We greet you this afternoon praising God from whom all blessings are always flowing. We stand before you in the Name of Jesus Christ, the name that is above all names.
I now invite your attention for a short while this afternoon from the book of Psalm chapter 145 and verses 18-20. The hundredth and 45th division of Psalm and verses 18-20, when you have found it, let me hear you say amen. Let us stand for the reading and hearing and doing of God’s Holy word. While we are standing, repeat affirmation for the word of God after me, I believe that God is who God’s word says that He is, I believe that God will do what God’s word says that He will do. I believe that I am who God’s Word says that I am. Thy Word O Lord is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path, amen. Psalm 145 and verses 18-20; I am reading from the New King James, please follow along as I read aloud. You may be seated. Thanks be unto the Lord for the reading, hearing and doing of God’s Holy Word.
I want to speak from the thought today a true commitment or a commitment that is true. A true commitment or a commitment that is true. Say that to your neighbor, a true commitment or a commitment that is true. Amen. I want to use our time this afternoon to focus on these three verses to talk about what it means to have a true commitment to God or a commitment that is true unto God. One of the things that is clear throughout the word of God is that our commitment to God drives our availability to God. Our commitment to God drives our energy that is designated toward the things of God. How many of you know that you do designate your energy to things in this life. You may not sit down and say that I will designate my energy to this or that today…but the fact is whatever you engulf and tie up your life with day to day that’s what you are designating your energy toward. Our commitment to God also drives our time that is set aside toward God. In other words whatever the level of commitment in your heart toward God will determine how much time you spend with him, how much time you are involved in God’s business, how much energy you give toward God, how available you are for the ministry and the work of the church and kingdom.
And one of the things that I have found to be a track record in the lives of us as Christian children of God is that our commitment from the deep person inside us toward God is what is going to determine if we grow in God, if we reach new levels in Christ Jesus, and if we produce fruit in the Holy Spirit. And one of the things that I have learned so clearly in pastoring is that I cannot give you commitment. I just cannot give it to you. You and I have to develop for ourselves true commitment to God. I have learned that I cannot give you commitment. I already know that I can’t draw commitment out of us. But I also know that commitment is not transferrable; It is individually developed in each person. I can tell you all about commitment. I can give you information on understanding true commitment which we will do today but commitment itself is not transferrable. You and I have to make up our minds that we understand that our work for Jesus matters more than anything in this life. The fact is, I personally am not working in the church and kingdom work of God just because somebody ask me to do something but I am working for Christ because I am called to Christ, I am committed to Christ I am redeemed by Christ. I am expecting to see Christ one day for myself. And all of us need to make sure that we have a biblical foundation for ministry and work and living for Jesus that you are not doing what you are doing just because Pastor Riggins and other leaders said so. And all of us need to make sure that we have a biblical foundation for ministry and work and living for Jesus that you are not doing this just because your older relatives reared you up in the church and you know it’s just a family tradition that we go to church and we be involved in church. Understand that you have a higher authority that you need to report to…and infact, same authority that I have to report to and my parents who reared me up in the church have to report to and that’s God, that’s Jesus and that’s the Holy Spirit. We are not out here just for culture sake saints. We are not out here just for tradition sake saints. We are not out here just for family sake saints. We are out here because we have to answer to somebody who has paid the price tag for us to be out here and to be in God’s presence and paid the price tag for us to be called the Children of God and that is Jesus Christ.
You see my friends the devil will try and deceive you and make you think that being involved in Christian work is only about family, tradition and culture…but oh no, no, no. Yes I am glad that I live in a city in the United States that still put a high value on going to church on a Sunday morning. I am glad to part of a family that believes in going to church and I was reared in a church. And do not make any differences with any one who wasn’t reared up in the church. The thing that you can do if you weren’t reared up in church is stay in the church now and if you have children rear them up in church. And I am glad also that it is still a tradition in the American life to have religion, and still mostly some form of Christianity is still popular for your life in the American culture. I am grateful of all this. But the fact is if I am a pastor just based on American tradition, and local culture and family values, I am in trouble. You see I serve Jesus my friends because I understand that I am a eternal being and I am involved in eternal business and I will see face to face one day a eternal God who is not impressed with the temporal and materialistic things of this world. Thank God for a church going family, thank God for local church culture thank God for American tradition of Christian churches but understand that this going and coming and doing of church work and kingdom work and God’s business is eternal.
See my friends if you are in the business of doing God’s work based only on family values…..this is what my family does or only on local city culture or only on American tradition…..when times get rough…when your life becomes disrupted and interrupted you will not have anchors to hold unto. See my friends I’ve got to know whose I am…that I belong to God. I’ve got to know who I am.,..that I am a child of God. I’ve got to know what I have that I have the Word of God, the Name of Jesus, the Power of Prayer…the weapons of my warfare……I’ve got to know what I have….I’ve got to know that my Redeemer ever lives to intercede on my behalf…why because the devil is not playing games…and if you are not in this business with an eternal godly perspective…you are just floating along without an anchor without a guide…without direction, and without power.
And this is what this text is all about in Psalm 145, infact David spends verses 8-17 talking about how God reigns over all…but in verses 18-20, David talks about how God deals with the righteous. Notice in verses 8- 17…David is talking about just and the unjust…he says…
Psa 145:8 The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. That’s to all…God gives everyone a sufficient and enduring chance to get it right in him and not of ourselves.
Psa 145:9 The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. That is true.God is nothing but good anyway so he is nothing but good to all.
Psa 145:10 All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee. Notice it says thy saints shall bless thee….everything praises him…but his saints that us we bless him….Oh bless his name…that’s another whole sermon.
Psa 145:11 They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power;
Psa 145:12 To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom.
Psa 145:13 Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.
Psa 145:14 The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down. This is true everybody that goes through the difficult times of life…God is able to raise up that bowed down head.
Psa 145:15 The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.
Psa 145:16 Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing. And again it is God who even brings the dew in the morning, the fog in the day and night , the rain from the sky, the snow that melts down the mountains and waters the land and brings produce…that feeds all saved and unsaved.
Psa 145:17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. And that goes for the saved and the unsaved. God deals with everybody in a holy and righteous way. God deals with the saved in a holy and righteous way and God deals with the unsaved in a holy a righteous way, because God is nothing but Holy and Righteous and there is none like unto the Triune God, The Father, The Son and The Holy Ghost.
But now notice in verses 18-20, David begins to switch gears. David does a shifting. David begins to talk about some things that only applies to the righteous. David begins to talk about some things that only applies to those who know about true commitment…a true commitment to God or a commitment that is true to God…verses 18-20.
First David says….in verse 18. The Lord is near…but notice David does not say that the Lord is near to everybody….David begins to qualify some things and David begins to separate some things out and he says that God is Near…but God is near to all who call upon him to all who call upon him in truth….and that word call is not just to come to God in sincerity of prayer. When you read this text you automatically begin to think about calling upon his name which is prayer. It is about true and sincere prayers but this word call is more than just praying to God and calling upon his name. This word call means to proclaim God’s name. It means to publish God’s Name. It means to preach the Name of God. It means to mention the name of God in daily conversations. It means to say the Name of Jesus. Say the Name of the Father of God. Say the Name of the Holy Spirit. You see the English word does not do the full meaning here. It’s more than just you and I talking to God. But it is also about Christian persons who really in their hearts are true to God…those persons also not only talking to God but talking about God. Telling folk who God is. Not being ashamed of the word of God and the things of God and a life tied up with God. If you are committed to living for God in your heart and telling God to whoever God leads you to share with and speak the Name of Jesus and talk about the power of the Holy Spirit…if you and I are willing to do this in our daily life…God says I will be near you…God says I want to be in your presence. How many of you know that God is looking for somebody who He can be in their presence. See we always talk about being in God’s presence. But David says that God will be near to all who call upon him in truth. In other words God is looking for some persons whose hearts are right and they do not mind proclaiming the Name of God because God wants to be in their presence. See that’s what it means when James in the New Testament says Draw nigh to God and God will draw nigh to you. David says he is nigh, he is near to those who call his name in truth, whether we are calling upon him or proclaiming him to others. See when we have a heart that is set toward God and we do not mind both calling upon God and calling God’s Name to others we are infact drawing nigh to God as we do and when you draw nigh to God..God will draw near unto you. We are talking about a true commitment to God or a commitment that is true to God. A true commitment to God requires a truthful heart…a heart set toward God and a tongue that does not mind proclaiming God through Christ while calling upon his name.
Now notice verse 19,
He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them. Now this is talking about three things that God will do for those who fear him….see sometimes folk wonder why what they desire for their lives is not happening….it’s because some people even church going people just do not take God seriously enough. They would rather rationalize and say it does not take all of this seriousness. Let me tell you….it’s football season and if you don’t think those coaches and players are not taking their football serious; you better check again. On a Monday morning in the court room if you do not think that these lawyers whether they are defense or prosecutor do not take their jobs and their causes seriously you better come again. It’s Wall Street and these investors are running around with note pads and making signals to one another about the cost of stock or bond or any other investment and if you do not think that they are not taking their job seriously you better come again. I can go on down the line…the lunch lady in the school room you just wait until it’s lunch time tomorrow and the kids get the line all disorderly….those lunch room ladies take their jobs seriously…you not going to come up in that lunch room with all that stuff….I eat lunch at the school. I know…so how in the world do church folk think that when we come down to reverence and fear of the Lord we do not have to take things so seriously…David says he who really fears the Lord…God will fulfill your life…some folk will stop chasing their dreams when they start really fearing God…because in God…God will give you the desires of your heart. God will fulfill your life…God will make the things in him, of him and about him, which some folk think is boring…God will make all things about him exciting in your life when you come to a serious fear and reverence of God. I want you to understand what this fear of God means right quick…another English word that does not do justice…what this word fear really means is to morally reverent. Well what does that mean it means that I desire to put off immorality and put on some godly morality….in other words it means that a person is going to get it down in one’s heart that I am ashamed of those things that displease God and I only want to celebrate, lift up and magnify those activities that give glory to God and cause God to be pleased with my life as according to the word of God. There are too many church going folk who do not have any shame in their game. And they do not want you to call them on it either. But I am here to tell you the tradeoff is unaffordable. If you don’t have any shame in your game…then you will never be fulfilled in this life because you do not fear God and then when you depart out of this life, you will be forever separated from God. Folk want to know why will God make me be separated from him after this life. Well it’s plain and simple let everybody ask themselves this question: should God allow us to be joined together with him after this life if we do not want to be joined together with him in this life. Well it’s plain and simple if you want to be separated from God and the things of God, and the word of God, and the work of God, and the life of God in this life…then why is it not fair for you to be separated from God and the things of God and the word of God the kingdom and life of God in the life to come. We cannot have it both ways, my dear friends. You separate yourself from God now….You separate from God later. You join with God now through Jesus Christ. And you will join with God later through Jesus Christ in the hereafter, the life to come. And if we join with God now and practice godly moral reverence which really means line up with the word of God through the power of Holy Spirit not just for ministry and church work but for everyday living as well….God says that’s true commitment onto me and I will fulfill your desire…I will hear you when you cry…in other words the text means I will see about you when you are being pummeled, and crushed in this life by life circumstances. Infact that word hear in the phrase “hear your cry,” verse 19, Psalm 145…it also denotes and means, I will gather forces, I will gather the host of heaven to see about you to attend to you…God is saying if you morally and reverently fear me…..I will summon someone to my throne room to be dispatched to take care of whatever your situation……and not only will God fulfill your desire if you fear him….not only will dispatch heaven after you in your life situations if you fear him…but also I will save you if you line up your life with my word by the power of my Holy Spirit saith the Lord….and that word save means I will defend you says the Lord. That word save means I will rescue you says the Lord. And that word save means I will get victory for you says the Lord.
And lastly verse 20….God will draw to you if you call his name in truth whether you call upon him or proclaim him to someone else. God will fulfill your desire, hear your cry and save you if you godly morally reverently fear him…in other words take seriously that it is worth obeying and doing God’s word according to the Holy Spirit. And lastly verse 20…God says…I will preserve all of them that love me….And we know from the Gospel text that Jesus says if we love God, we will keep God’s commandment and do the will of the Father God who sent him…and God says listen before you understand what love is toward me…I am telling you ahead of time in Psalm 145 that if you love me and matter of fact for all of those who love me…I will preserve them…well what does word preserve mean…it’s not talking about jellies and jams, pickles and peppers…but it’s talking about….preserve from a godly perspective which really means that God is saying I am going to be the guardian over your life…I am going to be your protector….preserve, preserve…Are you not glad that since you love God which means you desire to keep his commandments through Jesus Christ …are you not glad that God is the guardian over our lives…preserve preserve…it means that God is saying I am aware of your life…I am watching your life…preserve preserve…I am taking note of my servants in Christ…preserve preserve…which it really means is that I will put a hedge round bout your life….do you not know that there is Biblically recorded text about a hedge around one’s life….even the devil made note about a hedge being around God’s servants…look a Job 1 and 10…turn quickly there with me….and look at what it says...the devil is speaking to God about Job and he says this Job 1 and 10
Job 1:10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
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Let me tell you Job did not have a hedge around him because God had some special respect of person with Job. No Job had a hedge around him because he feared God and he wanted to serve God to best of his understanding of God…God said…if you love…and for all of those who love me…I will preserve them…I will put a hedge round about them….yes yes yes…look what God said about Job…
Job 1 and 8…And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
We are talking a true commitment to God or a commitment that is true unto God.
God wants to be in the presence of those who want to be in his presence with truth in their hearts and they do not mind calling upon him and proclaiming God through Jesus Christ. God wants to fulfill the desires of those who would fear him. He will hear their cry and save them. And God is in the business of preserving those…that is putting hedge around the whole life of those who seek to love him by obeying him and doing what the Father God commanded. This is the road of true commitment and commitment that is true unto God…Every head bow and every eye closed.
