Psalm 126:1-3 “When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them. The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.”
In last week’s CHALLENGING CONCEPTS we looked at the first point in our study which was the DETERMINING of the dream. God does give each of us dreams and we must determine what God wants us to do.
This week we go one step further in our challenge to pursue what God wants out of our life.
II. THE DISPLAY OF THE DREAM
Look at verse 2, “Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them.”
Notice the phrase, “turned again the captivity of Zion.” The city of Jerusalem had been saved. It was a miraculous victory as God destroyed the Assyrian army in one night while they were in their sleep.
As he remembered and retraced how God had come to the rescue of His people, the Psalmist gets excited. Notice how he draws strength from his memory of this past blessing.
A. There Was MERRIMENT
Notice the response of the Psalmist when he thought about the great power that God displayed in the deliverance of the city of Jerusalem. Notice the phrase “then was our mouth filled with laughter.”
Have you ever gotten so excited about something that you began to giggle? I have! I remember when our Christian school in Kansas City went to play in the basketball finals at Maranatha Baptist College. In the semi-finals the regulation game ended in a tie. The overtime came down to the last second and Brek Cockrell took a half-court shot when the buzzer went off. The ball touched nothing but net and we went wild. We were laughing and giggling. We were excited about what had happened.
Can you imagine how much more merriment was going on at the miracle that God performed for His people.
The deliverance of the city of Jerusalem did not necessarily help those outside the walls of the city, but it did encourage them to trust God in their own lives. As a point of application, that means that you and I should put our dreams on display so that others can be blessed and challenged when God works.
The body of Christ has the unique opportunity to encourage and help each other fulfill the purpose of God for their lives. This is one of the reasons I like small groups in the church, whether be it Sunday school classes or groups that are divided at other times of the week. In these small groups you have the opportunity to testify of what God is doing in each life. What an encouragement we can be to each other.
B. There Was MUSIC
Notice verse 2 again, especially the phrase “and our tongue with singing.” The concept of singing originated as a method of praising God. The sad thing is that in my lifetime singing has been demoted to blasphemy in many cases. Some popular music today contains the basest of words and thoughts.
When a godly dream is fulfilled and displayed for everybody to see, a natural spirit of praise flows from the heart and resonates into singing.
The Psalmist declared in Psalm 40:10, “I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.”
I used to work with a man who always had a song on his heart. If he wasn’t singing, he was whistling. He was the kind of man you liked to be around. He had a song in his heart and he wasn’t ashamed to let it out.
C. There Was A MESSAGE
Look at the last part of verse 2 and verse 3, “. . . then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them. The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.”
(1) It Was A Message Of GREATNESS
We need to remember that God and man see greatness in different ways. That is natural, because man always sees things differently than does God. Man’s eyesight is limited here on earth. Paul wrote in I Corinthians 13: 12 “For now we see through a glass, darkly; . . “
Man only sees it after the fact; God sees the inner greatness that was present all the time. One of my favorite stories in the Old Testament is found in the 6th chapter of II Kings. The prophet Elisha was being hunted by the king of Syria. When he was located the army of Syria came by night and surrounded the city where Elisha was. Early the next morning the servants of God’s man went outside and saw the enemy surrounding them. He ran back to Elisha, told him of the circumstance, and wanted to know what they were going to do. Elisha calmly said there were more for them than there were against them. Of course the servant of Elisha was looking with man’s eyes. And then Elisha called upon God in II Kings 6:17 “And Elisha prayed and said LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.”
Of course the greatness of God was displayed as God came to the rescue of His servant.
That’s the message you and I have. God always works in miraculous ways. The fulfillment and display of godly dreams is a testimony of the great love and compassion that God has to His people. The lost world could not deny that God had delivered His people. The people of God are great only because of their relationship with Him. After the wonderful victory, the heathen all around Judah could see God’s care of His people.
(2) It Was A Message Of GLADNESS
There is always a song on the heart of God’s people when God’s power is demonstrated. What has God done for you lately? Do you have a heart of gratitude and gladness?
That’s my view; how about you?
Monday, September 26, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
DREAMS – Pt 2
Psalm 126:1-3 “When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them. The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.”
Moses was a man that dreamed of delivering his nation from the bondage they were under at the hands of the Egyptians. In our last series of CHALLENGING CONCEPTS we saw how God placed him on the back side of the desert while he was prepared for the ministry God had for him.
Since he had spent his early years in the household of a king, Moses probably thought that the nation of Israel would be greatly honored to know that a prince was going to take up their cause. We know that did come to pass. He had a dream but tried to fulfill that dream in his own ability.
In this week’s study we want to again emphasize the necessity of God’s work in accomplishing anything of eternal value in and through us.
I. THE DETERMINING OF THE DREAM
In this point we want to see what the Psalmist has to say about the problems faced and the victory that can be experienced by the individual. Notice verse 1 again “When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.”
A. We See The PROBLEMS Of Life
Notice the word “captivity.” There are many different opinions to which captivity is being alluded to here. Some commentaries believe this to be the captivity of Babylonian or the Assyrian siege of Sennacherib. But for the application to us, we can understand it to refers\ to all manner of misfortune and trouble. Whatever is meant by the word, "captivity," we know the captivity brought about a tremendous need in the life of God’s people.
I think the first thing we need to understand is that this was a need. Is there a need in your life? I know there is in mine. At this time in the liXES of my wife and myself, there is a very important need in our lives.
Needs are everywhere, but our dream is determined by which weighs the heaviest on our heart. There has to be something that drives you in life. The wise man Solomon wrote in Proverbs 29:18, "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he." You need a vision or a dream to determine your focus.
Again, I ask the question about whether of not there’s a problem or need in your life? If the answer to that question is “yes,” then I’m sure there is a dream of victory over that problem or need.
We not only see the PROBLEMS of life, but:
B. We See The PRECIOUSNESS Of Faith
Notice verse 1 again, especially the phrase "When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion." If we see a problem or need that troubles us, go to God. The first thing we need is wisdom so we remember the promise found in James 1:5 "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."
When you consider the problem or need in your life, ask the question: What would God have you do? What does He want? Study the Word of God, pray and seek the face of God. We must know that God is leading us. It has to be the Lord that does the work, not our own efforts. Paul said in Philippians 2:13, "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure."
I have come to love Philippians 2:13. God is telling us something vital about needs and problems. We must allow God to work in our lives. In that verse we learn: (1) God works within us (in the person of the Holy Spirit) to give us the desire (to will) to do the right thing, which is His will; (2) God gives us the power (to do) to do what He wants in the need or problem. It doesn’t get any better than that.
God has a perfect will for the need or problem. He wants us to do His will. He wants us to know and do His perfect will, which will be revealed when He knows we will obey. He’s not playing hide-and-seek with His will for our life. Trust Him while in the problem. That may be hard but remember the preciousness of faith.
Notice what we read in Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
I love the phrase “must believe that he is. . .” He is what? He’s still God. He’s not just God at certain times and in certain situations. He’s God on the mountains and God in the valleys. He’s God in the good times and God in the bad times. He’s God in the sunshine and He’s God in the rain. We have to just trust God in every need.
We see the PROBLEMS of life and the PRESCIOUSNESS of faith, but also:
C. We See The PRECEPTS Of Scripture
The third ingredient of determining our dream is the Word of God. We should never trust our own intellect or feelings. We read in Jeremiah 10:23, "O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps."
Man’s intellect and emotions are tainted because of the Adamic nature he still has. It would be good if when we get saved that God would eradicate the old nature but he doesn’t.
In discussing the battle that went on in his body, the Apostle Paul said in Roman 9:19 “For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.” The old nature gave Paul some problems. He then said in verse 24 “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” Paul, probably the most spiritual man who ever lived outside the Lord Jesus Christ, knew that his intellect and feelings were not sufficient to accomplish spiritual desires and dreams.
The wise man Solomon wrote in Proverbs 20:24 "Man's goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?" Man cannot accomplish anything of himself.
God's will is always found in Scripture. Many people get caught up in a "project" or a "cause", but fail when the emotions of the moment fade. We find the proof for this point in the our text and the phrase, "turned again." God promised the nation of Israel that He would punish their sin and reward their repentance. The Psalmist learned this from the writings of Moses that God honors His repentance.
In next week’s CHALLENGING CONCEPTS we will see THE DISPLAY of the dream.
That’s my view; how about you?
Moses was a man that dreamed of delivering his nation from the bondage they were under at the hands of the Egyptians. In our last series of CHALLENGING CONCEPTS we saw how God placed him on the back side of the desert while he was prepared for the ministry God had for him.
Since he had spent his early years in the household of a king, Moses probably thought that the nation of Israel would be greatly honored to know that a prince was going to take up their cause. We know that did come to pass. He had a dream but tried to fulfill that dream in his own ability.
In this week’s study we want to again emphasize the necessity of God’s work in accomplishing anything of eternal value in and through us.
I. THE DETERMINING OF THE DREAM
In this point we want to see what the Psalmist has to say about the problems faced and the victory that can be experienced by the individual. Notice verse 1 again “When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.”
A. We See The PROBLEMS Of Life
Notice the word “captivity.” There are many different opinions to which captivity is being alluded to here. Some commentaries believe this to be the captivity of Babylonian or the Assyrian siege of Sennacherib. But for the application to us, we can understand it to refers\ to all manner of misfortune and trouble. Whatever is meant by the word, "captivity," we know the captivity brought about a tremendous need in the life of God’s people.
I think the first thing we need to understand is that this was a need. Is there a need in your life? I know there is in mine. At this time in the liXES of my wife and myself, there is a very important need in our lives.
Needs are everywhere, but our dream is determined by which weighs the heaviest on our heart. There has to be something that drives you in life. The wise man Solomon wrote in Proverbs 29:18, "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he." You need a vision or a dream to determine your focus.
Again, I ask the question about whether of not there’s a problem or need in your life? If the answer to that question is “yes,” then I’m sure there is a dream of victory over that problem or need.
We not only see the PROBLEMS of life, but:
B. We See The PRECIOUSNESS Of Faith
Notice verse 1 again, especially the phrase "When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion." If we see a problem or need that troubles us, go to God. The first thing we need is wisdom so we remember the promise found in James 1:5 "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."
When you consider the problem or need in your life, ask the question: What would God have you do? What does He want? Study the Word of God, pray and seek the face of God. We must know that God is leading us. It has to be the Lord that does the work, not our own efforts. Paul said in Philippians 2:13, "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure."
I have come to love Philippians 2:13. God is telling us something vital about needs and problems. We must allow God to work in our lives. In that verse we learn: (1) God works within us (in the person of the Holy Spirit) to give us the desire (to will) to do the right thing, which is His will; (2) God gives us the power (to do) to do what He wants in the need or problem. It doesn’t get any better than that.
God has a perfect will for the need or problem. He wants us to do His will. He wants us to know and do His perfect will, which will be revealed when He knows we will obey. He’s not playing hide-and-seek with His will for our life. Trust Him while in the problem. That may be hard but remember the preciousness of faith.
Notice what we read in Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
I love the phrase “must believe that he is. . .” He is what? He’s still God. He’s not just God at certain times and in certain situations. He’s God on the mountains and God in the valleys. He’s God in the good times and God in the bad times. He’s God in the sunshine and He’s God in the rain. We have to just trust God in every need.
We see the PROBLEMS of life and the PRESCIOUSNESS of faith, but also:
C. We See The PRECEPTS Of Scripture
The third ingredient of determining our dream is the Word of God. We should never trust our own intellect or feelings. We read in Jeremiah 10:23, "O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps."
Man’s intellect and emotions are tainted because of the Adamic nature he still has. It would be good if when we get saved that God would eradicate the old nature but he doesn’t.
In discussing the battle that went on in his body, the Apostle Paul said in Roman 9:19 “For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.” The old nature gave Paul some problems. He then said in verse 24 “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” Paul, probably the most spiritual man who ever lived outside the Lord Jesus Christ, knew that his intellect and feelings were not sufficient to accomplish spiritual desires and dreams.
The wise man Solomon wrote in Proverbs 20:24 "Man's goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?" Man cannot accomplish anything of himself.
God's will is always found in Scripture. Many people get caught up in a "project" or a "cause", but fail when the emotions of the moment fade. We find the proof for this point in the our text and the phrase, "turned again." God promised the nation of Israel that He would punish their sin and reward their repentance. The Psalmist learned this from the writings of Moses that God honors His repentance.
In next week’s CHALLENGING CONCEPTS we will see THE DISPLAY of the dream.
That’s my view; how about you?
Monday, September 12, 2011
DREAMS – Pt 1
Psalm 126:1-3 “When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them. The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.”
Dreams are a powerful force in many people's lives. When I think of dreams I always think about the speech made by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and especially the line, “I have a dream.” He did have a dream and he followed that dream with all that was in him. That dream became his life’s pursuit.
The word “dream” brings many pictures to mind. There are daydreams, which are nothing more than idle wishes. They usually have no hope of coming to pass because the one doing the daydreaming usually has no get-up-and-go about him. I remember some of the daydreamers from my high school days. They always talked a big game but never got off the bench and into the game. The only bench sitter who had anything to do with the victory of the game was usually the coach.
There are the dreams we have in our sleep whereby the subconscious mind speaks many times in incomprehensible pictures that no one can make sense of it. For years I always said that I never dream, but someone said that everybody dreams so I must not have remembered them. That may be true because I do have a short memory. But when I have heard some people talk about the stupid things they have dreamed, I’m glad that I either have never dreamed or at least I was smart enough not to remember them.
The dreams that people have told me about are mostly weird happenings. They usually don’t make much sense. There are not many people, outside of the Old Testament Daniel, who has any success with telling the meaning of dreams.
Then there is a dream, defined as a “desire and longing for a state of being and quality of life that a person has not as yet enjoyed.” This kind of dream propels men and women to great feats. They have pushed families in covered wagons to find new homes in places where no Americans had ever lived. Henry Ford created the assembly line because he dreamed of mass producing the automobile. The scientist Warner Von Braun looked into space and set out to develop a space ship that could take man to the moon. That dream not only drove him to pursue that dream but it also caused a group of men and women to look at that moon and looked forward to the day someone would realize that dream. Then in 1969 man set his foot on the moon and uttered those famous words, “One small step for man; one giant leap for mankind.”
The history of America is full of stories of great people who have made their dreams come true. For years I have loved to read success stories of people who have reached for bigger and greater things and saw their dreams fulfilled.
What does God have to say about people who dream? Of course one of the greatest dreamers in the Word of God was Joseph, who told his brothers that he would one day be a great leader and rule over even his family. And of course, his brothers set out to destroy his dream, but God still accomplished His purpose in the life of the young man. He did rule over his brothers and family, and through the life of the dreamer, two entire nations were saved.
When you think about the dream of Joseph and the fulfillment of it, you realize the fulfillment of his dream was dependent upon his partnership with God. His dream came true because God was working all things according to His perfect will. For the believer today who has a dream, desire or longing which has been placed within him by God, partnering with God means living within the purpose and perfect will of God.
In Psalm 126, we have a blueprint on how we can achieve the dream that God gives us. The biblical word Adream@ can mean an ordinary dream or a prophetic dream. It doesn=t pertain to this great longing of which we=re talking. But the entire Psalm, taken in its context, does deal with Christian longings and desires. This passage is familiar to us as a proof for soul winning. Verses 5-6 are often quoted and this application is not out of order. But I believe there is much more truth in this passage of scripture.
I don’t think we can be dogmatic about who wrote this Psalm but it was probably written durring the time when Sennacherib=s army was destroyed by God in a miraculous way as the city of Jerusalem was saved from destruction.
Jerusalem was a walled city and was safe, but those outside the walls of the city, the herdsmen, farmers, and shepherds, still faced constant danger and harassment by many different adversaries.
I believe this scenario is faced by many Christians even today. Some believers have seen God do many wonderful things in other people’s lives, but they long to experience His power and presence in their lives as well.
In the next few weeks in CHALLENGING CONCEPTS we will examine the dream mentioned here in Psalm 126 and see how the Psalmist saw his godly dream come true. We will also make application of this fact to the dreams you and I may have. God can bring our dreams to pass just as He did the Psalmist. Remember what we read in Psalm 37:4 “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”
That’s my view; how about you?
Dreams are a powerful force in many people's lives. When I think of dreams I always think about the speech made by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and especially the line, “I have a dream.” He did have a dream and he followed that dream with all that was in him. That dream became his life’s pursuit.
The word “dream” brings many pictures to mind. There are daydreams, which are nothing more than idle wishes. They usually have no hope of coming to pass because the one doing the daydreaming usually has no get-up-and-go about him. I remember some of the daydreamers from my high school days. They always talked a big game but never got off the bench and into the game. The only bench sitter who had anything to do with the victory of the game was usually the coach.
There are the dreams we have in our sleep whereby the subconscious mind speaks many times in incomprehensible pictures that no one can make sense of it. For years I always said that I never dream, but someone said that everybody dreams so I must not have remembered them. That may be true because I do have a short memory. But when I have heard some people talk about the stupid things they have dreamed, I’m glad that I either have never dreamed or at least I was smart enough not to remember them.
The dreams that people have told me about are mostly weird happenings. They usually don’t make much sense. There are not many people, outside of the Old Testament Daniel, who has any success with telling the meaning of dreams.
Then there is a dream, defined as a “desire and longing for a state of being and quality of life that a person has not as yet enjoyed.” This kind of dream propels men and women to great feats. They have pushed families in covered wagons to find new homes in places where no Americans had ever lived. Henry Ford created the assembly line because he dreamed of mass producing the automobile. The scientist Warner Von Braun looked into space and set out to develop a space ship that could take man to the moon. That dream not only drove him to pursue that dream but it also caused a group of men and women to look at that moon and looked forward to the day someone would realize that dream. Then in 1969 man set his foot on the moon and uttered those famous words, “One small step for man; one giant leap for mankind.”
The history of America is full of stories of great people who have made their dreams come true. For years I have loved to read success stories of people who have reached for bigger and greater things and saw their dreams fulfilled.
What does God have to say about people who dream? Of course one of the greatest dreamers in the Word of God was Joseph, who told his brothers that he would one day be a great leader and rule over even his family. And of course, his brothers set out to destroy his dream, but God still accomplished His purpose in the life of the young man. He did rule over his brothers and family, and through the life of the dreamer, two entire nations were saved.
When you think about the dream of Joseph and the fulfillment of it, you realize the fulfillment of his dream was dependent upon his partnership with God. His dream came true because God was working all things according to His perfect will. For the believer today who has a dream, desire or longing which has been placed within him by God, partnering with God means living within the purpose and perfect will of God.
In Psalm 126, we have a blueprint on how we can achieve the dream that God gives us. The biblical word Adream@ can mean an ordinary dream or a prophetic dream. It doesn=t pertain to this great longing of which we=re talking. But the entire Psalm, taken in its context, does deal with Christian longings and desires. This passage is familiar to us as a proof for soul winning. Verses 5-6 are often quoted and this application is not out of order. But I believe there is much more truth in this passage of scripture.
I don’t think we can be dogmatic about who wrote this Psalm but it was probably written durring the time when Sennacherib=s army was destroyed by God in a miraculous way as the city of Jerusalem was saved from destruction.
Jerusalem was a walled city and was safe, but those outside the walls of the city, the herdsmen, farmers, and shepherds, still faced constant danger and harassment by many different adversaries.
I believe this scenario is faced by many Christians even today. Some believers have seen God do many wonderful things in other people’s lives, but they long to experience His power and presence in their lives as well.
In the next few weeks in CHALLENGING CONCEPTS we will examine the dream mentioned here in Psalm 126 and see how the Psalmist saw his godly dream come true. We will also make application of this fact to the dreams you and I may have. God can bring our dreams to pass just as He did the Psalmist. Remember what we read in Psalm 37:4 “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”
That’s my view; how about you?
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
THE BURNING TREE EXPERIENCE – Pt 7
Exodus 3:1-5 “Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.”
I don’t know about you but this has been a great study for me. Even after 63 years of walking with the Lord (I was saved at 8 years of age) I feel as if there is still more that God wants to do through me. If God has another call for me, I want to do what Moses did: “turn aside to see. . . “
If God calls me to another ministry, I want to be ready to hit the ground running. If God wants me to continue to be faithful where I am as a layman in our local church and serve through the avenue of music, I want to sing to the best of my ability. Whatever God’s call for my wife and me, we want to serve Him.
God’s specific call has been the subject for the last few weeks in CHALLENGING CONCEPTS. We have looked at the burning bush experience in the life of Moses. We have taken the experience of Moses and tried to make some applications to the will of God for our life. We have seen that the call of God is SCRIPTURAL, SOVEREIGN, SELECTIVE, SINCERE, and now today we’re going to see that when we accept that call, it is SATISFYING.
Let’s look at this last point:
VI. OUR CALL IS A SATISFYING ONE
When you follow the life of Moses, you see that he did become the leader that God had planned for him. The doubts he had were assured and his faith in God grew to the point that God worked great miracles through him. Moses became one of the greatest characters of the Old Testament. There are times, though, that some people forget that Moses was a mere man. He was flesh and blood just as we are. He was a humble shepherd on the back side of the desert, on the run from his past. But God spoke to him out of a burning bush and through that experience, he became the great leader that God wanted him to be and a great example for us today.
Every one of us today has a place in the service of the Lord. I’m not talking about some of us becoming a modern day Moses, but God does have something for us to do. We’re not to serve Him through the flesh, but through the power of God which resides in every one of us in the person of the Holy Spirit. John 14:17 states “. . . but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” We also read in Acts 1:8 “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
There will be different times that God will speak to you in a definite and real way. He may speak through certain preachers or teachers. He will speak to you through your own Bible studies. He will gently guide you when you get off track, or He may even use a stern warning if you walk unworthy of your position as His child. Notice the promise of God in Psalm 32:8 “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go. I will guide thee with mine eye.”
God calls each of us to follow Him. We may be different; have differing talents and abilities and will be called to different roles in life. But our only real satisfaction comes from an intimate relationship with God. God will speak to you. He’ll do it in many, many ways, but the main avenue through which He speaks and calls today is through His Word.
Notice what we read in II Timothy 3:16-17, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable (for your good and His glory) for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: (What is the purpose?) That the man of God may be perfect, (mature or complete) throughly furnished unto all good works.”
The maturity of the believers in Macedonia was seen when they responded to the need of the Christians at Jerusalem. They were poor themselves, but were confident that God had called them to give what they could not afford. Notice the satisfaction of them as they were dependent upon God’s resources to enable them to sacrificially give. Notice what we read in II Corinthians 8:2 “How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.”
Notice the joy and satisfaction shown by Paul because he had answered the call of God to preach the gospel. We read in I Thessalonians 2:19-20 “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? For ye are our glory and joy.”
I could give other examples of satisfaction and joy that came because people answered the call of God in their lives, but I think I have made my point. There are two thoughts I would like to leave with you: (1) God wants to speak to you! (2) Will you turn aside and listen?
Those are two thought provoking comments. What will you do with those thoughts?
That’s my view; how about you?
I don’t know about you but this has been a great study for me. Even after 63 years of walking with the Lord (I was saved at 8 years of age) I feel as if there is still more that God wants to do through me. If God has another call for me, I want to do what Moses did: “turn aside to see. . . “
If God calls me to another ministry, I want to be ready to hit the ground running. If God wants me to continue to be faithful where I am as a layman in our local church and serve through the avenue of music, I want to sing to the best of my ability. Whatever God’s call for my wife and me, we want to serve Him.
God’s specific call has been the subject for the last few weeks in CHALLENGING CONCEPTS. We have looked at the burning bush experience in the life of Moses. We have taken the experience of Moses and tried to make some applications to the will of God for our life. We have seen that the call of God is SCRIPTURAL, SOVEREIGN, SELECTIVE, SINCERE, and now today we’re going to see that when we accept that call, it is SATISFYING.
Let’s look at this last point:
VI. OUR CALL IS A SATISFYING ONE
When you follow the life of Moses, you see that he did become the leader that God had planned for him. The doubts he had were assured and his faith in God grew to the point that God worked great miracles through him. Moses became one of the greatest characters of the Old Testament. There are times, though, that some people forget that Moses was a mere man. He was flesh and blood just as we are. He was a humble shepherd on the back side of the desert, on the run from his past. But God spoke to him out of a burning bush and through that experience, he became the great leader that God wanted him to be and a great example for us today.
Every one of us today has a place in the service of the Lord. I’m not talking about some of us becoming a modern day Moses, but God does have something for us to do. We’re not to serve Him through the flesh, but through the power of God which resides in every one of us in the person of the Holy Spirit. John 14:17 states “. . . but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” We also read in Acts 1:8 “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
There will be different times that God will speak to you in a definite and real way. He may speak through certain preachers or teachers. He will speak to you through your own Bible studies. He will gently guide you when you get off track, or He may even use a stern warning if you walk unworthy of your position as His child. Notice the promise of God in Psalm 32:8 “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go. I will guide thee with mine eye.”
God calls each of us to follow Him. We may be different; have differing talents and abilities and will be called to different roles in life. But our only real satisfaction comes from an intimate relationship with God. God will speak to you. He’ll do it in many, many ways, but the main avenue through which He speaks and calls today is through His Word.
Notice what we read in II Timothy 3:16-17, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable (for your good and His glory) for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: (What is the purpose?) That the man of God may be perfect, (mature or complete) throughly furnished unto all good works.”
The maturity of the believers in Macedonia was seen when they responded to the need of the Christians at Jerusalem. They were poor themselves, but were confident that God had called them to give what they could not afford. Notice the satisfaction of them as they were dependent upon God’s resources to enable them to sacrificially give. Notice what we read in II Corinthians 8:2 “How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.”
Notice the joy and satisfaction shown by Paul because he had answered the call of God to preach the gospel. We read in I Thessalonians 2:19-20 “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? For ye are our glory and joy.”
I could give other examples of satisfaction and joy that came because people answered the call of God in their lives, but I think I have made my point. There are two thoughts I would like to leave with you: (1) God wants to speak to you! (2) Will you turn aside and listen?
Those are two thought provoking comments. What will you do with those thoughts?
That’s my view; how about you?
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