James 4 and look at verse number 7 the total comes from verse number 7 submit yourselves therefore to God total for the sermon this morning is
Submit yourself to God submit yourself to God now
I was thinking about what topics to preach on and I I kind of want to cover some issue
things that I think are difficult for us to do and
I think one of the biggest challenges as human beings is to be submissive
Now I would also say that it's not that difficult as believers
to be submissive to God because he has saved us we know that he loves us
We know that he's all-knowing. We know that he has all wisdom, right? He intends the best for us our Lord God
And so if we decide, you know, we talk about you know, if we talk to each other say well
Just submit yourself to the Lord. We know that is the best thing to do in life like without question, you know now
Choosing to submit to God is harder because every time you sin whether it's a sinner Commission or the sin of omission
You you haven't submitted to the Lord at that point. You're submitting to your own will you're rebelling against the word of the Lord
But you know submission can be obviously much more difficult when we talk about submitting to another human being
Okay. So like I said total for the sermon this morning is submit yourself to God
That's going to be our first topic in this series
But just some other topics that might be in this series for example, we got Ephesians 5 21
It says submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God one to another and that's in the context of Church
You know Paul is running that to the Ephesian Church. He says the Ephesian Church. We ought to submit one to another
Now we already know because we spend time together
We know how each other's failings and weaknesses and the little
Irritations that we cause one to another and so to submit one to another is
More difficult submitting to a human being is much more difficult in the same
following verse in verse on 22 it says wives
submit yourselves unto your own husbands as
unto the Lord and that's difficult for wives because you live with your husband day in day out and you know more of your
Husbands problems and defects and anybody else knows and so it becomes difficult
How do I submit to this man who is not perfect? I love how it says submit your unto your own husbands
Don't submit yourself to another husband. Don't submit yourself to some other man, but your own husbands and that's difficult for wives to do
Okay, cuz you know, you know your husband's not always right, you know, he's you know
He's issues and problems and and I'm gonna tell you about my husband's problems and yet every wife can talk about their husband's problems
If they want to and every husband can talk about his wife's problems if he wants to but that's not you know
The instructions that God gives us. We also have Hebrews 13 17 that says obey them
They have the rule over you and submit yourselves
That's again in the context of church and the pastor
It says submit to the pastor to the ones that have rule over you for they watch for your souls
That they may that they must give accounts that they may go do it with joy and not with grief for that is
Unprofitable for you. And so you know what the Bible tells we should be submissive to our pastors
And that's difficult to do because I'm the first to tell you I'm not some perfect man
I've definitely not reached the standards of Jesus Christ. And so our pastor sometimes gonna make wrong decisions
Of course, they are every pastor I've ever known has made some wrong decision and yet maybe it's a right decision
Because I just disagree with him. I see it as a wrong decision
Okay, the Bible also says in first Peter. This is the hardest one. Okay, if I'm just telling you like out of all
The ones that are submission issues, it's probably this one first Peter chapter 2 verse number 13 submit yourselves
to every ordinance of man
for the Lord's sake whether it be to the king as supreme or unto governors as
unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evil doers and for the praise of them that do
Well submit yourself to your governors every ordinance of man. It's not the law
Yes, but it's an ordinance where you meant to do it anyway
That's hard. That's hard. Yeah, and things are you know, it's our day and age pastor Kevin. It's a hard thing
Yeah
I mean look Jesus like this this was written by Peter when the Roman Empire had rule over his nation
Over his land the Roman Empire is not some godly God fearing nation
Is it no it was a very wicked nation and yet even then Peter's instructing the peace people of God
Submit yourselves to your governor's to your your politicians
That's the hardest one because we know how corrupt our politicians are
We see the laws they pass and we know they're ungodly and unjust and it's very hard to submit yourself to the laws of
the government and so I'm not saying that this will be a
Back-to-back series. I might preach on submission here
I'm gonna preach obviously submit yourself to God this time because that's probably the easier one to accept
Okay, and then I might go a few weeks and then preach the next one a few weeks
They're preaching the next one. But overall it's going to be entire series on submission. Now. What's really good about James chapter 4 and
Verse number 7. Well, let's backtrack a little bit. Let's let's get the context in verse number 4
James 4 4 it says ye adulterers and adulteresses
No, you're not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God
Whose server therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God and so the
James is writing to save people that love the world more than they love the Lord
You know that they love the ways of society the ways that are corrupt
Rather than the righteousness that God instructs us to walk therein and he says if we love the world
You know if we make ourselves friends to the world, we're adulteresses
You know, you know in the sight of God's obviously not physically speaking but spiritually speaking
You know God sees it like adultery
It's like, you know
You it's like you're cheating on God
God the one who loved you who redeemed you that wants you to walk in his ways and sees you
Desire in something else another way, you know, it's like adultery in the heart
You know of the Lord and so then we get the instruction verse number seven
let's look at it again submit yourselves therefore to God and
Now what's really wonderful about this passage?
It gives us the instructions of how to do it like sometimes we read passages that just say submit yourselves
Okay, but like how well it tells us number one
It says resist the devil and he will flee from you
That's obviously gonna point number one number eight now voice that verse number eight says draw nigh to God
That's your next step right draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you. That's point number two
Point number three cleanse your hands you sinners point number four is gonna be and purify your hearts you double-minded
Point number five will be easy verse number eight not verse number nine. Sorry be afflicted and mourn and weep
You see it's just a step by step instruction
You know how we submit ourselves to God let your last be turned to morning and your joy to heaviness and point number six
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift you up
Now when it comes to submission the biggest problem
The reason we don't submit is a lack of humility that that's at the end of day when this series is
Over every single point in this series is gonna have something to do with humility
Okay, and here we are being asked by God to humble ourselves in the sight of his of the Lord and he will
Lift us up. So those are the points straightforward. You can know what the points are this morning
So let's start with point number one resist the devil resist them
You don't just keep a finger there in James for any longer, but come with me to Ephesians chapter 4
Please come with me to Ephesians chapter 4 Ephesians chapter 4
Resist the devil. Okay, we don't want to be influenced or tempted by the devil
We don't want to fall in these traps that is laid out for us as God's people
So, how can we resist the devil the Bible has a lot to say about how we can push back against the devil
Ephesians 4 26 for example Ephesians 4
26 says
Be ye angry
That's a commandment by the way be angry if you're never angry. There's something missing
be angry, but then it says this and
Sin not so there is an anger that can lead to sin, but there's also a righteous anger
But then look at this when you get angry
Okay, when you get frustrated, especially if you get frustrated at somebody, you know, right angry toward one another potentially
It says let not the Sun go down upon your wrath
Then he says and by the way, there's a there's a colon
Okay, so it's continuing the same thought verse on 27 neither give place to the devil
You know husbands and wives, you know, if you have an argument
Don't let your anger continue till nighttime
like don't go to bed without resolving your conflict without resolving your differences and
Same thing with brethren, you know, if we have some conflict some some, you know
We get a bit emotional about each other and look upset and someone's offended me. Let's sort it out as soon as possible
In fact, well saying the very day it happens the very day you get angry
The Bible telling us sort it out before the Sun goes down
Because if we don't we give in place to the devil
You know the devil can see when there's open conflicts open disagreements when people don't want to make peace with one another
That's when the devil goes. I've got an opportunity
I've got an opportunity. We wait we the first thing if we want to submit ourselves to God is to not give place to
the devil
Right where to resist the devil and look we open up the doors if there's
Resolved conflicts and you know what I've learned to resolve conflicts where we don't even have to agree with one another
It's like sometimes people think we just have to be on the same page. We have to be in agreements
No, you don't
you know, there are times I've offended people and
I've not agreed. I don't agree that I've actually a flight that it was worth being offended about I
Don't think it's worth being offended about okay, but they tell me pastor you've offended me, okay
You're right. Okay. Forgive me. I'm sorry. I say stupid things. Sometimes. I'm a human being I'm sorry to have offended you
I love ya. All right, let's let's put this behind us. Let's make peace and I'm sorry
All right. I don't need to agree with you to make peace
On every issue if I've done you wrong and you feel that way. Oh, okay fine
Even if deep down in me, I don't think I've done it. I don't agree with that. It doesn't matter
Okay, because I'm more interested in being at peace and I'm interested at resisting the devil
I don't want to give the devil an opportunity to cause problems
You know, is that something you guys do when you have conflicts
Problems issues or do you let it carry on day after day?
Day after day day after day week after week month after month. You're holding on to this bitterness and anger
It just destroys your life. It destroys your joy destroys your peace
And without resolution, you'll find out later on this person saw that person and they've told that person
And maybe you've told that person and that person has told that person and then you get angry that why'd you open your mouth?
Why'd you open your mouth? Why didn't you make peace?
It always frustrates me when people get angry that someone doesn't keep your secret. Why did you tell the secrets?
I always think that like I've told my friend a deep secret, but they betrayed me told the secret someone else
Yeah, but you couldn't even keep your own secret you betrayed yourself and you get mad at the wrong person
Like you expect them to keep their mouth shut, but you couldn't keep your own mouth shut
It's strange to me. It's weird. Oh, they couldn't keep my secret. How'd you tell them?
What in the world you got a secret that you want nobody to know?
Take it to God and tell him and help him to ask him to help you, you know resolve that issue
Boy, you know when you don't resolve things quickly, you know
Things get out of control very very quickly
Very quickly and what was you know storm in a tea? Well, they call it a storm in a teacup. What you know
What's the way in the Bible says it?
Nor in at a gnat since well in the camel like something that is small and usually conflicts are tiny things
Usually the tiny things really when you boil it down. It's something so small
But then if you leave it unresolved it gets bigger and bigger and bigger
You know and then you you know, it's like Chinese whisper and sometimes, you know
You play back what happened in the past and it becomes worse and greater and they definitely hate me
Though they probably just said something and didn't realize it upset you like they didn't mean it
But you know you go a month without resolving something now. I hate me. I want to destroy my life
You know, it's it's a it's a false brother in the Lord, you know
Maybe even a reprobate and you know, we can't even sort things out like things can get so severe
Sometimes when you choose not to resolve issues and you're giving place to the devil
The Bible tells us if we want to submit to the Lord, we can't let the devil have a foothold in our lives
Okay, you're there in in Ephesians 4 coming me to Ephesians 6
Ephesians 6 11
Ephesians 6
You guys know this verse put on the whole
Armor of God
That you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil
Brethren in order for you to fight the devil back push him back. You must have the whole armor of God on
Not just some of the armor look some armor is better than no armor, obviously
But what is much more superior than some armor is all armor on
Okay, because if there's a part that's missing you can spend your own time reading about this in Ephesians 6
We're not gonna study this in depth. Okay, but if you've got a piece missing from the armor, the devil can hurt you
Okay, you you allow any opening and the devil can attack. I
Don't know if you guys heard on the way to church, you know
Former president of the United States Donald Trump's been shot. Okay, and I guys heard about that and
He was doing some rally and
Obviously, there's secret service as big as major security
you know around all of that and
You would think even a place with great security checking your bags when you walk in all kinds of scanners and all this, you know
You know
I understand that reporters if you're going to go to one of these rallies reporters got to turn up early and
All your equipment's got to be checked and you know reporters are the last ones to leave as well again
Rechecking all the equipment and yet still somehow someone's able to enter into that rally with a gun and shoot
Okay, and I guys anyway, I just heard about on the way here. Okay, but the point is what happened. There was some opening
Now whatever you believe that policy doesn't matter
But point is there is some open in there where someone can come and cause damage
Well, there is someone aiming for your assassination even this morning. That's a devil
The devil wants to wipe you out
Okay, number one. He tries to stop you getting saved
But you're safe now. So what our house is gonna try to stop you stop you from living a life
That is fulfilling to the Lord
He's gonna try to stop you live in a life to the max
to do the most you can for the kingdom of God and
Brethren, if you don't have all the armor on you don't have the helmet and the breastplate the sword and the shield
And the feet prepared if you're not fully ready for the battle the devil will find an opening and hurt you
Have you ever felt that way where you're just serving the Lord and somehow the devil just comes in
It's like why man? I've been serving the Lord. Yeah, cuz he forgot something
You forgot something
Maybe maybe the shield of faith is what you forgot. Maybe the hell with a salvation you forgot about that
You forgot the joy of your salvation
And the devil's just found a way to come in you thought you already you thought you were arming up
There's just one piece missing
Brethren you need to put on the whole armor of God or the devil's going to find a weakness
He's going to find an opening and hurt you
Can you come with me to 1st Timothy please 1st Timothy now, we're gonna look there's plenty of passages
I'm just showing you some where the Lord tells us how we can
Resist the devil how we can push back against the devil not allow him to have a foothold in our lives in
First Peter, so sorry first Timothy chapter 3 first Timothy chapter 3, please
now I know what we're about to read a qualifications for a pastor and
I often talk about this with people
Because sometimes people think the qualifications for a pastor is a very high standard
But I'm going to tell you that every everything about the pastor that you read about is going to be found in other scriptures about the
common man
Like for example, you know if the Bible says that the past is not to be given to wine
Does that mean everyone else should be given to wine?
No, obviously, we'll find other Bible verses that that's the case
If it's not to be a striker not to be a brawler
Do you think the Bible is telling us that all other believers can be strikers and brawlers?
No, you're gonna find other passages that deal with that as well
Right when the Bible says that uh, you know the preacher is to
Hold hold fast to the faithful word
Right to know the scriptures and and and stand on the scripture
Do you think that means that the average person should not the average man should not have to do that
Stand on the scriptures hold fast the faithful word. No, obviously like every call every every qualification
Needed for the pastor can be found like the husband of one wife
Does that mean you know every other man can have two wives five wives a hundred wives
You know husband of the past having faithful children
That means God's okay with everyone else having unfaithful children. No, obviously, that's a ridiculous side
So when people say the pastor's stand is very high. It's a stand for everybody
It's just that you've got to meet the standard in order to become a pastor. Okay, that's all it's saying
Okay, and so when we read about this here in first Timothy chapter 3
Which is one of the qualifications needed for a pastor and verse number 7
It says moreover. He must have a good report
That's like a good reputation of them that are without
Lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil the word snare means a trap
Okay, so if a pastor also have a good reputation with those that are without
That's not just people within the church without means outside of right in his community
You know, he ought to have a good reputation in his workplace
He ought to have a good reputation with his family extended family and and people that know him for whatever reasons
He ought to have a good reputation
You know because if he doesn't it says this is a trap of Satan a trap of the devil and he can cause
You know reproach means like a disapproval
You know, let's say I'm pastoring for like, you know, it's coming to seven years now
And then you find out later on, you know something somehow it comes through the grapevine
That I don't know in all the churches. I attended. I was just it's a rebellious person
Always fighting with a pastor always fighting with church members
Let's go into destroy my testimony
Like you're gonna think differently about me as a pastor
All right
Like you're gonna like oh if I'm gonna go and start a church and I've been ordained to be a pastor and you find
Out this guy has never worked a day in his life
He's lazy. He doesn't provide for his family
right like
You know and his family hate him like, you know
His wife who has to go and work the job because the husband's too lazy to work a job
You're gonna find out that's a hard man to get behind
Right, and that's a trap of the devil we need to have a good report and you think oh, that's just pastors
No, no, because I can find you many other passages in the Bible that says we all ought to have a good report
You know before man before God
You know when we destroy our testimony we destroy our reputation
This is a trap that the devil can use to cause you to destroy your testimony
Please don't have the attitude. I'm never gonna be a pastor
So I don't care what my reputation is
That's a that's a that's horrible
Now look, are you gonna find people in my past that don't like me? Of course you are
But you ask them why they don't like me. Oh
Cuz he doesn't like the fags
That's alright. That's a good qualification for a pastor to dislike homosexuals
All right. Oh
Well, you know, he believes that a man should be working and his wife should stay home and you know, he's not here
That's a pretty good thing right to feel like I'm responsible for my for my family, you know
I'd rather work a second job or a third job if I had to to provide for my family
Rather than send my wife out to work cuz we've got a family got kids to look after
You know, ah, maybe even remember my church's ah
It was a blessing to us and he served us faithfully and ran the Sunday school and served as a deacon
Ah, but you know, he was a post reprieve rap believer
Yes, some people just don't like it because of a doctrine you believe but they you know besides that I mean obviously
Those are the things that you're gonna hear back but you know
If you have a horrible reputation brethren, you need to fix it like fix it now because the devil can use that against you
You're there in first Timothy come with me to first Timothy chapter 5 and verse number 14
First Timothy chapter 5 verse number 14. This is for the ladies. I
Will therefore that the younger women marry
By the way, you're reading your own time the context of this younger women under 60 years old
Okay, I will therefore that the younger women marry
bare children
Guide the house are so old-fashioned
Look at this and give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully
Who's the adversary continues ever some 15 for some are already turned aside after Satan
ladies or mothers wives
You want Satan to get a foothold in your life? Then you got disregard these things that you just read
Ladies that refuse to marry ladies that hate you they don't want to have kids
They see children as a burden
Guide the house. They don't want to take care of the household
Ladies you do that. You're gonna give an opening to the devil to speak reproachfully against you again in the same way
It's a bad testimony
You allow the devil to creep into your life
And can you can read in your own time the Bible says cuz ladies if you don't do that
You don't look after your families. You become a busybody in other people's lives
You will be going house-to-house gossiping about this and that causing conflicts
and
So many conflicts and I'm not ladies I'm not saying go and visit each other and talk to each other and have a tea and all
that
But so many conflicts that I've observed has just been one wife going to another wife
Going house-to-house. Let me tell you how about how about how bad my husband is
Let me tell you how horrible my marriage is
Let me tell you what I don't like about pastors or whatever whatever it is
Let me tell you about sister so-and-so what she did at church last week
It's like it's horrible
Is that the reason we go house-to-house and have fellowship and talk so we can just criticize
other families
That are just as much of a sinner as you are
It's stupid. Anybody can do that's the easiest thing to do
Easiest thing to do is to find
problems with each other and go and tell someone else
You don't realize that's the devil's way of destroying
Churches destroying families destroying friendships and destroying your testimony at the end of the day
Can you come with me to second Timothy chapter 2 second Timothy chapter 2 verse number 25
Resist the devil
It's point number one
How can we submit ourselves to God if we don't first resist the devil?
We just let the devil run amok in our lives
Second Timothy chapter 2 verse number 25
Again instructions to a pastor
To his congregation. Okay, but we'll soon see what this is about in meekness
Instructing those that oppose themselves
So look if we have a disagreement like if I'm preaching I'm using a pass I don't agree. I ought to with meekness
Come and help you understand the doctrine better, whatever it is
Alright, it says here if God Pro adventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth
So I'm preaching some what you know, I'm passed on preaching something
I believe is true according to God's Word and you can't come around say pastor. You're wrong
Okay. Well, it's my job to try to meekly guide you and instruct you to acknowledge the truth
Okay
Now verse 126 says and that they may recover themselves
Out of the snare of the devil who are taken captive by him at his will
You say when you don't acknowledge the truth or if you believe a lie
The Bible says this is a snare of the devil. This is a trap of the devil
Because again, I've seen it I've seen it where churches have doctrinal and I believe anything
I believe if you've been here for almost seven years listen to this pastor that you're gonna find something
You don't agree with me with all right. So one of us is right. One of us is wrong now
I'm willing to oh, we're both wrong
That's that's another reality, right? We're both wrong potentially. Okay, but you know what when it becomes an issue
All right, when it comes out an argument a fight
All right division. I
Tell you at that point. It's a trap of the devil
It's a snare and we've allowed the devil to come into our church and destroy us
Brethren we are to resist the devil
Most of the times someone disagrees me that's all I don't really care. It doesn't bother me
I don't have a lack of sleep if you disagree my sermon this morning. I'm not I'm gonna sleep like a baby tonight
Actually, that's bad because babies don't sleep very well sometimes, but I'm gonna sleep peaceably
At night, even if you disagree with something I've said today, okay
Obviously someone wants to bring in damnable heresies major heresies things that are fun that contrary to the fundamental of the faith
Obviously, I'm going to try to I'm gonna call you out, but I'll try to do it with meekness first
Right we've meekness trying to help you understand
You know these great truths, but if things are like secondary even tertiary issues
Which is you to me most of this agreements are tertiary. It's like it's so insignificant
It's like well, maybe maybe you're right. Maybe I'm wrong, but it's definitely not worth dividing over
It's definitely not worth causing conflicts about you know with certain things, but hey when we allow these doctrinal differences
Okay, there is a lie somewhere like I said either you're lying or I'm lying or we're both lying okay
But that's where the devil brings in a trap to destroy a church
All right point number one was resist the devil spent a bit of time on that
But there are so many other passages that deal with the devil
I just want to give you some things to think about because I don't know maybe maybe there are some areas in your life
That you are allowing the devil to come in and destroy
Point number two was draw near to God come with me to Matthew 15 draw near to God
Matthew 15, please
Matthew 15
Draw
Near to God Matthew 15, I want you to see the words of Jesus here
You say pastor I am I have drawn near to God by coming to church this morning
singing him praises
Praise God if that's truly your heart
Condition praise God that is surely one way to draw near to God
Have you ever like had like just a bad week in general?
Maybe you've not really thought about the Lord much, but you got a church
You know whether it's a Sunday or a Wednesday midweek whatever right, and then you you know you leave church
And you just have a pep in your step like you just man that was good
It was just good to be at church
You feel uplifted. I've been encouraged. I man you know my eyes are back on the Lord
No surely going to church is surely one way to draw near to him I agree
But one thing I want to notice that is your heart has to be the right place though
Okay, because you can come to church
And your heart is in the wrong place, and you haven't drawn near to him
Jesus says these words in Matthew 15 8
this people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth and
honor of me with their lips
Hallelujah praise the Lord
I love you Lord love you Jesus singing the hymns
But then he says this
But their heart is far from me
Now I don't know that I don't know the condition of your heart
Jesus obviously as God is
Knows the condition of our hearts and in you the condition of the hearts that are drawing near to him
We're drawing it to God with their lips and with their mouth
But he goes actually no, they're very very far very far away their heart is very far away look at verse number nine
But in vain and this is one way you can see but in vain they do worship me
Okay, that's hard for us. Okay that in vain because we just see someone worshiping the Lord
Amen, that's we can only see the outward I guess from that perspective
But then he kind of tells us where this leads into this is where we can see if someone's heart is right with God
Or not it says teaching for doctrines
Stop there for a moment am I teaching doctrine right now. Yeah, okay. I my goal is to teach a doctrine tonight
I'm sorry this morning all right, but teaching for doctrines what the commandments of
men
When someone lifts their opinion
you know their thoughts their way and
Make it appear to be the doctrines of God
Jesus is telling me their heart is far from him
They might sound like a powerful preacher
They might just sound like a god fearing worshiping the Lord
But you go to church, and you hear the preaching you go. This is just man's wisdom
in fact sometimes even contrary to God's words and
And
They're teaching it like look again. I'm not saying don't have an opinion
It's that God's given us a brain right to reason to think
to make decisions
But when you make your decision
Your ideas, and you make it as the as the doctrines of God
That is a person that whose heart is far from him
It's just that's what Jesus says
So
Look you want my opinions
I'll tell you my opinions
But I'll tell it's mine
And you can do what you need to do because every family is different and every individual is different
And there are many ways to do lots of things as long as you're not sinning against the Lord. That's the main thing
You know it mean all thy ways the Bible says you know all thy ways multiple ways
acknowledge him and he shall direct out your paths and
again, it's just something that's on my heart always at churches because
In my life, I've always seen people try to force their ways onto other people or people choosing that
I don't know what to do. Tell me what to do
Stop asking another human being what's to ask God what to do? Oh, but God's not very clear
Well, then God's giving you opportunity to decide
As long as you're not sin against him, it's okay
But you'll find people certain pastors to be very regimented
Be like me speak like me dress like me run your family like I run my family
Those commandments of men that make it the doctrines of and sometimes people think it's the doctrines of God
I'm telling you that's when when that's happening their heart is far from him
Hey, we're to draw near to God come with me to Psalm 73
Please Psalm 73 and verse number 27 Psalm 73 verse number 27
Draw near
to God what I love about that verse draw nigh to God and
He will draw nigh to you. I love that so much. I
Love it because it's all like how do I get how do I draw near to God when I know I'm a sinner?
How do I get to like his heavenly standard, you know?
it's like why not just just take one step and
God takes one step in your direction
Every step every time you draw near to God. It's actually you're two steps closer
You're two, you know, it's a multiplying effect because as you seek to draw near to him with your heart, right?
He draws near to you. That's I think that's wonderful and in in Psalm 73, please
Psalm 73 verse number 27
It says and lo
They that are far from thee far from thee right where to draw near to him
So this is the opposite those that are far from thee shall perish
Thou has destroyed all them. Look at this that go a whoring from thee
That's like James 4 and he calls you adulterers, right?
So when you're far from God, it's like you've gone whoring against him
Then look at verse 128, but it is good for me to draw near to God. I
Have put my trust in the Lord God that I may declare all
thy works
How can I draw near to God?
It is good for me to draw near to God Colin the thoughts not thought right not finished
I have put my trust in the Lord God. I
Think that's a really good way to draw near to him Lord. I'm just gonna trust you
Well, I'm wrong here
You're right. I'm trusting you and your words. I'm trusting your judgment Lord. I'm
Trusting you to answer my prayers
According as you see fit that's going to be best for me
You start to draw near to him your draw. You're bringing your trust more upon him
We know that without faith we cannot please him
I've said before that faith in the Bible means it means trust
You know when we have when we put our trust on something we're saying we're confident about that con with
Confidence fit and fit and that's a faith
Same root word with faith say we have confidence in the Lord. We're trusting him means we have faith on him
We see that he's looking out for my best is going to do what is right and Lord
I'm gonna trust your word above the opinions of men. I'm gonna trust your ways above my ways Lord
It's one that's Simon says it is good for me to draw near to God
I don't want to be whoring against him
I don't want to be far from him because it says if I'm far I'm gonna perish and
You will you'll destroy your life. I mean you still got a heaven you can't lose your salvation
We know that but you'll destroy your earthly life what God could have utilized for you for you know
Draw near to God. That's point number two. Let's go to point number three
You got it. You're in Psalms. I come with me to Psalm seven come with me to Psalm seven
Psalm seven
Clean your hands
Clean your hands you sinners
Now when we talk about our hands the Bible uses that language to about what we do
What we do with our bodies, right?
clean your hands and
I'm glad we've got verses like this in the Bible
I'm happy because it's like okay in order for me to clean my hands. It tells me that my hands are dirty
Also
I'm actually like everybody else
It's just a sinful condition the sinful flesh that I live in and I get my hands dirty
Sometimes the dirtiness means sin right iniquities
Clean your hands look at Psalm seven verse number three. Oh
Lord my God if I have done this if there be iniquity in my hands
Now the Psalmist here is pretty confident. He's done nothing wrong. I'll give you the quick context
He's got enemies and the enemies are making accusations about him
And he doesn't think he's done it like he thinks he's a false accusation
But then he's honest enough to go all right Lord if I have iniquity in my hands
Like cuz he's like examining himself
I don't know have you ever felt that way like people make accusations about you, and you know they're not really true
But then as you think about it's like maybe I did I don't know
maybe I did say something and they've interpreted like that or
Like you start questioning your own motives. It's hard sometimes to even know your own heart
Right and that's why it's sort of like saying to God
Oh Lord my God if I have done this if there be iniquity in my hands
He goes if I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me
Because someone that we get along if I've done evil to him
I just if that's iniquity right like he's look comparing that iniquity to his hands if I've done evil if I've done harm
To somebody else he says yeah, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy
He says let the enemy persecute my soul and take it
Yay, let him tread down my life upon the earth and lay mine honor in the dust sealer
The psalmist is saying God if I have done wrong then yeah, okay, let me let me suffer the consequences
But in his heart is really like I don't think I've done wrong Lord
All right, but the main thing I want to show you there is that he mentions the iniquity in his hands
And he compares that to rewarding evil to someone that was at peace with him
Brethren if we've done evil if we've done harm
If we've done harm to another person if we've trespassed against them we've sinned against them
We got iniquity in our hands
Like I said before right like let's make peace with each other if there's a conflict
If I've done you wrong brethren tell me tell me tell me today and I'll apologize to you
I want to be at peace with you
I don't want to I don't want our lives to be destroyed
Right, I want to have our hands clean
toward one another
So that way I can serve you with clean hands and you can serve me in return with clean hands
Rather than you know, we say do nice things for each other. But at the you know, it's really back saving each other
iniquity in our hands
Clean your hands
So this talks about what we do
You know the sins that we've done against one another
That's point number three point number four
Is purify your heart?
purify your heart
And then it says um you double-minded right purify your heart you double-minded
it's like part of you just
wants to
Like just willingly sin against the lord
There's a part of you. That's your flesh right a party that says no, I I want to obey the lord
It's the other foot that you've got in the world like your flesh and your spirit and you're like, ah, what do I do?
Double-minded just you ought to walk according to the spirit
You're to submit your will to god's will
You're to submit yourself to god. That's you know, when when you're like, I don't know do I do what's right?
Or do I do what's in my selfish my selfish desires, even though I know they're against god
So god's saying you're double-minded
So
Purify your heart. Can you come with me to matthew five come with me to
Actually, you're in psalm. Come with me quickly to psalm 51. You're in psalm. So come with me to quickly to psalm 51 verse number 10
Psalm 51 verse number 10
psalm 51 famous psalm about king david
chameleon adultery vashiva
And they went a long time
At least nine months plus
After the baby was born
Where he had not confessed his sin before the lord
And then it's confronted by the prophet nathan
Okay, and then psalm 51 is what results from that
Okay
But he says in psalm 51 verse number 10
david says
Create in me a clean heart
Oh god
And renew a right spirit within me
So not only had david committed adultery
Not only were his hands full of iniquity not just adultery but murder
essentially, right
murdering her husband
By putting him on the front lines and allowing him allowing that man to be killed
But he also acknowledges it's not just what i've done in my body lord. It's my heart
He asked the lord. Can you clean my heart create in me a clean heart?
Purify your heart say what are you talking about pastor? Come with me to matthew five come with me to matthew five
matthew 5 27 matthew 5
27
And I I often say this but we have the laws of god
We have you know the law the the you know, the first five books
Of the old testament the books of moses known as the law
Of the old the ten commandments also obviously known as the law
and um
These give us instructions right of how to live
but they're very
Besides the first one to love the lord god with all your heart and all your mind and all your soul and all your strength
most of the commandments we get in the old testament are very
Do this don't do this
Which is good
It's good
Okay, we know that we are not to commit adultery
That's a good commandment to live by okay, but I love when christ comes on the scene in the new testament
he takes the law of god and just
Like increases the standard of righteousness and for example matthew 5 27
He says you have heard that it was said by them of old time
Thou shalt not commit adultery
Yeah, that's a good command. We have heard that
We should not desire to commit adultery
hurt our marriages
But then christ says yeah, okay verse 28, but
I say unto you
That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her have committed adultery with her already
in his heart
Whoa
Because i'm sure there are many husbands that will say i've never committed adultery on my wife
But you asked the husband, but have you committed adultery in your heart?
Well, that's a high standard
You see it's not just why I haven't committed adultery physically
Well, praise god because if you live in the old testament times you'd be put to death
But have you committed adultery in the heart
You see we're to clean our hands, but we're also to purify our hearts
fix the inward
Fix the inside
And um, by the way anyone that gets up to preach
I know the bible doesn't command put in a tie
Put it on the jacket the nice pants and nice shoes
My shoes are getting a bit old anyway
I know the bible doesn't say that
Okay, we do it to be presentable, right?
To be presentable is the whole purpose behind but we're taking god's words. Seriously. We're taking that seriously
But whoever's getting up to preach when you get up in the morning you put in your time
You're trying to make sure it's all symmetrical. I don't care if it's symmetrical, but if you're making sure it's all perfect here
I want you to remind yourself as I try to make myself right on the outside
You need to ask this question. Am I right on the inside though?
Before I get up and open god's word to god's people. Have I fixed the inside too?
Because that is much more important to our lord god than what's on the out. It's the highest standard what's happening in our hearts
Okay
And again, I tell you all the time before I get up to preach
As the bible's being read that chapter's been read
I'm not really focusing on the chapter because I know what the chapter contains i'm focusing the lord is my heart right with you
Lord forgive me
All right, if something comes to mind will forgive me for that sin, please
I want to be clean. I want to be a clean vessel
I want to have clean hands before your lord. I want to have a purified heart before your lord
As I get up to teach your people your great people the truth of god's word
Heart is so important. We can pretend on the outside
We can look so wonderful on the outside praise god hallelujah, I have a drawing near to go with our lips and a mouth
And by appearance we can look like wow, look at this wonderful christian
But on the inside, you know the problems that you have
You know, your heart's not right
And that's that's it's just a reality it's just human beings we think if we just fix the outside
You know, we'll trick everybody but you can't trick god
Like if we're trying to submit ourselves to god
Oh lord, I dressed up and went to church. Yeah, but your heart's not right. You haven't submitted yourself to god. Have you?
I I if can come with me to some please psalm 24 some 24 psalm 24 verse number three
Psalm 24 verse number three
So you obviously clean your hands purify your heart these are very similar
These are very similar
But one has to do with what we do on the outward one has to do with what's happening on the inside
And in psalm 24 verse number three, we have this question
Who shall ascend into the hill of the lord?
And who shall stand in his holy place?
Now when I think about that if i'm ascending to god's hill
And i'm standing in the holy place
I better have a clean heart. I better have a clean heart and clean hands, right?
You think that's the person right someone that's drawn near to god
And that's why the next verse number four says
He that have clean hands
and a pure heart
Who have not lifted up his soul unto vanity nor sworn deceitfully?
He shall receive the blessing from the lord and righteousness from the god of his salvation
So who receives the blessing from the lord?
The one that has clean hands and a pure heart
So look not only does that help us submit to god
But as we submit to god in our body and in our heart god says i'm going to bless you
You're going to stand in my presence
You know, we're in fellowship with god
When we have no sin before us, you know, that's separating our walk with the lord
Can you come with me back to james? No, not james. Sorry. Come with me to you're in psalm
Let's say in psalms. We've got a lot of psalms come into psalm 51 psalm 51
Now I already introduced you to some 51. That's the sum of david right after he committed adultery with bafshiba was caught out with the prophet nathan
The reason why I bring that up is because you know
We know that david is a man after god's own heart a great man of god man
a super christian
David was but even david went at least nine months minimum
Not confessing his sins before god
He never got right with god until nathan pointed out that was after the baby was already born
That's a long time
Now, I don't know I don't know about you brethren, but have you gone at least nine months
Just refusing to go before god and ask him to forgive you
That's a long time
I personally just do it every day. I know I mess up every day
Even if I don't remember what they are. I know i've messed up somehow somewhere
But um in psalm 51 david says these words verse 17
The sacrifices of god
So we want to offer god sacrifices you think about in the old testament days, right?
The lamb sacrifices and all the different animals, but he goes like no, this is this is the sacrifice of god
He goes are a broken spirit
A broken and a contrite heart. Oh god thou will not despise
See point number five to submit yourself to god was to be afflicted to mourn and weep
You know when you know, you've been contrary to god
When you know, you've been living like an enemy to god
The right response brethren is to afflict yourself
Not physically not like the catholics that start whipping their backs or something, right? No, no be afflicted obviously internally mourn and weep
You've got to do it like
I think that's something wrong in you. Honestly, I just think as a believer
Knowing that you're far from god knowing that you need to submit to god knowing that you've sinned against him
And you can't get upset about it
I'm, not saying you're not saved i'll never say that but i'm saying there's something wrong with you
Something wrong with your spiritual walk
Something wrong with your heart condition
If you can't be a man messed up
I failed again. I let the lord down
You know, the bible says the lord does not despise that kind of sacrifice
This tells me in the old testament people could bring the sacrifices
Off of the lambs of you know, everything that they've been asked to do
But if they haven't got a broken and contrite heart, it means nothing
We've already seen that the heart is is really one of the main issues to submit ourselves before god
See it's said in james 4 be afflicted and mourn and weep let your laughter be turned to mourning
And your joy to heaviness
Obviously, it's not saying it's wrong to laugh. I love to laugh
And it's not saying it's wrong to have joy. I want to have joy every day of my life
I I seek to be happy, but i'm not going to laugh and rejoice over sin
That's where it's wrong, isn't it?
You know, you got to work and someone tells a dirty joke
Oh, well, hold on that was wrong
Man, I ought to mourn and weep that I had that kind of reaction to that dirty joke
Right instead of justifying yourself
Instead of trying to oh, well, I was in my rights to do so against the lord
Yeah, I was in my rights to render evil to evil
I was in my rights to get revenge
to say those hurtful words
No, we ought to weep mourn
Be afflicted mourn weep laugh to be turned to mourning and your joy to heaviness
And the bible says that's what god receives. That's what god accepts. Come with me to psalm 34 psalm 34 verse 17
psalm 34 verse 17
The righteous cry
I mean that cry is yelling out, right?
the righteous cry
And the lord heareth look at this and delireth them out of all their troubles
The lord is nigh
Unto them that are of a broken heart
And save of such as be of a contrite spirit
Once again, we want to submit ourselves to god we know we need to draw an eye to him
Well, how do we draw an eye to him? It says here that though them that are with a broken heart
When we go before god say god, I messed up forgive me, please lord
God
And your heart is broken and you weep and you mourn because you've walked contrary to god's way god says i'm gonna be near to you
Because he forgives us because he's merciful because he's gracious because he loves us
But you know in yourself when you've sinned and I don't care
I've seen ya
Kind of stiff-necked attitude that we all have at times
Don't tell me i've never been like that. We've all been like that
sometimes in our life
Like king david nine months plus without acknowledging his sin against the lord
How that would have eaten up and destroyed his joy and peace
I can't tell god. I'm, sorry
He's gonna be confronted by some prophet it's like man the god man after god's own heart
Like like that he's like one of the best
I don't I don't think i'm at david's level spiritually speaking
If david can be like nine months stiff-necked. I can be that way too. I guess
About certain issues and sins that I have in my heart
But the reason I want to just read that and come with me to one more passage
Psalm 140 one more passage on this topic
On this point. Sorry psalm 147, please psalm 147
Because
One reason we don't do it is because it doesn't feel good
right
I don't really want to weep. I don't really want to mourn. I don't really want to be broken
It doesn't make me feel very good pastor kevin
Yeah, but here's what's wonderful about this truth in psalm 147 verse number three
It says
147 verse number three he healeth that he healeth the broken in hearts
And bindeth up their wounds
See we got to allow ourselves to be broken before god
I don't want to be in this state. Yeah, but god will heal you
He'll bind up your wounds
Look, he's the best doctor that's ever existed. He knows how to fix you up
He knows how to make you back walking in fellowship with him
But if we want to submit ourselves before god we need to break ourselves
Because
Lord i'm, sorry messed up
I guess obviously the bigger the sin the more broken you're going to be
Sins of foolishness that I do every single day. I'm not going to be that broken about just a lot of that's man
I'm foolish man
Forgive me
But there are great sins that we commit sometimes and man, we better be broken about them
And I don't want to do it pastor yet, but look it's such a good reward
God's near to you when you do that. He accepts your sacrifice
And then he promises to heal you and bind you back together
There's no better person to do that than god himself
That's point number five and point number six brethren come with me to psalm 75 psalm 75
And i'm not going to spend too much time on this one because
This one's obvious, right if you're going to submit yourself to anybody you need to humble yourself and that's point number six
Humble yourselves in the sight of the lord
And he shall lift you up
He shall lift you up
psalm 75 verse number five
Lift not up your horn on high
Speak not with a stiff neck
For promotion
cometh neither from the east
Nor from the west nor from the south
But god is the judge he putteth down one and setteth up another
Look we're not to lift ourselves up
We're not to speak highly of our flesh and glory in ourselves. Look at me. I'm such a great person
Look at me i'm better than brother so and so and family so and so at church
That pride reverend god rejects god hates pride
The only reason you succeed the only reason you are who you are
Is because of him
He's given you life
He's given you your personality
He's given you salvation his holy spirit live in your heart. He's given you his word
He's given you new life baptist church
He's given you so many wonderful things in life
How dare we lift ourselves up with pride?
Oh this family that family that woman that man that child
I hate it. I hate it even in myself because I see it
You know comparing a church that church comparing that pastor that pastor
I hate it
It's pride
You know what if we're to submit ourselves to god, we must humble ourselves before I mean that is obvious
Humble you're right god i'm wrong
You said submit ourselves one to another you're right lord i'm wrong
Wives submit yourselves to your own husbands god you said so you're right i'm wrong, right?
Obey them that have the rule over you the pastor
Lord you're right i'm wrong
Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man as unto kings and governors lord. You're right i'm wrong
I'm gonna have to humble myself before your word. You know, what's best
It's very hard sometimes very hard because we always think we're right
We always think we're right we always think we're smarter than someone else we know better than them
I'm the same though
Because our experiences our knowledge, but everything we're you know
Everything i've learned and over the years and i've heard and processed in my mind
Surely the way that i've processed it in my mind is superior than brother stones over there
Whoever it is, right?
Points to you brother. Jason didn't mean to just whoever right just you know, it's like no we've we're all you know
I hate it when we
People have discussions about the bible
And we see things differently and people respond with what I just believe the bible
It's like so do I it's like
Like it's such a prideful attitude. It's like of course you do so do I
It's just that obviously it's not the bible. That's the issue. It's it's either you or me or we're both wrong
We're gonna be humble about it, you know
And when I disagree with a pastor about some
Again, not a not a primary or fundamental doctrine, but when I disagree with them with something secondary, it's like
I don't care
They could be right and I could be wrong
Would you believe that in times i've gone to church and i've heard the pastor preach and I said within myself my past is wrong
And I know what's right
And then maybe three years down the track actually he was right I was wrong
But it requires humility
right, but
We're to humble ourselves before the lord
That's the easiest one because we know he's always right. We know he's righteous. We know there's no darkness in him
We know that he cannot sin
Not only is there no sin in him, but he cannot sin
It's against his nature. He can't do anything contrary to his nature
But brethren within our nature. We know we have a sinful nature
We can be wrong, but god is always right
And so the last point I have for you brethren is humble yourself before the lord
All right brethren in conclusion submit yourselves to god
How do I do it pastor six points number one resist the devil number two draw near to god number three
Clean your hands number four purify your heart number five be afflicted mourn and weep and number six humble yourself. Let's pray