1. God's heart is ALWAYS about redemption.
2. When we pray, God responds.
3. He makes a way for the repentant.
So what do I want you to see today:
God sometimes seems to lead us to a dead end. But He knows what He's doing.
When you’re in slavery, you think everyone is either a slave or a master. But there’s a third option. Being a son or a daughter of the master. We are all out there trying to be KING, instead of sons and daughters of the king. We’re still in a slavery mindset…instead of a FAMILY mindset. A KINGDOM mindset.
If you can trust and obey…
Simple obedience, not more spirituality, is what God is asking of you.
He will fight your battles
He is the Waymaker, but you have to be doing your part.
Do you trust Him enough to be led to a dead end, if He asked you to…
2 Chronicles 20
Things Jehosphaphat did right:
He acknowledged the problem & the source.
He acknowledged his own limitations.
He obeyed and got to work.
He sang.
Things he did wrong:
He made compromises & didn't fully surrender.
Job 2:10, “But Job replied, “You talk like a foolish woman. Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” So in all this, Job said nothing wrong.”
Worship is often just declaring WHO God is!
Provider, Deliverer, Comforter, Healer, The Way, The Truth, The Light, The Life
Jehovah Jireh - The Lord will provide
Jehovah Nissi- The Lord is our banner (deliverer)
Jehovah Shalom - The Lord sends peace (comfort)
Jehovah Rapha - The God who heals
Jehovah Ra’ah - The Lord is the Way, my shepherd
Jehovah Tsidkenu (Sid-ken-ew)- The Lord is our righteousness
Jehovah Shammah - The Lord is our light, ever present
In our brokenness--he is strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-11 New Living Translation (NLT), “Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 10 That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Job said, “I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The LORD gave me what I had, and the LORD has taken it away. PRAISE THE NAME OF THE LORD!”
2 corinthians 4:8-9, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”
Situation:
Hard pressed
Perplexed
Persecuted
Struck down
Revelation:
Not crushed
Not in despair
Not abandoned
Not destroyed
Daniel had a REGULAR prayer life. It wasn’t just in crisis.
Daniel had a FAITH FILLED prayer life. He knew who His source was.
Job: “Though He slay me, yet I will trust Him.”
Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego:“Our God will deliver us, but EVEN IF HE DOESN’T!!!”
Jesus: “Let this cup pass from me, but your will be done.”
Man asking Jesus for a miracle: “I believe, but help my unbelief..”
“the necessary ignorance of man”...there are some things that are NOT for you to know. More knowledge does not always equal more obedience.
Faith can look like:
Trusting God even when you don’t a little bit…
Obeying even when there’s nothing in it for you.
The faith of a mustard seed is so powerful, because it just believes. There may not be any show-boating or loud declarations or preaching about it…it just shows up at the bottom of the mountain with a shovel, knowing that eventually, if it keeps showing up with a shovel, the mountain will be moved!
And what I have learned about the character of God is…when we’re praying for a mountain to be moved, He’s the one handing us the shovel.
JESUS quoted the Psalms more than any other book. There are 10 quotations or allusions in Matthew, 9 in John, 5 in Luke, and 4 in Mark. That’s 29 total!
The majority of these quotations are in the context of Jesus’ kingship, his messiah-ship, his royalty, like
Psalm 110, “Sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool“ (110:1);
Psalm 118, “The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner” (118:22);
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD” (118:26).
…but there’s also a lot of them that are in the context of his suffering and death.
1.) Matthew 27:46
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
This question comes straight from Psalm 22:1.
It’s the LIVING EMBODIMENT of “even if He doesn’t” faith…Our God WILL rescue us, but EVEN IF HE DOESN’T we will never bow down and worship you. (Shadrach…)
It’s the LIVING EMBODIMENT of “Though he slay me, yet I will trust Him” from the mouth of Job.
2.) Luke 23:46
Even his very LAST WORDS (I learned this week) were a direct quotation from the book of Psalms!! Luke 23:46 says that Jesus said, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”...WHICH IS ALMOST A VERBATIM QUOTE OF PSALM 31:5 (depending on what version you’re reading)!! “I entrust my spirit into your hand.”
Psalm 119:11 "Thy Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against Thee."
Psalm 37:31 "The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide."
When we face temptations to sin…when we come up against crisis…what comes OUT of your spirit, is often a direct result of what GOES INTO your spirit!
If Jesus could trust the Psalms to help him articulate what He was feeling in his heart and soul…so can I.
3.) John 13:18
But this fulfills the Scripture that says, ‘The one who eats my food has turned against me.’
This phrase comes from Psalm 41:9, “Even my best friend, the one I trusted completely, the one who shared my food, has turned against me.“
Jesus knew that the entire Bible was about Him.
4.) Matthew 23:39
For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”
This phrase comes from Psalm 118:26, “Bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
We bless you from the house of the Lord.”
The Joy of the Guiltless
Psalms 32:1-2 A Psalm of David. A Maskil
1 Oh, what joy for those
whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight!
2 Yes, what joy for those
whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt,
whose lives are lived in complete honesty!
Oh the joy of the guiltless!
Every single believer has experienced this!
Because this is what happens when you repent and ask him into our hearts!
The new understanding, that there is a personal God who loves me and who has forgiven me of all the things i've done wrong
The joy of a new life! A new beginning, and a fresh slate
Our sins have been placed out of God’s sight! Our guilt, removed…
Until its not, because you sin again
But this time you’ve hidden it
You create distance between yourself and God
And now that Joy, you don't feel it anymore, it’s gone. Everyone has been here.
The Price of Hidden Sin
And David of course was no different!
Psalm 32:3
3 When I refused to confess my sin,
my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long.
Many have kept their sins hidden for days, weeks, months or even years
You feel the toll it has taken on you, you feel it every single day
David described it as his body was wasting away
And that's exactly what it's like
The joy of the Lord removed from your life, the light that was once there now its darkness
Life has become a chore, every day is a slog because of the sin that you choose to keep carrying around with you.
You pray, you read his word, seek him out, you know he is the answer
You're doing all these things because you know it's what you should be doing… but you still have things you refuse to bring into the open
You do all this to try to mend your relationship with him but its not working because there is a barrier
Your relationship with God is at a standstill until that barrier is removed.
Non-Believers struggle with the sin they hold onto as well!
Romans 2:14-15
14 Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. 15 They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right.
Our conscience, the knowledge of right and wrong that has been given to all of us by God
And every time it’s violated, every sin adds heaviness to our lives and our bodies waste away.
But there is good news, this weight, the heaviness of our mistakes, its not necessarily a bad thing
Psalms 32:4
4 Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me.
My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat.
What you are experiencing is the God ordained effects of hidden sinfulness
It's there to show you that something isn't right. It's there as a wake up call.
So it's not a bad thing, this is God’s mercy, he is trying to draw you to himself because he is the only one who can fix your life.
Hiding sin from God creates a barrier. He’s trying to get you to tear it down, to confess your sin to him so you can receive the forgiveness that's rightfully yours
The forgiveness that you've been keeping from yourself. Because God’s already forgiven you, that's been assured on the cross. You're just not experiencing it because you've refused to confess your sin.
He's trying to get you to let it go.
Hebrews 12:11
11 No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.
The Restoration of Confession
Psalms 32:5
5 Finally, I confessed all my sins to you
and stopped trying to hide my guilt.
I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.”
And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.
Oh, the Joy of those who confess!
Your guilt can be removed, the weight removed, your body restored! You can receive forgiveness!
Psalms 32:6
6 Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time., that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment.
Now this is in the Old Testament
Let me give you the New Testament adaptation of this verse
Therefore, let all the Heathens, all the thieves, all the liars, all the adulterers, all the buddhists, all the muslims, all the murderers, all the hopeless, all the guilty and all the Godly pray to you while there is still time, that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment.
We can all pray to God to seek the removal of sin because of Jesus Christ’s death on the cross
Jesus Christ has died for the sins you've hidden away and hold onto
And God’s word can be believed in 1 John 1:9 when it says:
9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.
Psalm 23:1-6
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
1. Choose your shepherd
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2. Choose your peace
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3. Choose the truth
He refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
4. Choose faith
Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5. Choose joy
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6. Choose community
Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
The Pulse of Praise
Psalms 57: 7-10
7 My heart is confident in you, O God;
my heart is confident.
No wonder I can sing your praises!
8 Wake up, my heart!
Wake up, O lyre and harp!
I will wake the dawn with my song.
9 I will thank you, Lord, among all the people.
I will sing your praises among the nations.
10 For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens.
Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
The Perspective of Praise
Psalms 57: 4-6
4 I am surrounded by fierce lions
who greedily devour human prey—
whose teeth pierce like spears and arrows,
and whose tongues cut like swords.
5 Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens!
May your glory shine over all the earth.
6 My enemies have set a trap for me.
I am weary from distress.
They have dug a deep pit in my path,
but they themselves have fallen into it.
The Position of Praise
Psalms 57: 1-3
1 Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy!
I look to you for protection.
I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings
until the danger passes by.
2 I cry out to God Most High,
to God who will fulfill his purpose for me.
3 He will send help from heaven to rescue me,
disgracing those who hound me. Interlude
My God will send forth his unfailing love and faithfulness.
Psalm 117
1 Praise the Lord, all you nations;
extol (praise enthusiastically) him, all you peoples.
2 For great is his love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
The Psalms teach us how to worship. How to acknowledge God even when things are tough.
The Psalms teach us how to be real. How to be honest with God and honest with ourselves even while acknowledging our faith.
“Psalms: The prayerbook of God’s people who are striving to be faithful to the Torah and waiting for the Messianic Kingdom.” - The Bible Project
I feel so seen in the book of Psalms. So…normalized.
As Dr. Dharius Daniels says, “Not everything in the Bible is intended to revolutionize, some of it is intended to normalize.”
I believe much of the Psalms do this too. Normalize my emotions and behavior. My prayers and complaints. My fear and my doom loops. But not only does it show me that those things are normal— it also gives me a way out! Songs of LAMENT and songs of ASCENT. We see the good, the bad, and the ugly in the book of Psalms.
Psalm 89 is called “Will you reject us forever?” (Ethan the Ezrahite) drama, drama
Psalm 83 is called “God, don’t be silent.” (Asaph)
Psalm 60 is called “Has God forgotten us?” (David, for instruction)
Psalm 55 is simply titled, “Betrayed” (David, for instruction)
Psalm 91
I will rescue those who LOVE ME
I protect those who trust in my name.
When they call on me, I will answer!
Jehovah Jireh (provider)
Jehovah Nissi (banner)
Jehovah Shalom (peace)
Jehovah Rapha (healer)
You don’t have to know all the answers--because HE does.
Esther 4:7-16
Esther’s resolve...her courage...her sense of purpose is inspiring here. She moves from ‘I’m scared’ to ‘let’s do this’, very quickly.. But there’s a couple of things that go into that, that we must take note of:
1. She has PASSION FOR HIS PURPOSES.
2. SACRIFICIAL SELFLESSNESS. God is looking for people who are willing to say, use me!
3. She also had a FOUNDATION OF FAITH and so, when faced with something difficult, that she knew she had to do, she asked for help.
4. RESOLUTE RESOLVE. “And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die.”
1. The Table
We can celebrate even when the enemies are lurking at our door.
God prepares a table before us in the PRESENCE of our enemies. Not in the absence of them.
Most of us are eating with the enemy.
2. The Oil
If the table speaks of new strength, the oil speaks of new purpose.
Anointing usually comes based on past obedience, but it’s not usually an indicator of present ability!
3. The Cup
Psalms says that with the Lord there is plenteous redemption (Psa 130:7). Paul speaks not just of the riches but of the unsearchable riches of Christ (Eph 3:8). Jesus speaks about giving us life abundantly (John 10:10).
Here’s the AMAZING thing about this. As I was studying this, this time around, all I could see was THE LORD doing all the work. YOU prepare a table before me…my cup overflows (but HE’s the one doing the pouring)...HE renews my strength…HE guides…he protects and comforts…
The only action taken by the sheep is WALKING! Which means, all we have to do is trust Him, listen to Him, LET HIM guide us. It’s almost passive, this following thing. We’d actually have to work HARDER to go off the path that our shepherd lays out for us.
Daniel 4:4-12
We're meant to use our blessings to bless others
Daniel 4:24-27
When we don’t humble ourselves, God has to.
Daniel 4:28-37
My feast isn't my responsibility
Your comeback is in Christ Jesus.
1 Peter 5:10
The greater the suffering, the greater the comeback! I’m Jesus, we have a comeback!
Maybe you are one prayer away from your victory! There IS a restoration for your life.
Crippled by the fall
2 Samuel 4:4
Genesis 3:14-19
Revelation 12:11
He rescues you from hopelessness.
2 Samuel 9:3-4
He gives you a seat at the King’s table.
2 Samuel 9:3-8
Fasting: Fasting is voluntarily going without food — or any other regularly enjoyed, good gift from God — for the sake of some spiritual purpose.
The Bible seems more concerned with WHEN we will fast, not IF.
Meaning, the WHO of who should fast? Is: Jesus followers.
““And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.”
Matthew 6:16-18 NLT
“One day the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus and asked him, “Why don’t your disciples fast like we do and the Pharisees do?” Jesus replied, “Do wedding guests mourn while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.”
Matthew 9:14-15 NLT
WHY do we do it?
We fast in this life because we believe in the life to come.
We fast from what we can see and taste, because we have tasted and seen the goodness of the invisible and infinite God
We fast because we know that we need discipline.
Fasting demonstrates a humble heart of repentance and submission to God. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. Psalm 34:18
The last time I fasted I realized that it’s more about managing TIME than my stomach.
Most of us are VERY WELL fed physically, and starving spiritually!
How to Start Fasting:
Start small.
Plan what you’ll do instead of eating.
Consider how it will affect others.
Try different kinds of fasting.
Fast from something other than food.
Practice filling your mind and using your time wisely.
“Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.” Luke 9:23 NLT
“So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world.” 1 Peter 1:13 NLT
God is more concerned with your LONG TERM FAITH, than your short term escape.
Exodus 12:40-42
God is our RESCUER and strength!
Exodus 13:4-16
4 questions:
On all other nights we eat either leavened or unleavened bread. On this night, why do we eat only unleavened matzah? (Traditionally, matzah is hard thin square wheat crackers or a softer thicker matzo bread made by hand from a watery wheat batter.)
Answer: To remind us of the haste with which our ancestors left Egypt.
On all other nights we eat all kinds of herbs. On this night, why only bitter herbs?
Answer: To remind us of the bitterness of slavery.
On all other nights we do not dip our herbs even once. On this night, why do we dip them twice?
Answer: Some say to remind us of our coming and going from Egypt.
On all other nights we eat sometimes sitting and sometimes reclining. On this night, why do we all recline?
Answer: To remind us of how free people relax.
What you celebrate matters!
Create a moment to celebrate.
Celebrate Jesus.
Romans 10:5-13
5 For Moses writes that the law’s way of making a person right with God requires obedience to all of its commands. 6 But faith’s way of getting right with God says, “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will go up to heaven?’ (to bring Christ down to earth). 7 And don’t say, ‘Who will go down to the place of the dead?’ (to bring Christ back to life again).” 8 In fact, it says,
“The message is very close at hand;
it is on your lips and in your heart.”
And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: 9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. 11 As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” 12 Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. 13 For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Dredge the River
Romans 10:10, “For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.
Galatians 5:19-21, “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.”
You can’t not say it. So lead it
Romans 10:10, “For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.”
Proverbs 18:21, “The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.”
Matthew 6:27, “Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?”
Build the Presentation!
Romans 10:11, “As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”
Question: if you could do anything and NOT FAIL, what would you do?
The characteristics of the ministry of Jesus:
BELONGING
FEEDING
HUMBLING
TEACHING
DELIVERANCE
HEALING
1. Jesus spoke. Matthew 9:6-7 / Mark 10:52 / John 5:8-9
2. Jesus touched. Matthew 8:15 / Matthew 20:34 / Luke 13:13
3. Jesus' cloak. Matthew 9:20-22 / Matthew 14:35-36
4. Jesus' spit. Mark 8:22-25
5. Jesus used clay. John 9:6 / Mark 7:33-35
6. Jesus wasn't there. Matthew 8:13 / Matthew 15:28 / John 4:50-53
JESUS: The missing ingredient.
So far we have covered:
BELONGING
FEEDING
HUMBLING
TEACHING
Left:
DELIVERANCE
HEALING
Jesus spent a lot of time and energy setting people free from demonic influence
Jesus always told all of his representatives to set people free from demons as a part of their mission.
Matthew 4:1-11
Here is a list of things Jesus would ALWAYS do when it came to demons:
(1)He would operate in the power of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 12:28
(2)He would rebuke the demons, but rescue their victim
(3)He would speak and give orders to the demons and they would obey him. Mark 1:23-27
(4)He would exercise absolute authority over every demon
(5)He had a 100% success rate for any person that wanted to be free (sometimes they resisted…but He always won)
Here is a list of things Jesus would SOMETIMES do when it came to demons:
(1)He would sometimes have brief conversations with the demons to gather information before casting them out
(2)He would sometimes have brief conversations with the afflicted person or a family member to gather information
(3)He would sometimes compel the demon(s) to identify themselves
Here are a list of things Jesus NEVER did:
(1)He never prayed for God the Father to make the demons leave
(2)He never told his followers to “pray” for God the Father or Jesus to drive out the demons (he told them to cast them out, not pray about it.) Matt 10:8
(3)He never backed down, retreated, or gave up
(4)He never rebuked the person that was being harassed by demons, or made them feel guilt, shame, or condemnation
(5)He never had counseling sessions where he dug up the person’s past
(6)He never mentioned anything about generational curses, soul ties, etc
(7)He never forced, controlled, or overrode the free will of anyone
(8)He didn’t complicate it.
Here is the basic breakdown of the “Jesus Deliverance Method”
Identify the problem by revelation from the Holy Spirit, by observation, or through brief conversation
Evict the demon(s) by using His authority
Matthew 8:16-17
Mark 5:1-17
What does this mean for us?
Stand on His authority.
Don’t be afraid. Be bold! Be direct.
Deliverance is a natural byproduct of sharing the Gospel. (not the other way around)
Things to note about the way that Jesus taught:
Jesus modeled being teachable. Luke 2:41-47, Luke 4:31, Luke 4:44
Jesus taught in the temple AND out of the temple.
Jesus taught when it was inconvenient to Him.
Jesus wasn’t always clear.. Matthew 13:10-17. Jesus didn’t dumb it down.
Jesus didn’t make it easy to hear. Matthew 23:2-7, Matthew 23:13-15
He was available
What does this mean for us?
1. Jesus is still teaching. Hebrews 4:12, Psalm 119:11, 2 Timothy 3:16
2. We should be teaching. Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 16:15, Acts 1:8, Romans 10:14-15
