CHAMPIONING STABILITY-II—Psalm 119:165
Began this sermon for Veteran’s Day.
Completed for Thanksgiving.
Attention:
God’s people are to be Champions(protectors/fighters for) of Stability!
Thanksgiving is a time that has been set aside to reaffirm our thankfulness to God for His magnanimous & manifold provisions.
We should be those who Champion Godly Stability, individually & corporately—as a family, as a church family, & as an American family.
The Psalmist Championed the stability & security of God’s people.
The Holy Spirit champions the stability of God’s people.
When or Where is the stability of God’s people championed?
3 measures/gauges of the stability of God’s people.
Previously we found that The stability of God’s people is championed within...
1. Their/Your PEACE(:165a)
2—The stability/security of God’s people is championed within...
Your/Their LOVE(:165b)
Explanation:(:165b)God’s Law
:165b—“Great peace have those who love Your law, And nothing causes them to stumble.”
This “great peace” is only possessed by “those who love” that which is of God for His people. God’s “law” is from the heart of God for the world, & certainly for His people!
?Do you make time for God’s word, His desire for you...for mankind?
Ps. 119:97—MEM. “Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.”
Ps. 119:48—“My hands also I will lift up to Your commandments, Which I love, And I will meditate on Your statutes.”
Ps. 119:121-128—AYIN. “I have done justice & righteousness; Do not leave me to my oppressors. Be surety for Your servant for good; Do not let the proud oppress me. My eyes fail from seeking Your salvation And Your righteous word. Deal with Your servant according to Your mercy, And teach me Your statutes. I am Your servant; Give me understanding, That I may know Your testimonies. It is time for You to act, O LORD, For they have regarded Your law as void. Therefore I love Your commandments More than gold, yes, than fine gold! Therefore all Your precepts concerning all things I consider to be right; I hate every false way.”
Ps. 119:158-160—“I see the treacherous, & am disgusted, Because they do not keep Your word. Consider how I love Your precepts; Revive me, O LORD, according to Your lovingkindness. The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.”
Ps. 1:1-3—“Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day & night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.”
Deut. 17:14-20—“When you come to the land which the LORD your God is giving you, & possess it & dwell in it, & say, ‘I will set a king over me like all the nations that are around me,’ “you shall surely set a king over you whom the LORD your God chooses; one from among your brethren you shall set as king over you; you may not set a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. But he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, for the LORD has said to you, ‘You shall not return that way again.’ “Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he greatly multiply silver & gold for himself. Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites. And it shall be with him, & he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God & be careful to observe all the words of this law & these statutes, that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, & that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he & his children in the midst of Israel.”
Rom. 7:7-12—“What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead. I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived & I died. And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, & by it killed me. Therefore the law is holy, & the commandment holy & just & good.”
To “love” God’s “law” is to love God, because His “law” is the “law” of liberty in Christ Jesus...
Js. 1:21-27—“Therefore lay aside all filthiness & overflow of wickedness, & receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, & not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word & not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, & immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty & continues in it, & is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. If anyone among you thinks he is religious, & does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. Pure & undefiled religion before God & the Father is this: to visit orphans & widows in their trouble, & to keep oneself unspotted from the world.”
Js. 2:12-13—“So speak & so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.”
“Love”—bha aw-hab' OR bha 'aheb aw-hab’—Qal Participle Active—1) To love—1a) (Qal)--1a1) Human love for another, includes family, & sexual, 1a2) Human appetite for objects such as food, drink, sleep, wisdom, 1a3) human love for or to God, 1a4) act of being a friend—1a4a) lover(participle), 1a4b) friend(participle), 1a5) God's love toward man—1a5a) To individual men, 1a5b) To people Israel, 1a5c) To righteousness; 1b) (Niphal)--1b1) Lovely (participle), 1b2) Loveable (participle); 1c) (Piel)--1c1) Friends, 1c2) Lovers(fig. of adulterers); 2) To like. Strong—a primitive root; to have affection for(sexually or otherwise).
“Law”—hrwt towrah to-raw' OR hrt torah to-raw’—Noun Fem.—1) Law, direction, instruction—1a) Instruction, direction (human or divine)—1a1) Body of prophetic teaching, 1a2) Instruction in Messianic age, 1a3) Body of priestly direction or instruction, 1a4) Body of legal directives, 1b) Law—1b1) Law of the burnt offering, 1b2) Of special law, codes of law, 1c) Custom, manner, 1d) The Deuteronomic or Mosaic Law. Strong—from hry[properly--To flow as water (i.e. to rain); transitively--To lay or throw(especially an arrow, i.e. to shoot); figuratively--To point out(as if by aiming the finger), to teach]; A precept or statute, especially the Decalogue or Pentateuch.
Argumentation:
Deut. 7:9—“Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant & mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him & keep His commandments;”
Prov. 3:1-8—“My son, do not forget my[‘probably’ wisdom, but God’s wisdom nonetheless] law, But let your heart keep my commands; For length of days & long life And peace they will add to you. Let not mercy & truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart, And so find favor & high esteem In the sight of God & man. Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD & depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.”
Mk. 12:28-34—“Then one of the scribes came, & having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the first commandment of all?” Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. ‘And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, & with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” So the scribe said to Him, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, & there is no other but He. And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, & with all the strength, & to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings & sacrifices.” Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” But after that no one dared question Him.”
Gal. 5:22-23—“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”
Gal. 5:1-6—“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, & do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.”
2Cor. 8:7-8—“But as you abound in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, & in your love for us--see that you abound in this grace also. I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others.”
1Tim. 1:5-6—“Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, & from sincere faith, from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk,”
Jn. 13:34-35—“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
1Jn. 2:7-10—“Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him & in you, because the darkness is passing away, & the true light is already shining. He who says he is in the light, & hates his brother, is in darkness until now. He who loves his brother abides in the light, & there is no cause for stumbling in him.”[See :165c]
Hating your brother is the option that sin delivers you to. Love borne of the “light” is the option that abiding in Jesus Christ delivers.
1Jn. 3:11—“For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another,”
1Jn. 4:7-11—“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; & everyone who loves is born of God & knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.[NOT ‘love is God!’] In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us & sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”
2Jn. 1:5-6—“And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one another. This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.”
Illustration:
A story is told of Oliver Cromwell(‘Old Ironsides’) who was an an English military & political leader ca.-1628-1658/Cromwell has a colorful history & is both loved & hated by Brits today/It is said that he sentenced a soldier to be shot for his crimes. The soldier’s execution was to take place at the ringing of the evening curfew bell. However, the time for the curfew bell to sound came & passed but the bell never sounded. The reason?--The soldier’s fiancé had climbed into the belfry & clung to the great clapper of the bell to prevent it from striking. When she was summoned by Cromwell to account for her actions, she wept as she showed him her bruised & bleeding hands & body. Cromwell’s heart was touched & he said, “The love of your life shall live because of your sacrifice. Curfew shall not ring tonight!”/Stability is Championed thru LOVE
Thanksgiving—is a time where we are drawn to engage, renew, & encourage relationships with family & others/We are invited to sit down at the table together because we love one another/Peace is in our hearts then...but will it be lasting Peace?/Lasting Peace—godly Peace—has to start in the right place/Our verse tells us that Great Peace have those who LOVE God’s law/When Christians(God’s People) gather together there is a oneness-unity-abiding love/Stability is Championed thru LOVE
Couples that ‘live together’ -versus- being committed to each other thru holy matrimony/Those that ‘live together’(obviously with a lax commitment to Christ & each other)statistically lower their chances of remaining together in a committed marriage/Stability is Championed thru LOVE(of God)
Application:
?Is God-ordained Stability Championed within Your/Our LOVE?
?Are you a Champion of Stability?
3—The stability/security of God’s people is championed within...
Your/Their CIRCUMSTANCE(:165c)
Explanation:(:165c)
:165c—“Great peace have those who love Your law, And nothing causes them to stumble.”
“If you want to see what a person is, don’t watch their actions, watch their reactions.”—Adrian Rogers.
In other words, Don’t listen to a person’s opinion of him/herself,...instead watch the person’s response to their circumstances...What do they do when things do not go their way?......Do they act like children?...What causes them to “stumble”?
“God did not give us churches to become country clubs where membership means we have privileges & perks. He placed us in churches[local congregations] to serve, to care for others, to pray for leaders, to learn, to reach, to give, &, in some cases, to die for the sake of the gospel.”—Thom Rainer-‘I Am A Church Member
Your Circumstances might change, but will you still be faithful despite the change?
“Nothing”—Nya ah’-yin—Substantive--Noun Negative or Adverb(w/preposition)—1) Nothing, not, nought Noun--1a) Nothing, nought negative, 1b) Not, 1c) To have not(of possession). Adverb--1d) Without(w/prep), 1e) For lack of. Strong—as if from a primitive root meaning--to be nothing or not exist; A non-entity; generally used as a negative particle.
“Stumble/Offend”—lwvkm mik-shol' OR lvkm mik-shol’—Noun Masc.—1) A stumbling, means or occasion of stumbling, stumbling block—1a) Stumbling, fall, 1b) Means or occasion of stumbling, stumbling block. Strong—A stumbling-block, literally or figuratively(obstacle, enticement [specifically an idol], scruple). Used 14X.
From—lvk kaw-shal’—a primitive root; To totter or waver(through weakness of the legs, especially the ankle); by implication--To falter, stumble, faint or fall.
Argumentation:
Mat. 13:7, 22—[parable of the sower]““And some fell among thorns, & the thorns sprang up & choked them.”.....“Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, & the cares of this world & the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, & he becomes unfruitful.”
This describes the challenges the world & our own desires pose for us!
2Cor. 9:8—“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”
Eph. 6:11-13—“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh & blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, & having done all, to stand.”
1Thes.5:16-19—“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit.”
If we are cautioned to “not quench the Spirit”, than that assumes our circumstances will not always be comfortable or favorable.
Rom. 8:18—“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”
Ps. 16:8-9—“I have set the LORD always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, & my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope.”
Acts 21:10-14—“And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. When he had come to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own hands & feet, & said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, & deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’” Now when we heard these things, both we & those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, “What do you mean by weeping & breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” So when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, “The will of the Lord be done.”
Ps. 62:5-8—“My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock & my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation & my glory; The rock of my strength, And my refuge, is in God. Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah”
2Cor. 1:3-7—“Blessed be the God & Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies & God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation & salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation & salvation. And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation.”
Heb. 10:32-39—“But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings: partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches & tribulations, & partly while you became companions of those who were so treated; for you had compassion on me in my chains, & joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better & an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven. Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: “For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come & will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.” But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.”
1Pet. 2:19-25—“For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good & suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: “Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth”; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd & Overseer of your souls.”
*1Pet. 4:7-14—“But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious & watchful in your prayers. And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory & the dominion forever & ever. Amen. Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory & of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.
1Cor. 15:58—“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”
2Cor. 6:18; 7:1—“I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons & daughters, Says the LORD Almighty.” Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh & spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”
2Pet. 1:2-11—“Grace & peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God & of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life & godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory & virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great & precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, & to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours & abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, & has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call & election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ.”
Ps. 55:22—“Cast your burden on the LORD, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.”
Ps. 37:5—“Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.”
Ps. 27:14—“Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!”
Illustration:
I’ve recently discovered that Circumstances are like a MATTRESS! If you are "under the circumstances", it is like being under a mattress...you suffocate! Being on top of the circumstances is like being on top of a mattress...you find rest!”—Johnny Creasong
Pre-marital Counseling questions—What will you do if...Deformed, mangled, Penniless, Health goes awry?/CIRCUMSTANCE
Suppose...I could no longer do what I do in the manner that I do it—that my office was demolished, the air conditioner went kaput, my books were destroyed, my chair(fantastic!) was irreparably broken, computer fried, etc./Any or all of those things can happen in any given day!/What if your whole livelihood is taken away—Military veterans are particularly susceptible to this!—they return home & things are different!CIRCUMSTANCE
*BUT what do I do afterwards...in response? How do I respond to & by God when those circumstances occur?/*I must confirm God’s part in those circumstances...How He is working...What He wants me to see...What He wants me to do...Who He wants me to be/If it requires going thru ‘a different door’ then so be it, it is God’s will to be heeded!/CIRCUMSTANCE
Application:
?Is God-ordained Stability Championed within Our/Your CIRCUMSTANCE?
?Are you a Champion of Stability?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Thanksgiving is a time to Champion Godly Stability, individually & corporately—as a family, as a church family, & as an American family.
Action:
The stability of God’s people is championed within...
2. Their/Your LOVE(:165b)
3. Their/Your CIRCUMSTANCE(:165c)
1. Their/Your PEACE(:165a)
Pts. 2-3 presented 11/19/2017pm-Thanksgiving week- to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave. SE(SE Ave. A)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
