Lord Help Me Please

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.