LORD HELP ME
PSALM 40:1-5
INTRO-
I’VE TITLED THIS MESSAGE “LORD HELP ME”
SOME OF YOU THIS MORNING SAY AMEN TO THAT THE FASTER THE BETTER LORD
I ALWAYS SAY TO JANE MILLER “HOW YOU DOING” AND SHE WILL ALWAYS SAY “HANGING IN THERE” AND WE LAUGH AND I ASK HER IF SHE IS WHITE KNUCKLED HANGING IN THERE
MANY OF US TODAY AND SOME OF US IN THE PAST HAVE BEEN DISCOURAGED.
WE TRY TO LIVE LIFE ACCORDING TO GOD’S WORD, AND YET WE FIND OURSELVES IN TROUBLE, LIVING DEFEATED
ILLUSTRATION-
A MAN WALKING THROUGH A GRAVEYARD AT NIGHT AND FALLS INTO A OPEN GRAVE, NOT ABLE TO GET OUT, HE IS JUMPING THE SIDES TRYING TO GET OUT, AND HE IS TALKING TO HIMSELF ( I KNOW NOBODY HERE DOES THAT) HE IS SAYING “ I CAN’T GET OUT OF HERE” AND THEN HE HEARS A VOICE FROM BEHIND HIM “I CAN’T GET OUT EITHER”
....HE SUDDENLY HAD NEW MOTIVATION TO GET OUT
SATAN HAS A WAY OF DISCOURAGING GOD’S PEOPLE.
WE LOSE OUR JOY OF SALVATION, EXCITEMENT OF SERVICE, AND OUR DETERMINATION TO LIVE HOLY LIVES.
YOU HEARD ME TELL THE STORY OF THE PET BIRD SUCKED UP BY THE VACUUM CLEANER, OWNER TAKES THE BIRD OUT OF THE VACUUM AND WASHES HIM, DRIES HIM,. AND STICKS HIM BACK ON THE PERCH. BUT THE BIRD HAS LOST HIS SONG
YOU HAVE BEEN THROUGH THE WRINGER AND YOU DON’T HAVE MUCH SONG LEFT.
BE ENCOURAGED BY TODAY’S VERSE- THE DEVIL WILL DO HIS BEST TO KEEP YOU FROM SINGING YOUR SONG.
THINKING GOD DON’T HEAR YOU OR DOES NOT CARE ABOUT YOUR LIFE.
PSALM 40:1-5 READ FROM BIBLE
SOME OF US NEED THIS MORNING TO CLEAN THE DIRT OFF OUR FACE,
WIPE OUR EYES SO WE CAN SEE, SHAKE OURSELVES OFF—
TRUST GOD TO GIVE US A NEW SONG AGAIN
SOMETIMES GOD’S PEOPLE (DAVID WRITER OF THE PSALM) (NOT ANY OF US,) GET OURSELVES IN SOME PRETTY SLIMY PITS
SLIPPERY SLOPES
DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME - WE CONFUSE GOD’S HOLY DELAY FOR A “NON ANSWER” AND WE GET IMPATIENT, BUT THAT’S NOT THE CASE
GOD HAS THE OPTION OF RESPONDING WITH THREE WAYS:
YES
NO
WAIT
WE HATE THE WAIT, AS MUCH AS A NO IF IT IS YES, I WANT IT RIGHT NOW,
(V1) I WAITED PATIENTLY FOR THE LORD, HE TURNED TO ME AND HEARD MY CRY...THAT TELLS ME IT DIDN’T HAPPEN RIGHT AWAY, BUT GOD HEARD HIS CRY.
***REALIZE WHEN YOU CRY OUT TO GOD- YOU HAVE HIS FULL ATTENTION
HE DOES NOT HAVE SELECTIVE HEARING LIKE SOME OF US.
PSALMS 91:15- “HE WILL CALL UPON ME , AND I WILL ANSWER HIM, I WILL BE WITH HIM IN TROUBLE, I WILL DELIVER HIM. AND HONOR HIM”
THERE ARE SOME THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW WHEN YOU ARE CALLING OUT TO GOD
WRITE THESE DOWN
I. HE WILL HEAR YOU AND RESPOND
“HE TURNED TO ME AND HEARD MY CRY”
ISAIAH 49:8-“ THIS IS WHAT THE LORD SAYS, “IN THE TIME OF MY FAVOR I WILL ANSWER YOU, AND IN THE DAY OF SALVATION I WILL HELP YOU”
ISAIAH 65:24- BEFORE THEY CALL I WILL ANSWER, WHILE THEY ARE YET SPEAKING I WILL HEAR
“THIS IS WHAT THE LORD SAYS, HE WHO MADE THE EARTH, THE LORD WHO FORMED IT AND ESTABLISHED IT, THE LORD IS HIS NAME, CALL TO ME AND I WILL ANSWER YOU AND TEL YOU GREAT AND UNSEARCHABLE THINGS YOU DO NOT KNOW.”
YOU CALL, HE WILL RESPOND, WITH THINGS YOU ARE SEARCHING FOR...LIKE ANSWERS
HE RESPONDS BECAUSE HE LOVES YOU
IF YOU ONLY KNEW HOW MUCH HE CARES FOR YOU- TELL YOUR NEIGHBOR - “JESUS LOVES YOU”
HE RESPONDS BECAUSE HE IS LISTENING FOR YOUR CALL
I AM THE LORD OF HEAVEN AND EARTH, I WILL TEACH YOU UNSEARCHABLE THINGS
GOD SENDS OUT HIS HELP- WE JUST USUALLY GIVE UP BEFORE IT GET’S THERE
WE CASH OUR CHIPS OF LIFE IN TOO EARLY. A BREAKTHROUGH IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER
II. WHEN WE ARE CALLING OUT TO THE LORD- KNOW
HE WILL HELP US
“HE LIFTED ME OUT OF THE SLIMY PIT, OUT OF THE MUD AND MIRE”
GOD WANTS TO LIFT YOU OUT TODAY OUT OF THE PIT YOU ARE IN
***YOU HEAR ME, HE WANTS TO LIFT YOU OUT
***GOD IS IN THE PEOPLE BUSINESS AND HE DESIRES TO TAKE CARE OF US
THEY TELL ME THE MORE YOU MOVE AROUND IN QUICK SAND THE FASTER YOU SINK. I WOULD BE IN THE PANIC MODE IF I FELL IN. GOD IS THROWING YOU A ROPE, AND PULLING YOU OUT
WHEN YOU ARE IN QUICK SAND- YOU CAN’T GET OUT WITH YOUR OWN EFFORTS- YOU MUST HAVE SOMEBODY PULLING FOR YOU
THERE MAY BE JOY IN WAITING, BUT WHEN YOU ARE SINKING , WAITING IS NOT YOUR FIRST CHOICE.
WE CAN TAKE COMFORT THAT THE LORD GET’S NO JOY IN WATCHING US SINK IN TROUBLES.
****THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE IN THE BIBLE WHO HAD FAILED...A T LEAST BY THE WORLD’S STANDARD.
***PETER- WHEN DENYING JESUS- ROASTER CROWING 3X’S
ELIJAH- SAW THE FIRE FROM HEAVEN FALL
- DEFEATED THE PROPHETS OF BAAL
- SAW THE POWER OF GOD ON HIM AND WORK THROUGH HIM
BUT THEN CAME JEZEBEL, SHE WANTED TO DESTROY AND KILL HIM AND HE BECAME DISCOURAGED AND SCARED.
WE HAVE ALL HAD OUR HIGH POINTS AND LOW POINTS, AND WE HAVE ALL HAD OUR JEZEBELS
“HIDING UNDER THE JUNIPER TREE AND SAYING “OH GOD, LET ME DIE”
GOD, I AM NOT GIVING UP I MAY NOT SEE YOU NOW, I MAY NOT FEEL YOU NOW, BUT I KNOW YOU WILL RESCUE ME.
P.U.S.H. PRAY UNTIL SOMETHING HAPPENS
***WE CAN FAIL WITHOUT FALLING
THOMAS EDISON- 1000 INVENTIONS, 10,000 TIMES HE FAILED
GEORGE WASHINGTON WON THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR, BUT THE FIRST PRESIDENT OF THE U.S.A. LOST 2/3 OF THE BATTLES HE FOUGHT
BABE RUTH HIT 714 HOME RUNS, BUT STRUCK OUT 1330 TIMES.
THEY WERE NOT FAILURES
THEY HAD BATTLES THEY NEEDED TO OVERCOME- YOU HAVE THE LORD ON YOUR SIDE
III. WHEN YOU ARE CALLING OUT TO THE LORD- KNOW
HE WILL SET YOUR FEET ON FIRM GROUND
“HE SET MY FEET ON A ROCK AND GAVE ME A FIRM PLACE TO STAND”
***SOME OF YOU HAVE BEEN A CHRISTIAN A LONG TIME. THINK BACK TO THE HARD TIMES IN THE PAST.
PSALM 37:25- I WAS YOUNG AND NOW I AM OLD, YET I HAVE NEVER SEEN THE RIGHTEOUS FORSAKEN.
THE LORD HAS NO INTENTION OF MAKING PEOPLE DWELL FOREVER IN THE PAST
“ ON CHRIST THE SOLID ROCK I STAND; ALL OTHER GROUND IS SINKING SAND, ALL OTHER GROUND IS SINKING SAND.
HE WILL PULL US OUT AND WILL SET US ON THE ROCK
I DON’T CARE WHAT YOU HAVE DONE, I DON’T CARE WHERE YOU HAVE BEEN, TODAY HE CAN UT YOU ON SOLID GROUND
“WEEPING MAY ENDURE FOR A NIGHT, BUT JOY COMES IN THE MORNING” PSALM 30
I MAY BE HURTING NOW, BUT IT WILL NOT ALWAYS BE THAT WAY
HE TAKES THESE HARD TIMES AND HELPS US TO STAND FIRM ON THE ROCK (JESUS CHRIST), HE WANTS US FIRMLY PLANTED IN HIM.
***I’M WINDING DOWN
***SOME PEOPLE STOP AT THE RESCUE PART OF THE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, HE’S SAVED YOUR SOUL HE WANTS TO DO MUCH MORE FOR US.
YOU MAY NOT SEE THE PURPOSE IN WHAT YOUR GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW, BUT YOU MAY BE ABLE TO MAKE AN IMPACT ON SOMEONE’S LIFE.
ALL OF THE MENTIONED PEOPLE STUMBLED AND FELL, NONE OF THEM WERE SUCCESSFUL 100 PERCENT OF THE TIME, EXCEPT JESUS. THEY FELL (AS WE CAN) WITHOUT FAILING (AS WE CAN)
IF YOU ARE DISCOURAGED THIS MORNING, DON’T BLAME GOD, GOD IS FOR YOU, HE IS ON YOUR SIDE
***DUST YOURSELF OFF, WIPE THE DIRT FROM YOUR EYES SO YOU CAN SEE PROPERLY AND SING
V3- HE PUT A NEW SONG IN MY MOUTH, A HYMN OF PRAISE TO OUR GOD. MANY WILL SEE AND FEAR AND PUT TRUST IN THE LORD.
HE PUTS THE SONG, YOU START SINGING AND PRAISING
YOU CAN PRAISE YOUR WAY TO VICTORY THIS MORNING
YOU MAY NOT CHOOSE THE CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT YOU CAN CHANGE HOW YOU WILL RESPOND TO IT TODAY.
IT MAY BE MUDDY, BUT HANG IN THERE, WHITE KNUCKLED IF YOU HAVE TOO
BLESSED IS THE MAN WHO MAKES THE LORD HIS TRUST”
FOR IN THE TIME OF TROUBLE HE SHALL HIDE ME IN HIS PAVILION, IN THE SECRET PLACE OF HIS TABERNACLE. HE SHALL HIDE ME. HE SHALL SET ME UPON A HIGH ROCK.
SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE TO SUCK IT UP AND TRUST GOD TO GET YOU TO THE OTHER SIDE
“YOU MIGHT BE ONE MINUTE AWAY FROM A BREAKTHROUGH
“WAIT PATIENTLY”
“BUT THEY THAT WAIT UPON THE LORD SHALL RENEW THEIR STRENGTH, THEY SHALL MOUNT UP WITH WINGS AS EAGLES”
. THEY SHALL RUN AND NOT FAINT
TODAY YOU CAN GET THE VICTORY DO YOU BELIEVE IT THIS MORNING
GOD IS DOING SOME GREAT THINGS IN THESE LAST DAYS
HE WILL RESPOND, RESCUE, AND RESTORE YOU IF YOU WILL LET HIM
