will see some of the other steps ….

B. Complete surrender to God as Lord (2)

1. David dedicates himself to God as his Lord.

(Master) (Ruler) (Boss) Heb.= Adonia

2. Notice this is heart work

a. Our entire being must be involved in this surrender

b. It is not enough to surrender to God as Lord in our mind only, it must involve our total being!

c. He must be Lord of all or He is not Lord at all!

3. He says this to God. (verbalizes it) a. Have you verbalized this to God?

4. Every aspect of our lives must be brought under His Lordship.

a. finances, work

b. relationships, activities

c. habits, attitudes

d. thoughts, dreams

e. plans, hopes

5.The path to God’s joyful presence involves total surrender of everything you are and everything you have to Jesus as your Lord.

6. With total surrender to Jesus as Lord comes joy and peace indescribable.

a. All our cares becomes His cares

b. All our needs becomes His responsibility

c. All of our hopes and plans no longer matter, only His plans matter to us.

¨Ex.Hudson Taylor understood this truth and as a result had joy and peace in some very adverse circumstances. He said “I have no will but God’s will and God will accomplish His will”

7.Jesus walked this path ; He was totally surrender to the will of the Father Luke 22:42

saying, "Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done."

*Have you completely surrendered to Jesus as Lord?

C. A true conviction that God is our chief good. (2)

1. David knew his love relationship with God was the absolute best thing in his life!

2. In fact compared to his relationship with God he had no other good in his life.

*Did this mean David did not consider his wives and children to be good?

*No, he is speaking in comparative terms

*Like when Jesus said Luke 14:26

" If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.”

3. David is saying that God is the ultimate good in his life and all other good things he has flow from God.

4. The third step on the path …. Is to have the conviction that God is the ultimate good in your life.

5. In Him alone will you find your greatest fulfillment, satisfaction, happiness, and joy in life.

*We do not experience true joy because we are looking for it in the wrong places!

*We look for it in the things of this world.

*We think that our chief good is in this world

ie. Money, position, prestige, sports, power, houses, cars, etc.

*This is all an illusion-these things cannot provide lasting fulfillment, satisfaction, happiness, or joy.