All right, Psalm 78, and look at verse number 7, that they might set their hope in God.
Told for the sermon tonight is set your hope in God, set your hope in God.
It's a very long Psalm and as you're listening to the reading there you can tell that a huge
chunk of Israel's history is told, retold here.
And you know, I read through this a few times, quite a long way, I'm trying to figure out
what's the purpose of this Psalm?
It's just a retelling of the historical events and you know, I'm not going to be able to
just by the length of this, I'm not going to be able to expand every verse like I try
to do, as I do for most chapters of the Bible.
But it came to my understanding that the first eight verses in this Psalm, tell us the purpose
of this Psalm.
So let's read the first eight verses to begin with.
It begins by saying, give ear, O my people, to my law, incline your ears to the words
of my mouth.
So this is important, the Lord wants us to incline our ears, He wants us to pay attention
to these words that are coming out of God's mouth, He's using Asaph once again to be the
poet to write down these words.
Verse number 2 says, I will open my mouth in a parable, I will utter dark sayings of
old.
Here we have an interesting definition for the word parable, we know that Christ came
teaching parables when He was on this earth, and the Bible says that parables are dark
sayings of old, dark meaning that, you know, it requires a bit of time and diligence and
effort to understand the story of the parable or the illustration that God gives us.
Just very quickly, one quick tip for you studying the Bible, preaching from God's Word, is don't
build your doctrine on parables.
It's a dark saying, it's not very clear to begin with, you want to make sure you build
your doctrines on the clear statements of God's Word, the clear judgements of God's
Word, then the parables of the stories are there to help us illustrate those truths.
But don't start with the parables first, otherwise you'll get into some really weird doctrines.
A lot of the weird doctrines I've come across in life come from some parable.
Well, the parable says this, the illustration says that, if you don't abide with Christ,
Christ is divine, and you are the branches, and if you don't abide, you'll lose your
salvation.
They cast into hellfire, they're using some type of parable, some type of illustration
to create their doctrines rather than, you know, the clear teachings of the Word of God.
But you know, even though there are parables in the Bible, this tells us that, you know,
there are times that we need to spend, you know, like it says incline our ears, pay attention,
focus, study, meditate on God's Word, so we can find these great gems of gold in His Word.
Verse number three says, which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
So these parables, these stories, these dark sayings, these lessons have been passed on
generation to generation.
Verse number four says, we will not hide them from their children.
Show into the generation to come the praises of the Lord and His strength and His wonderful
works that He have done.
One reason we don't segregate the church, we don't separate the young people during
the lesson, is because the Bible tells us we need to teach the next generation, we need
to teach our children, you know, the deep doctrines of God's Word.
We don't want to separate our kids and just have some fun Sunday school class out there
where it's just fun and games and sweets and lollies, and then they're not taking anything,
they're not receiving anything from God's Word.
We see the instruction that we have to pass down these teachings generation to generation.
It says here in verse number five, for He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed
a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers that they should make them known to their
children.
So fathers, that's our responsibility, to make sure our children know these laws of
God.
Verse number six, that the generation to come might know them, even the children which should
be born, who should arise and declare them to their children.
So we want our children to know the scriptures, the Word of God, so they can pass it down
to their children, amen?
Now what I love about this, it says, hey, this is a commandment to fathers.
And you know, one good way for our kids to learn the scriptures is to bring them to church,
okay?
But don't think, I'll just substitute my responsibility to tell kids about the Bible by just taking
them to church.
We need to be able to teach them at home, open God's Word, fathers, you're there to
command your children in the ways of the Lord as well.
And this is why, verse number seven, this is why, this is where we get the title for
the sermon tonight, that they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God,
but keep His commandments, and might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious
generation, a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not steadfast
with God.
So fathers, we have this responsibility to set our children's heart aright with God,
that they may love the Lord, and know God, and know His works, and know His ways.
That's a commandment, fathers, we've been given by the Lord God, that we would not forget
Him.
And in fact, this whole psalm is the history of Israel, and they've been blessed by God,
and God's done amazing works in their generation, in their nation, and they forget the Lord,
they forget the Lord over and over again.
Why do they forget the Lord?
Why do the Israelites become such a stubborn, rebellious people?
We see why.
Because the generations did not teach the next generations.
And those generations did not teach the next generations.
And then God has to, you know, judge them with great wrath and great anger, you know,
bring hardships upon them, in order for them to remember the Lord God.
Can you keep your finger there?
Come with me to 1 Corinthians chapter 10, 1 Corinthians chapter 10 please.
Come with me to 1 Corinthians chapter 10.
Now, as we're going through Psalm 78, and the history of Israel, you know, I don't want
you to take the view that well, that's just Old Testament Israel.
You know, Pastor Kevin, you preach too much on the Old Testament.
And I think sometimes I do, I think I need to focus a little bit more on the New Testament
at times.
But I want you to notice that even in the New Testament, 1 Corinthians chapter 10, and
you can read, you know, this chapter in your own time, but 1 Corinthians 10, once again,
begins with a very summarized version of the history of Israel, and how they rebelled against
the Lord, and they've done wrong, and they were chastised by God.
And it's actually in 1 Corinthians 10, 11, now, all these things happen unto them, for
and samples, and they are written, look at this, for our admonition, upon whom the ends
of the world are come.
So we don't want to get to a Psalm like Psalm 78, and say, well, it's all that the history
of Israel is gonna have to do with me.
No, these things are written for our admonition.
These are the end samples for us to learn from, that we would not make the same mistakes
that the Israelites of old made.
It continues in verse number 12, say, why would we want to do that?
Verse number 12, wherefore let him that think of his stand of take heed, lest he fall.
The Bible says we can get to a point in our Christian life that we think we're standing
strong for the Lord, we think we're faithful, but then hardships come, the rebellious spirit
arises within our hearts, and before you know it, you're in your sinful ways, you're disobeying
the Lord, you're going contrary to his ways, you've forgotten the works that he's done
in your life.
This can happen to each one of us, maybe it's already happened in your life.
And then it says in verse number 13, they have no temptation taken you, but such as
is common to man.
But God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above all that you're able,
but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it.
So the Bible says here that yes, you know, even though the Israelites messed up, and
you know, those are in samples for us, that we would not mess up, that we would not fall.
The truth of the matter is that these temptations are common to man, okay?
When you mess up and you fail and you sin against the Lord, and you're not walking his
ways and you forget the works of God, you know, it's common.
Unfortunately, it's very common to man, it's common to the Israelites, it's even common
to believers here in the New Testament time, because we're still sinful creatures, we still
forget the hand of the Lord in our lives, and you know, I wish I wasn't like this, I
wish you guys weren't like this either, I wish we could just be like we're saved, and
it's just on the up and up and up constantly, but that's not the reality of the Christian
life.
I hope the general trend of your life is an upward direction, but more often than not,
that upward direction will be a lot like this.
There are valleys and there are mountain tops, spiritual highs, and then the valleys, and
you know, it doesn't take long for you to be on a mountain top before the valley comes
and you're, you know, this zigzag of a Christian life, but overall, you want the trend to be
more Christ-like, to be more holy as time goes on.
And unfortunately, we have to learn from our mistakes and our experiences, but you don't
really have to.
God's given us his word so we can learn from the mistakes of others, that we don't make
the same mistakes as they.
Back to Psalm 78.
So verses 1 to 8 just tells us, like, this is the purpose of this long Psalm, right?
That we would not forget the Lord, and that the next generation would not forget the Lord,
and that the next generation after that would not forget the Lord.
So what are some lessons that we can take out of this?
Verse number 9, the children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, turned back in the
day of battle.
They kept not the covenant of God and refused to walk in his law and forget his works and
his wonders that he had showed them.
What could this be about?
It says the children of Ephraim being armed, carrying bows, they go into warfare, but they
turn back on the day of battle.
They lose the battle as it were, right?
They turn back, they retreat during this time of battle.
Well if you keep your finger there, come with me to numbers 14, come with me to numbers
14.
Numbers 14.
And this is one, you know, one area that I just want to pause on a little bit today.
What we just read about this story here, and we're going to look at it in numbers 14.
But very quickly, you know the famous story, the Israelites come out of Egypt, God sends
them to the promised land, then Moses sends his 12 spies, one from every tribe, to spy
out the land.
Ten of the spies say, we can't do this, we're like grasshoppers in their sights.
And then only two of the spies says, yes we can do this, let's go and conquer the promised
land that God has given us.
Well Israel listens to the ten spies and they will murmur and complain and they refuse to
obey the Lord and go into the promised land.
So then this is the consequence here in numbers 14, verse number 26.
And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron saying, how long shall I bear with this evil
congregation which murmur against me?
I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel which they murmur against me.
Say unto them as truly as I live, saith the Lord, as you have spoken in my ears, so will
I do to you.
Your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness and all that were numbered of you according
to your whole number from 20 years old and upward which have murmured against me.
Atlas ye shall not come into the land concerning which I swear to make you dwell therein, save
or accept Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.
So God says, alright you're murmuring, you're complaining, you know you're rebelling against
me, then I'm not even going to let those that are 20 years and over to go into the promised
land, you're all going to die in the wilderness.
Now I take this as a really interesting lesson because God is asking to do something godly,
something righteous, go and conquer the land alright, I'm with you, God's leading them,
he opens the door of opportunity and they murmur against him.
Well now the judgment has come, wow, alright we're all going to die in the wilderness.
So what happens now in that Psalm 78 we see the children of Ephraim, so we see at least
one major tribe named but in Numbers 14 the tribe itself is not named.
Let's look at verse number 39, Numbers 14 verse number 39, it says here Moses told these
saints unto all the children of Israel and the people mourned greatly and they arose
so they rose up early in the morning and gat them up into the top of the mountain saying
lo we be here and we'll go up unto the place which the Lord have promised for we have sinned
and Moses said wherefore now do you transgress the commandment of the Lord but it shall not
prosper go not up for the Lord is not among you that ye be not smitten before your enemies
for the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you and ye shall fall by the
sword because ye are turned away from the Lord therefore the Lord will not be with you.
And so the children of Ephraim or these Israelites in particular they say we don't want to die
in the wilderness let's go into the promised land after God already put down his judgment
that they're going to die in the wilderness.
So they were disobedient to God going into the land initially right and now it seems
like they have the right intention well let's go into the land anyway we're ready to fight
but God's already told them no you know your opportunity well that good work and that entrance
has been taken away from you you're now going to die in the wilderness and like no we'll
go anyway but the Lord was not with them.
This shows us that sometimes good intentions are not what the Lord wants good intention
well let's go to the land anyway but when the opportunity was there you rejected it
when the opportunity was there you know you murmured and complained against the Lord.
You know the reason I want to pause here for a moment is because you know you guys know
that I'm considering should we support the church there in Port Macquarie Crown Baptist
Church and I don't know I don't have all the answers sometimes you know our brethren
but you know one thing that I've learned in the Bible when opportunities present themselves
you know when they I'm not saying you go out there and you force opportunities you force
and you knock down doors but when they open up to them you know open up we need to ask
ourselves the questions do we go do we conquer the land you know even though it might seem
impossible we might be grasshoppers in the sights of others or do we reject what gets
opened unto us and I don't know I don't know the full answer to these things but it's just
something that I've been considering this week and you know I appreciate the feedback
some of you have given me and I've had feedback from Blessed Hope Baptist Church as well and
the last thing I want is for God to open doors and for me to say no and then later well maybe
we should but now no longer is the Lord with you and so just something for consideration
you know I understand the importance of being fluid being flexible not being stuck or fixed
in your ways you know even when leading up to when the children of Israel were being
led by the Lord after they came out of Egypt don't forget they had tents they didn't have
physical houses to live in they had tents and the Lord would guide them by by a pillar of
a fire during the night and a cloud of a cloud during the day and if that cloud if the Lord
moved they had to you know it's not like hey we like it here Lord we're stuck here
you know if the Lord moved they said well Lord we better pack up and we need to move with you
you know we need to seek the leading of the Lord and this is what this chapter is about
is that when the Lord opens the doors and when he's leading you got to be able to say Lord yes
I'm ready to go if that's your will for my life
sometimes we can say no to the offers that God opens up and then you regret it afterwards the
Israelites the Ephraim they regret it afterwards let's go to the promised land now it's but the
Lord's not with you anymore that opportunity is over with and you're going to die in the
wilderness and that's the end right the Lord's going to use a new generation to fulfill his
purposes so just something for you to think about we need to be able to be flexible I'm not talking
about Paul Macquarie I'm just saying in general our life Lord how are you leading where are you
leading how are you guiding me Lord what opportunities are you opening up to me
one thing I know we're not to make vows to the Lord in the New Testament
one thing I told the Lord a long time ago Lord if you this before I was a pastor
Lord if I'm invited to preach I'm going to preach you know I'm not going to say no the only time I
ever said no when it was a double booking for for one reason but you know I now I guess oh
man that's that's kind of like a mayor maybe I should be more thoughtful about that what is
someone in India says come and preach here in India for us I guess I'm gonna have to go
to India right and go and preach that church over there but that's just something that I had set on
my heart Lord if you open those doors because I'm very much I realize that the local church
it's a body where you know we're not a business like a company like like the average businesses
out there where the church is the body of Christ it's an it's an organic form it moves
you know the Holy Spirit of God moves in our lives and directs our hands and our arms and our legs
and our our thoughts and our minds and we need to be aware and and vigilant and conscious of
the Lord's leading we don't want to get to a point where God opens doors and we just say no
not doing it and the God says all right you can stay in the wilderness then you know so let's
continue like I'd you know set your hope in God is the is the title for the sermon set your hope
in God is the title for the sermon tonight and really as we keep going for these stories
this this whole Psalm is about Christ this whole Psalm is about Christ set your hope in God is the
title but I could call it set your hope in Christ or set your eyes on Christ because you know I've
often said over the years that as you read through the Old Testament the main takeaway
as you go through the Old Testament is to find Christ on every in every story on every page
you know every opportunity see if you can find Christ that's what makes the Old Testament very
exciting to read through when you see events and stories and situations that's Christ that's about
Christ or that's symbolic of Christ so for example let's look at verse number 12
I'm sorry back in Psalm 78 Psalm 78 verse number 12
Psalm 78 verse number 12 marvelous things did he in the sight of their fathers in the land of Egypt
in the land of zoan he divided the sea and caused them to pass through he made the waters to stand
as a heap that's them passing through the red sea in the daytime also he led them with a cloud
and all the night with a light of fire he claved the rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink
as out of the great depths he brought steams oh sorry streams also out of the rock and caused
waters to run down like rivers so when you start to look at the story of the Israelites coming out
of Egypt and going through the red sea and all these things the water's coming out of the rocks
you know the bible says that Christ is a rock that rock represents Christ coming out of Egypt
represents salvation as they applied the blood of the parcel of the lamb that parcel of the lamb
represented Christ and his death passing through the waters represents baptism okay as they were
covered by the waters and the the wall of water and the cloud of you know clouds are obviously
water-based and you know they went through the waters they went through the red sea it's a
picture of baptism which is a picture of Christ's death burial resurrection right they were out of
the water they entered into the water you're supposed to drown you're supposed to die if
you ever go into water like that but God gave them dry ground they came out of the water a picture of
resurrection to come that represented Christ the rock is Christ these are symbolic symbolic of
Christ all these things you know I'll quickly read to you from John 7 37 in the last day that
great day of the feast Jesus stood and cried saying if any man thirsts let him come unto me
and drink he that believeth on me as the scripture have said out of his belly shall flow rivers of
living water Christ is the rock and the waters that come forth out of that rock are the living
waters okay and when we partake of those waters we have the holy spirit of God living in us and
those waters can continue to flow as we preach the gospel to others and see them get saved and
come into the kingdom of God all these things in the old testament are about Christ that's why you
know that's why we have these stories when we when we rebel against the Lord we forget Christ
we forget his works that he's done in our past we forget Christ and we want to ensure that we
set our hope in God we set our hope in Christ he is the one that saved you he's the one that leads
you and he's the one that feeds you verse number 17 says and they sinned yet more against him
isn't that the truth of Christianity I got saved when I was four years old brethren
simple childlike faith Christ did that for me I won it free gift whoo you know it's not hard to
receive a free gift at four years old if you can have the understanding of the scriptures
so pastor did your life change when you turned five were you this amazing I sinned more than
I ever sinned in my life when I went into my teenage years into my early adulthood man
I was the greatest sinner after I got saved and before I got saved I don't even know what I did
when I was three years old I don't know what kind of sins I did don't know maybe lied to my parents
a couple times maybe did not make my bed when my parents asked wait what are you four years old I
don't know I think my mom even asked me to make my bed when I was four I don't know what I could
have done really but you know even after you're saved and you get baptized and you know you walk
in the ways of the Lord sometimes you can sin yet more against him it says in verse 17 by provoking
the most high in the wilderness and they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust
yea they spake against God they said can God furnish a table in the wilderness
all right God's let us in the wilderness can you feed us can you take care of us
and of course the answer is yes he can but when you and I are in the wilderness we're asking the
same question God are you going to provide are you going to take care of the needs are you going to
fulfill these requirements God I don't know the Lord maybe sometimes it feels like you're not
that's murmuring against the Lord when we doubt his abilities when we doubt his provisions in
our life verse number 20 behold this is Moses of course he smote the rock that the waters gushed
out and the streams overflowed can he give bread also can he provide flesh for his people Moses
who smote the rock represents Christ being smitten for us right Christ took on the punishment that
we deserved and from Christ flowed the waters the waters gushed out even when the when the
the Roman soldier pierced him on the side out flowed you know water
blood and water flowing out of Christ against the symbolism of that water the eternal life
that Christ has given us verse number 21 therefore the Lord heard this and was rock
the fire was kindred against Jacob and anger also came up against Israel
because they believed not in God nor trust and trusted not in his salvation
though he had commanded the clouds from above and opened the doors of heaven
and had rained down manna upon them to eat and had given them of the corn of heaven
man did eat angels food he sent their meat to the fool man what a miracle the Bible says here that
the manna that came out of heaven is angels food you know the book of revelation says that God will
give us to eat of the hidden manna I guess when we're in heaven we're going to experience what
man is going to taste like you know we're going to maybe eat with the angels a bit of manna here
and there but can you imagine going through the will a literal wilderness and God sending through
manna and it says he fed them to the fool that that that there was no hunger right they weren't
even a little bit hungry you know God gave them enough to eat enough to take care of their every
need now if you can come with me to John chapter six come with me to John chapter six John chapter
six the angel food the bread from heaven and you know this this one's an easy one right John 647
John 6 47 the words of Christ verily verily I say unto you he that believe upon me hath everlasting
life I am I am that bread of life your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness and are dead
this is the bread which cometh down from heaven that a man may eat thereof and not die
I am the living bread which came down from heaven if any man eat of this bread he shall live forever
and the bread that I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world
so we see once again that manna that came from heaven is what symbolic of Christ of Christ coming
down from heaven him being the bread of life right and not just a physical bread that gives
you life you know the 70 80 90 years that God gives you but everlasting life life that lasts
forever if you eat of the bread of Christ and so once again the bible is showing us these stories
and even though the hearts of the Israelites were so rebellious God would use these stories
these miracles to teach us of Jesus Christ Christ is found everywhere in the old testament believe
it or not even this manna coming down from heaven and giving and making them full right it says that
he sent their meat to the fool salvation is full and free like manna was full and free is what
salvation is once you have trusted Christ as your savior it's you're done you'll never thirst again
and you'll never hunger again this is why there's no need to have any doubts you eat of that bread
of life Jesus Christ and you'll never be hungry again back to psalm 78 verse number 26
now unfortunately for the Israelites the bread was not enough you kind of understand if I was
just eating bread all day though like I can probably like I read these stories and you're
a man with stubborn people I'm like yeah but I'd be the same like honestly I just be that's why
take heed lest you fall like these are these are in sample stories for us learn from them
if you're eating bread every day doesn't matter how nice it tastes you know food from heaven
angels food yum but if you're eating that every single day at some point be like man where's the
meat all right where's the chicken where's the where's the charcoal chicken
and so God answers their request in verse number 26 he caused an east wind to blow in the heaven
and by his power he brought in the south wind he rained flesh also upon them as dust
and feathered flowers like as the sand of the sea those are the quails
and he let it fall in the midst of the camp around about their habitations like they literally just
fall right where they are okay they didn't have to go hunt for these quails it's like you wake
up oh here they are here here's the food here's the meat verse number 29 so did they eat and were
well-filled for he gave them their own desire now this is really interesting he gave them their own
desire you know God already gave them a manner that was sufficient it was sufficient
but they wanted more they wanted the quails and God gives it to them now you're in psalm so come
with me to psalm 106 i want to show you something psalm 106 you would think all right God answered
our request you would think man woo hoo praise God not just matter now we got some meat
got some quails quails taste really nice by the way they do beautiful but I want to notice their
hearts in this situation in psalm 106 in verse number 14 it says he but lusted exceedingly in
the wilderness and tempted God in the desert and he gave them their request but sent leanness
into their soul God gave them their requests God gave them the quails but instead of rejoicing in
the Lord instead of growing spiritually and praising the Lord and praising his his provisions
leanness came into their soul what I learned here is you need to be careful what you ask for be
careful what you seek for sometimes God may give you you know out of just out of your stubbornness
give you what you want and it's not going to satisfy you there's going to be leanness like
yeah it's going to satisfy the outward but inwardly you're going to be lean inwardly you're
going to be spiritually downcast and you know you're going to realize man this is just my own
lusts my own desires my own selfishness what I take it is be careful what you ask for
you know and and not only that look at verse number 16 they're in psalm 106
they envied Moses also in the camp and Aaron the saint of the Lord they envied Moses and Aaron
like what what the Moses and Aaron they're trying to help these people right they're
interceding on behalf of God Moses stopped God from destroying the Israelites
Moses had a heart for the people
they got their meat they got their their their their fleshly desires and now they're hating the
the pastor they're hating the leaders that God has put them put over them man quite interesting
so why we shouldn't I mean when we pray like we come and I bring our requests to God but
we need to be also open to God and say God only if that's beneficial to me only if it's in your
only if it's in your will Lord and not just my stubborn desires and my lusts that I have for
within myself but God will use this to teach them a lesson God will use this occasion they get what
they want physically but inwardly they're they're far from the Lord inwardly they rebel against the
Lord and God will bring them great chastisement great judgment like even to death if we go back
to Psalm 78 verse number 30 Psalm 78 verse number 30 it says here they were not estranged from their
lust but while their meat was yet in their mouths so they still lust they want more they want more
the matter was good but now we want more the quail is good we still have lust we want more
God you've given me a uh I don't know I keep saying the turtle crawler because that's all I
got God gave me the turtle crawler but I want more now I want the forge falcon I don't know
now Lord I got the ford falcon I want the the nissan skyline whatever it is right
but Lord now I want something more and more than that and you're never satisfied
sometimes God will give you what you will give it to you but you'll have leanness in your soul
you start hating the people of God you'll start hating the ways of the Lord just you're just
chasing your lusts chasing your desires never satisfied you know I'll tell you the honest truth
the only thing that satisfies in this life is Jesus 100 the only thing that satisfies is Jesus
satisfies my concerns about eternity they've been satisfied I don't have any concerns now
I know where I'm going to be for all eternity all right satisfies my fears of answering to an angry
God God's only going to see my righteous acts that are done in Christ Jesus and he's going to reward
me for them whoa man awesome you know he he satisfies the concerns and fears that we have
in our daily life that I can actually run to the most all-powerful being all right and I
can go to him and speak to him and say Lord I have needs can you help me out and he loves me
and he wants my best but we need to ask according to his will according to his ways
we can't ask out of our selfish desires what don't want leanness in my soul I don't want leanness
within me you know I'd rather be lean outwardly but fool inwardly right then the other way around
I mean better to be full on the outward and full on the inward if that's as God's will but
man if I had to substitute one or the other I'd rather be full inwardly rejoicing in Christ Jesus
my savior the one that I can talk to every single day of my life title for the sermon will set your
hope in God I want to set my hope in Jesus whenever there's problems and trials and
difficulties I want to be able to say well I know who's in control of it all that's Jesus
my hope is in him you know my hope is not in chasing worldly goods and the lust of the flesh
no my hope is set on Christ alone and that is the purpose of this psalm psalm 78
sorry verse 130 I didn't get to finish it didn't I they were they were not estranged from their
last but while their meat was in their mouths the wrath of God came upon them and slew the
fattest of them be careful not to oveat by the way and smelt down the chosen men of Israel
for all this they sinned still and believed not for his wondrous works therefore their days did
he consume in vanity and their years in trouble and their years in trouble we see here that sin
and unbelief can create for you years in trouble years in trouble thin and unbelief can cause
years of trouble it caused them um I want to say 40 was it 40 or was it seven years in the wilderness
I'm getting confused now now 40 years in the wilderness sorry 70 years in captivity 40 years
of trouble when they could have just obeyed God all right send us to the promised land
we want spiritual victory God you're with us we've seen your works we've seen your miracles
lead us where you want us to go instead 40 years of trouble in the wilderness
I don't want you want that for your life like I said you know Lord willing we get 70 80 90
years I don't want to spend half my years half my life in trouble because of sin and unbelief
and then verse number 34 look what God does to them when he slew them
and they sought him and they returned and inquired early after God man if you start
seeing God just wiping out your people that's gonna get them you know quick smart back all
right Lord what do you want from us and seek the Lord once again
and they remembered that God was their rock well praise God for that and the high God their Redeemer
nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth and they lied unto him with their tongues
for their heart was not right with him neither were they steadfast in his covenant
guess like they do better all right God's our rock right God's our Redeemer and then just
give it a bit more time what happens they're praising God but they're flattering him with
their mouth they're lying with their tongues why because their heart is not right with them
and again I quote this one I feel like very often this verse Christ says in Matthew 15 8
this people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth and honoreth me with their lips but their heart
is far from me what does God care about your heart come to church and get your heart right
I mean get your lips right but more importantly get your heart right
amen that's what God looks at your heart I can't I don't know you know I come to church
I hear the singing the praise and I love it but I don't know your heart and you don't know my heart
and sometimes my heart isn't right I told you before I get up to preach got my head down
Lord make my heart right Lord if there's any unconfessed sin can you please remove them from me
Lord make me just a channel of blessing move my heart to please you and help me to feed your
great people a sermon that can be a blessing to them Lord let all glory go to Christ and none to me
got to get my heart right before I get up and preach
I want to just speak for nothing I might turn around say pastor that was a great
sermon and then God says yeah but you're lying your heart's not right with me
don't want that what a waste of time what a waste of rewards I want to get any rewards like that
you need to get a heart right with the Lord and be careful with your mouth you know
we're all people have different experiences and different I like come from different backgrounds
and I want to be careful what I want to say because I like I love I love praising the Lord
I love when people speak highly of the Lord but sometimes it's a little bit not normal
if you know what I'm talking about sometimes it's praise the Lord be glory to him hallelujah
it's like I don't think that's your like that's not how people normally talk just 24 7
and I'm also mindful that we are not to take the Lord's name in vain I don't want to be and like
you know I often think about maybe exchanging God's name for a cuss word or something but I
often think about people who just glory to God hallelujah praise be to Jesus and it's coming out
of their lips but is it right in their heart are you taking the Lord's name in vain it's empty
vain repetition like we often talk about the Catholics and their vain prayers but I feel like
I see a lot of Baptists have a lot of vain prayers using the Lord's name and I hope I hope people are
right I hope they're truly loving the Lord and serving the Lord and they've just got a heart of
praise I hope that's the case but again just from what I've observed in my life over the
years in different churches sometimes those hyperzealous praise the Lord glory to God about
everything they're the ones that are the most wicked of all many times and so they just cover
it up by the lies of the lips their hearts not right better not to say too much and just make
sure your heart's right that's vastly more important to our Lord God verse number 38
but he being full of compassion forgave their iniquity and that's our Savior he's forgiven
that's our God praise the Lord man he forgives our iniquity and destroyed them not
yea many a time turned here his anger away and did not stir up all his wrath it says he and
destroyed them not there were times other times where God's like I'm just destroying this nation
and God's like no he forgives them he's merciful he's compassionate he doesn't stir up
all his wrath wow praise God for that as well it's like Lord if you're going to chastise me
can you just not stir up all your wrath just enough for me to learn my lesson please Lord
this is why verse number 39 for he remembered that they were but flesh a wind that passeth away
and cometh not again and that truly is what we are we are but flesh okay and we know that our
flesh is corrupt and we're a wind that passeth away and cometh not again this is the one life
you have there is no reincarnation it's not a wind that passes and comes back again we're like this
wind it blows and it was there I felt it now it's gone like your life is actually quite valuable
appreciate the years and the days that God has given you now don't let your life just pass like
a wind and you've done nothing for eternity you've done nothing for the Lord you've done nothing for
your families you've done nothing for the people that God has allowed you to influence let's be a
shining example of our savior and uh verse number 40 how oft or how often did they provoke him in
the wilderness and grieve him in the desert or what are you how often did you provoke the Lord
and grieve him yeah they turned back and tempted God and limited the holy one of Israel
limited the holy one of Israel we can limit God now then they're limited right because of the lack
of faith God could have now they could be right now living in the promised land living it up you
know serving the Lord being you know a land flowing with milk and honey the blessings of
the Lord showing other nations the greatness of their God that delivered them out of Egypt
but they're stuck in the wilderness and it's caused a limit on the Lord God could God wants
to do more with them but their unbelief their stubbornness causes God to not be able to achieve
what he would love to achieve with them same thing with us we don't want to limit our Lord
if he opens doors if he creates opportunities he shows you a way
away say Lord I believe it guide me direct me show me how Lord fight for me
don't limit the God the Lord God that saved you
with your sin and unbelief his stubbornness and rebellion
and verse number 42 they remembered not his hand nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy
so they forget they forget the past they forget the times God's been good to them
it's like again this constant like they do well and then they did poorly then they do well and
they remember the Lord and they're back to their old ways it's this constant story here in Psalm
78 and again that's you and I brethren that's you and I if we're honest enough we would admit yes
pastor I've grown cold you know I'm in in you know maybe I've not picked up my bible for several
weeks maybe I've not gone to God in prayer for several months maybe I've been coming to church
and I've just been opening my mouth but my heart is far from the Lord I don't know
and again instead of just hating yourself for it just remember your flesh
these are in samples okay they're here not that we stay down that we remember ah my God is
compassionate my God is forgiven I can be back with the Lord all right and I don't want to limit
him any further than I already have in my life okay I forgot what I'm up to now verse number
can someone help me out
40 something uh 42 yeah 42 they remembered not his hand oh yeah I read that and not that
nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy how he had wrought his sins
sorry how he had wrought his signs in Egypt and his wonders in the field of zoan
zoan is where the israelites lived so as God was judging Egypt and the curses were
falling upon them the land of zoan was free and safe like God's wrath did not fall upon
the israelites at that time verse 144 and had turned their rivers into blood and their floods
that they could not drink he sent diverse sorts of flies among them which devoured them and frogs
which destroyed them those are the 10 plagues toward Egypt he gave also their increase unto
the caterpillar and the labor unto the locust he destroyed their vines with hail and their
sycamore trees with frost he gave up their cattle also to the hail and their flocks to hot
thunderbolts now I've not really thought about that flocks to hot thunderbolts
like I think isn't a thunderbolt like lightning strike so I mean I mean when God is you know
judging Egypt we know that there was um hail mingled with fire so maybe that fire is like
lightning or something like that I don't know you can I guess you just see a sheep in Egypt and all
of a sudden man what a disaster for Egypt during this time verse 149 says he cast upon them the
fierceness of his anger wrath and indignation and troubled by sending evil angels among them
I remember that word evil means harm harmful angels okay so these angels they're angels of
the Lord and they're out there causing harm on the land of Egypt verse 150 he made a way to his anger
he spared not their soul from death but gave their life over to the pestilence verse 151 and smote
all the firstborn in Egypt the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of ham but made his
own people to go forth like sheep and guide them in the wilderness like a flock now again you know
this is not clearly defined in the bible and but I do I don't know you may disagree with me but I
do see the death of the first one in Egypt once again as symbolic of Christ that was the final
plague the death of the firstborn in Egypt okay and say yeah but the Egyptians are the enemy yeah
but you know Christ became sin for us yeah Christ took the curse of the Lord for us and it took the
the death of the firstborn in order for us to be free and so I do once again see a symbolism there
with Egypt the firstborn died in Egypt and then the Israelites were allowed to be free they were
allowed to go after the Passover verse number 53 and he led them on safely so that they feared not
but the sea overwhelmed their enemies that's again once the red sea destroyed the army of Pharaoh
all right so again a lot about Egypt a lot about that the plagues and you know the red sea and all
that then from verses number 53 we have this huge jump in history to verse number 54 like this one
kind of made I had to read it a few times to like what are we up to now in the history of Israel
well we're going to read verses 54 to 61 and then I'll give you the summary of what this is about
verse 54 says and he brought them to the border of his sanctuary even to this mountain
which his right hand had purchased
verse number 55 he cast out the heathen also before them and divided them an inheritance by
line and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents yet they tempted and provoked the
most high god and kept not his testimonies but turned back and unfaithfully like their fathers
they were turned aside like a deceitful bow for they provoked him to anger with their high places
and moved him to jealousy with their graven images when god heard this he was wroth and greatly
abhorred Israel so that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh the tent which he placed among them
and delivered his strength into captivity and his glory into the enemy's hand
now I don't know what you make of all those verses but I believe
this is referring to the story in 1st Samuel chapter 4 where the Israelites are battling
with the Philistines and the Philistines have victory and they take the ark of the covenant
they take the ark of god for themselves and and that ark you know would often again picture
god's presence and god's glory god's power upon them all right and that's why when it says in
verse 61 and delivered his strength into captivity I believe that strength represents the
ark there being taken away by the Philistines and his glory into the enemy's hand all right
so what can we learn from this ourselves is that we can lose the strength of the lord in our life
we can lose his glory in our life and I believe this has to do with our daily walk all right we
don't we don't believe you can lose your salvation that's ridiculous salvation is
everlasting it's eternal cannot be cannot be lost but we can mess up in our walk with the lord we
can mess up and and chase other things in this case there were some idols some great some high
places that they set up you know there could be different loves that you have you know carnal
lusts things that you prioritize above the lord god and it can cause a loss of fellowship with
god I believe this is symbolic of losing your fellowship with god and in a scenario like this
when I talk about the fellowship with god I often turn to first john which we want to look at today
but first john deals with a lot a lot about our fellowship with god you know with god there is
no darkness in him and if if we're to first with god he's light and we need to be in the light to
be able to walk with him and when we sin against the lord we confess those sins and we brought
back into fellowship with god so I believe that's what he represents when this ark was taken away
by the enemies that they had lost their strength and glory in their daily walk with the lord
symbolically okay and about but just very quickly just to read to you from somewhere
else rather than first john because I often turn there I'm going to quickly read to you
don't need to turn I'm just going to quickly read to you from Isaiah 59 verse number one
Isaiah 59 and verse number one it says behold the lord's hand is not shortened that it cannot save
neither his ear heavy that it cannot hear and the sentence has not finished so this is telling us
that god's not hands not shortened he can he can fix any problem he can stretch far and wide and
fix our issues and his ears they're not so tired that he can't hear our prayers and requests
so that encourages us to always go to god regardless of what problem it is
but then it says in verse number two but your iniquities have separated between you and your god
and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear that he will not hear
and of course god hears you know but he's not going to answer if you're not walking with the
lord if you've hidden his face from you because of your iniquities it's true your iniquities
separate between you and your god that's what it does
now I realize we're all sinners I you know I get that
I get we're all sinners and we mess up every day
you know but this is why every day I need to go to god and say god I messed up again please forgive
me your compassion's fail not you know lord I can come to you and I know your word says if I
confess my sins to you you'll forgive me I know it a hundred percent and I know your word also
says when you forgive me you forget you put it behind us lord I may suffer the consequences of
my sins and if your judgment and chastisements you still see fit lord for that to fall upon me
I know there are going to be lasting consequences there are lessons that I need to learn
but I want you to remember that even if you're not walking with the lord right now it's just
a matter of going to god so easily say lord forgive me don't let my iniquities come between
me and you don't let my sins break our fellowship lord I want to be in your lights you know go to
bed before you go to bed I don't recommend a long prayer before bed because I've done it and I fall
asleep and I wake up did I finish that prayer I'm not a very good friend when that happens
I'm talking to god so I keep it kind of short I say lord thank you for the day you've given me
please bless my family please bless the churches and lord if there's something not right within
me right now lord I just want to go to bed and be in your lights please forgive me for anything
that's a lot that still remains at the end of the day that's an easy that's a you can go to bed and
be at peace in jesus christ and um it continues in verse 62 uh psalm 78 verse 62
he gave his people also I'm sorry he gave his people over also to the sword and was
wrought with his inheritance so not only was the ark of the covenant taken many of the israelites
died in battle against the philistines the fire consumed their young men and their maidens were
not given to marriage that's because the young men died right their priests fell by the sword
and their widows made no lamentation so the priests that fell by the sword they were the
sons of eli when this i'll just really quickly read to you first samuel 4 11 it says in the
ark of god was taken and the two sons of eli hopni and finnius were slain so the priests are dying
okay and their widows aren't even lamenting they're not even crying about it like
like there's so there's so much destruction god's presence has been taken away the loss of
their husbands is kind of like they don't even have time to grieve it there's so many problems
in our nation today and uh this is the judgment of god that fell upon them verse number 65 then
the lord awakened as one out of sleep and like a mighty man that's shadowed by reason of wine
and he smote his enemies in the hinder parts he put them to a perpetual reproach moreover he
refused the tabernacle of joseph and chose not the tribe of ephraim but chose the tribe of judah
and the mount zion which he loved so god gets enough of his presence been taken away by the
enemies you know god smites the philistines all right the ark of the covenant gets brought back
and now god turns his attention to the tribe of judah why is that important because we now have
the next stage of this psalm which is about king david it's a reference to king david right so all
the other kings from this time forward will come under that lineage of the tribe of judah through
the family line of king david verse number 69 and he built his sanctuary like high palaces
like the earth which he have established forever so that idea once again he built his sanctuary in
high places like david was the one who got all the materials ready for the temple because before the
tabernacle was like a tent he was able to be moved around god says no like this is you know this was
in david's heart but we're going to have a permanent location here in in zion that permanent
to be established forever is the temple once again that's these things are symbolic right that's our
bodies of the temple of the holy ghost right the lord lives in us and temple was uh the house of
the lord in the old testament house lord uh for you tonight is new life baptist church
it says in verse number 70 and he chose david also his servants and took him from the sheepfolds
because david was a shepherd to begin with from following the uh i can't pronounce it from
following the ewes great ewes great and young he brought him to feed jacob his people and israel
his inheritance all right so the purpose of king david was to feed the israelites right king
david you know gave him excited re-establish and you know on fire for the lord the prophets will
be out there preaching you know even king david with his psalms and his writings you know you
know just bringing the love of god back in the hearts of the people verse 172 so he fed them
according to the integrity of his heart and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands
so this is of course the shepherd becoming king and king david is a picture of who christ
okay christ who is the shepherd is the good shepherd the great shepherd and that's how he
came the first time the shepherd the to guide the sheep but he's coming back as king of kings and
lord of lords he's coming back and like it says here he's he guided them by the skillfulness of
his hands you can say well that's about david and his ability to fight with the skillfulness of his
hands or his ability to play instruments by the skillfulness of his hands but of course the title
of the sermon will set your hope in god not say you're hoping king david king david's a picture
of christ you know and so of course you know as we set our sights on christ lord by the skillfulness
of your hands by the leading of your hands can you help us to walk in your ways can you set a fire in
our hearts a love a passion for you and your word and your ways christ can do that for you title for
the sermon will set your hope in god well set your hope in christ set your eyes on christ tonight
that's the purpose of this psalm 78 to set your hope in god you might be far from the lord once
again and uh i don't think you're a horrible person i just think you're human i just think
your flesh you're like wind that's here and gone the next day i'm the same okay we mess up all the
time and our hearts grow cold from time to time and i've got no doubts there have been times that
we sung praises to god with his lips but our hearts were far from him oh set your put your
life in the hands of christ let him to lead you got directly guide you remind you of the times
that he's seen you through in the past his great works his great miracles and um put your hope on
christ set your hope on god okay let's pray