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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 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 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