[0:00] Good morning. It's my privilege this morning to be able to preach and bring God's Word to us this morning. Before I read the passage together, just wanted to introduce our topic this morning.
[0:16] Regina and I were talking this week and I was reminded that we have a Planet Fitness membership. We've been paying every month, but I haven't been in 10 months.
[0:34] And we were talking about, you know, it might not be a good time to start back up because what we've noticed through the years of being members there is that January is very busy.
[0:45] A lot of people have made a decision after the holidays, I don't know if it's because of how much we eat, but whatever reason, January is the time where people say, all right, I'm going to get back to this.
[1:00] And really, that's the point this morning. The topic we're going to talk about is what should we focus on? Where should we redirect or how should we redirect?
[1:14] You know, it's a time when our culture says, well, I want to lose a little weight or I want to exercise a little more. I want to read a few more books or I want to be a little more dedicated to my golf game.
[1:28] There's all these ideas about this fresh start, this new year. What am I going to do? How am I going to use this transition time to redirect things that are important to me?
[1:40] So I ask the question for you and I, what is it that is important to us? How should we live? What should we do? How should we redirect?
[1:51] What should we focus our time on? You know, the Apostle Paul speaks about this to the church at Corinth. And I'm just going to read one verse of many I could read, but I want it to be something that we as a church recognize that we could be just like the culture.
[2:13] And we could find ourselves making these commitments to live better, eat better, walk better, run better, work out more, whatever it is.
[2:24] And forget about what the scripture would direct us to be about. And that's what I want to share, talk about this morning as we open his word together. But Paul says this to the church at Corinth.
[2:38] He says, so whatever you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Do all to the glory of God. So church, what are we called to do?
[2:51] What is it that is, as a church body, is it that we ought to be about? You've heard the term this morning, mission. What is our mission?
[3:03] Well, what is our mission as individuals in God's kingdom? What is our mission as a church body, as a body of believers? You know, we have a mission that if you were to go on our website and look, you would see it displayed on the opening page.
[3:18] And our mission is this, is to, and I hope I don't get it wrong. If I get it wrong, y'all can correct me later. Our mission is this. Oh, thank you. Hey. All right. So I got some help in the background there.
[3:29] Our mission is to magnify the glory of God in the gospel of Jesus Christ. To magnify the glory of God in the gospel of Jesus Christ. You know, you'll also see our vision there.
[3:41] Our vision is to enjoy God, to equip the saints, and to evangelize the lost. This morning, I just want to remind us that we don't want to try to accomplish a vision without understanding and being committed to the mission.
[4:01] So the warning is this, is that if we try to accomplish the vision, that is to go and evangelize the lost. Without this being the primary aspect of our life, that is to glorify God, we have it reversed.
[4:18] We have it out of order. And we'll see that as we look at our text this morning. You know, there's one of the early confessions that talks about this.
[4:30] That is, where should our hearts be? Where should our focus be? And the Westminster Catechism says this, that the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.
[4:45] It's interesting if you, if that echoes in your heart, if that resonates with you, it didn't say anything in there about evangelizing the lost. The chief end, the most important thing for us as individual, for us as a church, that we glorify God.
[5:05] We're made to glorify God. We're made to magnify God. We're made to make much of God. That's why he's called us into his kingdom, to make much of him and enjoy him.
[5:18] And so this moment today, would you say that it's true for you that you enjoy him? I really believe that for all of us who are Christians, we do genuinely seek to glorify him.
[5:37] I hope that is true. But this year, as we step into 2025, I would encourage us, it would remind us, this is that we exist to glorify God.
[5:50] What we think, our actions, the way we spend our time, it's my hope that it would all be for this purpose to glorify God.
[6:07] And the beautiful thing is, is when we make him the central focus of our heart, guess what? The joy bubbles out of us. The joy comes. If you would read with me our passage this morning, I would ask you when you find it to stand.
[6:25] It's Psalm 69. We're going to read verses 30 through 32. Three verses this morning. And this ties to our mission statement as a church.
[6:38] This concept of magnifying and glorifying God, we'll see in this passage this morning. And that's what we're going to talk about. Read with me, starting in verse 30.
[6:48] I will praise the name of God with a song. I will magnify him with thanksgiving. This will please the Lord more than an ox or a bull with horns and hooves.
[7:02] When the humble see it, they will be glad. You who seek God, let your hearts revive. Let me pray for us right quick.
[7:12] Father, we are grateful this morning to have your word. We're grateful, Father, that you have touched us. We desire, Lord, more of you this morning.
[7:26] And I pray, God, that as we spend time in your word, that, Father, it would not just be an exercise of understanding doctrine, but, Father, it would touch our hearts this morning. God, would you move us deeply this morning, I pray in your name.
[7:39] Amen. Amen. Y'all may be seated. I have three main points this morning out of our text, and I will share those three points as we start, but I will not dig into them immediately.
[7:56] The three points are these. One is that true worship does not come from religious activity, but from the heart. The second is this, is a heart full of God overflows with songs and thanksgiving.
[8:14] And thirdly, there is a call from God that we be humble people. Three things. But this morning, I want to start, instead of digging right into the text, I want to ask some pointed questions, some probing questions.
[8:34] And then I want to look at an example that is David. I want to look at David, the writer of our psalm. I want to look at his life a little bit. I want to look back in 1 Samuel at David.
[8:48] And then we'll dig into the text. So here's my questions this morning. I ask that you would consider these with genuineness. And I understand that the whole message this morning, this concept of what is our call, what is our purpose, what is our mission, what should we focus on?
[9:05] I realize that I'm talking to Christians. I'm talking to the church. The things that the world puts first are not the same as what the church should put first.
[9:18] So there may be someone here that's not in the kingdom, that's not truly a believer, and that is totally fine. I'm glad you're here. And what I'm going to share with the church this morning, I hope you'll listen to and embrace and understand the reason that we focus on these things is because the change that's happened in our life through the work of Christ.
[9:41] That as Christians, we've been redirected. Instead of living for self, God has redirected us to live for him, to live for his kingdom. Matthew speaks about that, that we should seek first his kingdom and his righteousness.
[9:59] So these questions are meant for Christians, but if you're not a believer, I hope you'll listen to these as well. So let me ask this church. How much does the greatness of God move you?
[10:15] I'll ask it again. How much does the greatness of God move you? I'm not asking if you know the attributes of God.
[10:29] I'm not asking if you know about God, that he's omniscient. He's all powerful. What I'm asking you, are you moved in your life?
[10:43] Are you on a heart level moved by that? Is there an emotion that is tied to that? Second question is this.
[10:58] Have you ever felt the greatness of God so intently that you literally shout out loud? Or jump up and down?
[11:10] Or have you ever felt it so intently that you tear up with an overwhelming sense of his presence and his touch?
[11:23] Have you ever been alone with him and just laughed out loud as you're communicating with him or he's communicating with you? Do you hear my questions, what I'm asking?
[11:35] How personal is your relationship with the Lord? How much are you moved by his greatness and his goodness?
[11:49] Let me ask this third question. Are you still moved to tears by his gift of salvation? Do you find yourself, when you remember the works that he's done in your life, when you remember that he's illuminated you to understand your sin and your separation and your need for a Savior, when you consider those things again, consider where you were and where you now are in his kingdom, are you moved to tears?
[12:17] Do you get choked up? By the greatness of God? Let me ask this question in reference to David as an example.
[12:36] You know, sometimes we have to read the white spaces in our Bible. In other words, we have to infer a few things that are not explicitly stated. So what I'm sharing now is not biblical.
[12:48] You're not going to find a verse that says it, okay? I'm trying to read between the lines and understand who David was. Now, we're told in many things who he was.
[12:58] He was a king and such. But I want to ask you this question. You remember in Samuel, we can learn a little bit about David.
[13:09] Do you remember that when Samuel went to Jesse and said, the Lord has sent me here to anoint one of your sons?
[13:19] Will you call your sons? Do you remember that Jesse called his sons and they all stood before him? And Samuel didn't know all these sons, but he was listening to the Lord and the prompting of the Lord.
[13:32] And he goes there and he says, God said, I will tell you the one that you are to anoint. And he goes, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. Wait a minute. Is this all your sons? He said, no, but I've got one more.
[13:43] But I can, again, I'm inferring here. This is not biblically stated. I'm inferring that. Why is it that when he was told to call his sons, he didn't care enough to call that son?
[13:54] What was going on in David's relationship with his dad, with his earthly father? It's my understanding in those days that it was often common for servants to be the one that cared for the sheep.
[14:11] Why is it that his son was sent out to care for the sheep? Those are questions I can't answer, but I wonder if there's anything to glean about his relationship with his dad.
[14:22] I do not know. But I picture David, and I wonder if you've ever pictured him. I wonder if you've been to a nomadic setting before. I had the privilege to go to Mongolia, and unlike anything I'd ever been a part of before, it's my understanding that there was no building except for monasteries, Buddhist monasteries, in the whole country before roughly 1920.
[14:48] That's when they invited the Russians to come in and built some buildings for them. But the majority of the country is not a city. It's just remote.
[14:59] It's in the, I would call it the plains, the plateau land. And I remember being up on high on the hill and just listening, just looking, and I felt like I was back in time.
[15:15] I felt like I was in biblical days because I'd never been in a setting like this where people dress like they did and where their livelihood was based on flocks, sheep and goats.
[15:28] And so I was listening, and they put bells on their animals, and I'm listening to that jingling of the bell from up on the hill and just looking down at how primitive it seemed that their life was.
[15:41] No buildings. They had tents. They had these gares that they were in. And I just remember that. And I was able, by the grace of God, to go visit a family that had all their livestock in the field.
[15:54] And they were the only one you could see. You couldn't see another tent. As far as your eye could see, you couldn't see it. It took us a while to get out there. And we have a chance. I can't speak the language, but I was still taking in all of this.
[16:05] And what I looked at was they had to go to places where the grass was growing in order for the livestock to live. And they lived off the livestock.
[16:17] They ate cheese from the livestock. They drank milk from the livestock. They would kill to get meat from the livestock. And it gave me a picture of what maybe it was like when David was living.
[16:28] When David was keeping the sheep, there was nobody else near. I mean, he's out by himself day after day after day after day after long day.
[16:41] Likely not seeing a soul. Perhaps for weeks on end. What did he do? What did David do being alone with these animals, the sheep that he was caring for and tending?
[16:57] He was learning how to shepherd. Well, we look in 1 Samuel 16, and I won't read it, but you remember the story when Saul was, in essence, the anointing was stripped from him because of his disobedience, and he was plagued by an uneasiness in his life, a spirit.
[17:24] And he said, I need someone to play music for me. And who ended up being the person that was in his audience playing for him? It was David. David was skilled with the lyre, L-Y-R-E.
[17:38] I don't know if I'm pronouncing that right, but it's a harp. It looks like a harp if you pull it up online and look at the shape. Very unusual. But he was skilled in playing. You know, it's my belief that he was in the wilderness, and he spent much of his time playing that instrument and likely worshiping God.
[17:56] Why would I think that? I can open the book of Psalms and tell you why I think that. The book of Psalms is a songbook for the nation of Israel, many of which were written by David.
[18:08] I think David was in the habit of singing to God. I think David was in the habit of having his heart worship God. Why would I think that? Well, I think about what God said about David.
[18:22] It leads me to believe that his heart was touched by God as he grew up as a young boy. God said this about David. He's a man after my own heart. He's a man that his heart is captivated by me.
[18:40] And so I've often wondered, how is it that a young boy would be so offended by the taunts, the taunting of Goliath as he taunts God, the God of Israel, and he taunts the people of God for day after day after day.
[19:05] And David walks into that setting, a young boy who is not skilled in warfare, who does not own a shield and a sword and the battle garb to go to be a part of the warring Israelites, the army.
[19:22] But he says this, who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God? How is it that he was so offended?
[19:33] You know, I think when, hey, that's a grandson, he's one, and I am so glad he's in here.
[19:44] I love for him to hear the word of God, and it doesn't bother me at all. So I'm hoping it doesn't bother you either. But you keep singing, buddy. Fall in love with Jesus.
[19:54] That's what I want you to do, and this is a place to do it. How is it that he was so offended? I think he was so in love with Jehovah God that when he heard the taunts against God and against the people of God, something stirred within him that was righteous indignation.
[20:18] Something stirred. Who do you think you are talking about my God like that? How is it a boy can stand with a stone and a sling up against a guy that's likely about as tall as his ceiling, maybe a tad shorter?
[20:35] He's just under 10 foot tall. His beam, the lance that he held was bigger than I could. Probably I'd try to hold it and it ended up on the ground.
[20:45] It's just so heavy. The guy was monstrous in his size. And David walks up to him and says, Who do you think you are? Yeah, you slander me and you yell at me and you think you're going to destroy me.
[21:00] No way. Let me tell you why. Because I've come to know my God. David said to Saul when David said, Well, who's going to fight this guy?
[21:16] Who's going to stand up? And you know who said yes? Not a soul. There's not one man in the nation, in the army of Israel, sorry, that was willing to go stand before Goliath and fight Goliath in the name of God.
[21:31] Not one. David comes up and says, Well, who's going to do it? And David ends up in the audience of Saul. He says this, Your servant used to keep sheep for his father.
[21:43] And when there came a lion or a bear and took a lamb from the flock, I went after him and struck him and delivered out of his mouth. And if he rose against me, I caught him by the beard and I struck him and I killed him.
[21:58] Your servant has struck down both lions and bears and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them. For he has defied the armies of the living God. And David said this, Listen to this.
[22:14] The Lord who delivered me, I want to say it again, The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.
[22:27] The Lord who delivered me. You know I believe that David was acquainted with the presence of God as he worshipped him and the power of God.
[22:40] I believe David was acquainted with the worship. He was acquainted with the presence of God. He was acquainted with the power of God. Is that true for you? Is that true for you?
[22:52] Do you find yourself worshipping often? Do you find your life marked by worship?
[23:06] Are you often in the presence of God? I'm not talking about just being here on Sunday morning because truly I do sense the presence of God here.
[23:20] I do. I'm talking about when you're alone. Do you find yourself in the presence of God?
[23:32] Have you experienced the power of God in your life? That is his power to save first and foremost. I was about to say foremost, but I'm going to say first.
[23:44] His power to save. Have you been born again by the power of God? Has he taken your old heart that desired everything about self, has he removed it and put in a new heart that desires him?
[24:02] That takes God's power. There's no other power on the planet that can do that except God and the power of God. But I'm asking if you experienced his power. You know David did? David fought with his hands and whatever he had.
[24:18] He fought bears and lions. Can you imagine going up against a bear and a lion? I've often pondered that and thought, how does a guy get to the place where he has that kind of courage? How does a boy get to the place where he has that kind of courage?
[24:32] Blows my mind to think how he has that kind of courage and that kind of calling to protect the sheep. You know, I think that it comes out of worship.
[24:43] I think confidence and boldness and courage come out of worship. And worship enables us to know our God, not just know about our God.
[25:01] That's why I asked the question earlier, does the greatness of God stir you? Does it move you? Does it captivate you?
[25:12] Or is it just information? It wasn't just information for David. His courage was such that he was willing to attack the lion that was attacking the flock.
[25:24] He's willing to attack this Philistine, this giant, because he knows a God that's greater than that Philistine giant. You know that's true for us as well.
[25:35] You know, my experience is this. I ask myself reflectively the same question. I'm prepping for this sermon, and I'm sitting right down these questions. I'm, oh boy, if I'm going to ask these, where am I?
[25:50] And I talk about David, and I say, where am I? Treg, can you say that you know his presence? Can you say that you worship? Can you say that you've seen his power in your life?
[26:02] And the answer to me is yes, by his grace, yes. I'll tell a quick story. I hesitate because I don't want this to be about me. I want it to be about him. It still touches me.
[26:20] So, it's going to seem so simple to y'all, but it wasn't simple to me.
[26:32] So, I become a Christian when I'm 21. 22, 21, I have to add it up. I became a Christian after college. I was 22. In the month of June 29th, when I was 22.
[26:45] And I know I've been in the church. I've heard Bible stories and all that stuff. It just never was real. It never stuck. I never became a Christian. I didn't understand my sin, my separation from God, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.
[26:57] As when I became a Christian, it just so happened that I was so empty that I had decided I was going to ride my bike until the wheels ran off. I literally was going to ride across country. My goal was to get on my bicycle and go until that emptiness was gone.
[27:11] And so, I was prepping for that. I bought my old cheapo bicycle because I didn't have any money, and I bought my packs to go on my bicycle. And two days before I was getting ready to leave to go figure out why I was so empty in my life, God led me into the kingdom.
[27:28] God showed me what it meant to be a Christian. God placed me in the home of the gentlest of ladies that asked me a couple of questions. I came into the kingdom. But I still was ready to go on this bike ride.
[27:39] I'd already bought what I bought, and I was ready to go and excited. God took what for me was going to be searching to find the reason I was so empty. He said, I'm going to use it to grow you spiritually.
[27:54] And so, this lady would send me cassette tapes of preachers. And when I finished my bike section of this trip, I had over 200 cassette tapes with sermons on the front and the back of those cassettes I listened to for eight hours a day, maybe 10.
[28:08] All day long, I'm listening to these things. Well, there's one experience that you can imagine a guy riding a bicycle for two months. I was already lean in college.
[28:18] My body fat was not that great. I'd get in the pool, and I'd sink. I would get as much breath in my body as I could, and I would sink. I would sink about six or seven feet, and I would float right there.
[28:30] If I blew it out, I would go like a lead rock. So, I wasn't very lean. I was pretty lean. And then, as I started riding the bicycle, my body got even more lean. All the fat that I had, the reserves were gone.
[28:41] And so, what I'm eating, I'm burning. And so, I get up in Nova Scotia. In Nova Scotia, it was a Sunday. And in Nova Scotia, if you can picture it, it's like somebody took a bowl and dumped it upside down.
[28:53] And it just looks like this. And the coastal area is where all the people are. All the fishermen and all the everything. You get up top, there ain't nothing but fields and maybe a house. But summertime, they're gone.
[29:04] They ain't even at their house. They don't even lock their house. I mean, it's just that safe. So, I'm riding my bicycle up on Nova Scotia, and I can tell I need some food.
[29:14] Well, I don't have any food. So, I'm thinking I'm going to go to the store and get some food. I didn't know there was nothing in Nova Scotia. I had no idea. It was only grass and fields and wheat and whatever else. And literally, I'm thinking, I don't have any food.
[29:27] I don't know. What am I going to do? So, I get up there, and literally, I am shaking. I don't know if you've ever been to the point where you don't have any more energy. On a bicycle, your legs and your arms just start shaking.
[29:39] Literally, I had to get off and push my bike, walk to where I could sit down. There happened to be a little roadside picnic area. It's like a little pull-off and look at the wheat.
[29:51] Look at the wheat and look at the wheat. I mean, I don't know what you see. There are not many trees. But I was in this little picnic area still shaking. And I'm thinking, I ain't got any food. I can't ride a bicycle.
[30:02] I'm in the middle of nowhere. No houses, no bills, no people, no nothing. And God, what am I going to do? And so, by that time, I had started talking to God. I didn't even know I was hearing him.
[30:14] I was so new to the faith, I didn't know what his voice sounded like. I mean, it never was in here. Never. I've never audibly heard God to my knowledge.
[30:25] If I had, I didn't know it was him. But it was in here. It was like him. It was a relationship. And it was organic. I didn't listen to somebody on how to do this thing. I just was listening to preachers and meditating on his word and reading the Bible.
[30:39] And so, I'm in this place, totally out of energy. And I said, God, I don't know what I can do. I can't ride down. I'm hungry. I can't eat. My body's shaking.
[30:50] God, what do you want me to do? And I remember asking, God, would you give me some food? Would you provide some food? Simple question, simple event, but utterly profound for me.
[31:05] To my knowledge, I'd never ask God for anything. I mean, maybe when I was a kid and wasn't really a Christian, but since I'd become a Christian, I don't, I mean, this is two months in. I don't remember ever, less than two months in. I don't ever remember asking him for anything.
[31:16] But that day, I said, God, can you give me some food? And I was prompted that I wasn't supposed to ask anybody that I was asking God to provide it without me going to get it.
[31:27] That was my request. And I know it's bold. And I guess I was just young enough in faith I didn't know any better. And so I'm sitting in this area and this camper pulls in with three kids, a mom and a dad.
[31:39] I'm like, thank you, Lord. But I was reminded, don't say a word. Don't say a word. So I'm sitting there on this bench and they get out. We talk. Oh, what are you doing?
[31:50] They see my bike and all the packs and all this stuff. And they say, oh, have a great trip. See you later. Get in their camper. And they leave. And I'm thinking, God, I thought that was going to be the way you were going to provide my food.
[32:06] And they went out of the little parking area. And I heard them go, and then they backed up. And the mom opened the door, got out the door.
[32:17] She said, I'm so sorry. I didn't even think about it. Do you need anything? Are you hungry? Can I give you some food? I mean, we got plenty of food. I would love to give you some food. I said, yes, ma'am.
[32:27] That'd be great. She went inside and loaded me up. You know, there was no doubt in my mind.
[32:39] There's no doubt this day. I'm still touched by it. You know, the relationship to God is very personal.
[32:57] That was my real first genuine touch of God's power and provision for me. Do you know my walk has been real ever since?
[33:12] It's not up here. Christianity and Bible and law and all that stuff is not just up here.
[33:24] It's not just information for me. It's not just doctrine. It's not just concepts. It's not just raw obedience like I've got to obey some rule sheet. That's not what it is.
[33:36] I saw the hand of God do things in my life that I can't explain except as him. That one little thing which we can chalk up to coincidence is not coincidence to me.
[33:50] Because it was very personal. When I'm in a place where I can't provide and I say, I need you, and he provides, in a way that's totally unexpected, it was my first taste of how real this walk is.
[34:04] You know, I think David knew what that walk was like. David knew how powerful God is. God, I think he had a relationship that did this.
[34:19] Now, I'm on this side of the cross and the Holy Spirit's dwelling within me. How much more can this relationship be real now? That we're walking in this new covenant.
[34:29] Turn with me, if you will, back to our passages this morning. I want to read it again, and I want to articulate these three points I want you to see this morning.
[34:53] And it has to do with our mission. I ask again, what is your mission in life? What is it that you're called to do in life?
[35:05] If you're not a Christian, there's no reason we should think you would ever want to do anything for God's kingdom. There's nobody that's a non-Christian who wants to make God first. But if you're a Christian, isn't that what we're called to do?
[35:20] You know how difficult it is sometimes to set him as first? Because it means nothing else is in that place. He's in that place. That means everything we think and do, every desire of our heart needs to be aligned with what number one is.
[35:34] Listen at this text here as I read it through, and then we'll make three points, and then we'll be done. I will praise the name of God with a song.
[35:46] I will magnify him with thanksgiving. This will please the Lord more than an ox or a bull with horns and hooves. When the humble see it, they will be glad.
[35:58] You who seek God, let your hearts revive. Let me make this point in the first two verses there, 30 and 31. Do you notice a distinction there in that first verse?
[36:13] I will praise and I will magnify with a song and with thanksgiving. Where does that come from? It comes from the heart. This spills out of a heart that is passionate toward God, that is yielded to God, that loves God.
[36:35] What happens is song and thanksgiving, praise and worship and magnify and exalting. That spills out. But notice the second verse.
[36:47] It says in verse 31, This will please the Lord more than an ox or a bull with horns and hooves. Wait a minute. Why do you bring up an ox and a bull?
[36:59] Well, in the Old Testament law, in Exodus 29, it talks about go and offer a bull as a sacrifice for your sins.
[37:09] And so it's not strange to the Jewish ear that there would be a sacrifice needed for our sins. That's not strange. But notice the distinction here.
[37:24] This will please the Lord more. What? What, David? What are you saying will please the Lord more? Your heart. That the motivation behind your sacrifice is your heart.
[37:37] You know, the book of Isaiah speaks of the people of God. It's the prophet Isaiah being used by God as a mouthpiece to speak to the nation of Israel.
[37:53] You know what he says to the nation of Israel in this stage? Chapter 1, verse 13 and 14 of Isaiah. You don't have to turn there. I will read it.
[38:04] I want you to hear whether the nation is sacrificing or not. Whether the nation is trying to do what they're supposed to do. Listen to it. This is God speaking to his people.
[38:18] Bring no more vain offerings. Incense is an abomination to me. You know, incense was burned. It's supposed to represent the prayers of the people.
[38:32] It was burned on the altar of God so that as ascended it was the prayers of the people. He said, incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations.
[38:42] I cannot endure iniquity in the solemn assembly. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates. They have become a burden to me.
[38:54] I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you. Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen.
[39:06] Your hands are full of blood. You know what? There is a way to go through the motions of spiritual things.
[39:18] And our heart be nowhere near. We could offer a bull or a ram. We don't do that nowadays, but you understand the concept.
[39:31] We could come with an offering to God and our heart not even be in it. We can do spiritual things thinking that, well, we ought to do it.
[39:41] It's the Christian thing to do. I need to do these things. And our heart's not even in it. You know, we could go try to evangelize the world or go try to do and do Christian things and our heart not even be in it.
[39:56] And so David, in my mind, makes this point. That there's something that pleases the Lord more than just these offerings that you do without your heart even being in it.
[40:14] God desires our heart. He desires our heart to be enamored with Him. To be captivated by Him.
[40:26] Is that true for you? Is your heart captivated by God? Are you stirred deeply when you read the truths of Scripture? Are you stirred deeply when you're in prayer and God touches you?
[40:43] Or when God answers the prayer in a gracious way, are you touched by that? Are you stirred by that? Is your heart there? Listen. Here's what I believe. Point number two. Point number one is this.
[40:55] Is that true worship doesn't come from religious activity, but it comes from the heart. Point number two is this. A heart full of God overflows with song and thanksgiving.
[41:08] A heart full of God overflows with song and thanksgiving. Let me ask this. When is the last time that you've been alone with God? Whether you're walking in the woods, enjoying the beauty of nature.
[41:21] Whether you're sitting still on the beach, looking at an incredible ocean. Whether you're in your house in your favorite chair. Or whether you're in your closet where you go to pray. Wherever it is. When's the last time that you've done that and a song just spilled out of your mouth?
[41:35] Not a song that somebody else wrote. Now listen. I hope I can keep the notes when I sing for James' sake. I hope I can keep the notes when I sing because when I sing in here, he can't help but hear my loud mouth.
[41:49] But I don't have any musical ability. I can't play a harp or a lyre. I can't play a guitar. I can't play a keyboard.
[42:00] I don't want to take the time to try to learn. It just wears me out thinking about it. People that can, I love to be around them. Because it really helps me worship.
[42:11] Honestly, it does. But you know that you can sing a song without an instrument? Do you know you can sing a song that has never been written before? You know David wrote songs that had never been written before? You know David put these words to song?
[42:27] My point is this, is that when we're deeply in love with God, you know what spills out of us? Worship. You know what that sounds like sometimes? A song. It's powerful sometimes when you just start letting yourself sing.
[42:42] And you don't, you know, I don't like people to be near me when I do that. I want to be by myself because it looks weird when a guy is making up his song and it's very powerfully worshipful.
[42:53] And so it's obvious I'm not singing James Taylor. And so it's personal. But that's what worship looks like.
[43:06] That's what happens. I will praise the name of God with a song. And it might be a song that's already been written that still touches me and I sing from the heart. And that's awesome. That's why we have song books. That's why we spend time singing together.
[43:18] Something amazing that resonates in us when we sing. But I'm just saying that the psalm here in my mind indicates that there is praise that spills out of those whose hearts are really fully chasing hard after God.
[43:35] Whose hearts are captivated by him. I want you to notice verse 29. You know, I didn't set all this in context. But if you look at 29, I want you to notice where David is as he writes this psalm.
[43:47] He says this, I am afflicted and I'm in pain. There's an event going on that if you do a little digging about this psalm, you'll see time frame and what it's about.
[44:02] But my point is this. He says, I'm afflicted and in pain. Let your salvation, that is your deliverance, God. Let your salvation, oh God, set me on high. Do you ever get to the place where you feel heavy?
[44:15] Where you feel under the weight of the world? Where you feel overwhelmed? Where you feel distant from God? I think David was probably in a place where he was heavy.
[44:27] He's afflicted. He's in pain. And he reminds himself, let me think of the salvation of God, the deliverance of God, the sovereignty of God, the ability of God, who God is.
[44:38] Let me set my mind on him and not on my circumstances. And here's what he says. I will praise the name of God for a song. You know what happens when our hearts are really, truly fixed on him?
[44:52] Something spills out of our heart. Sometimes it looks like a song and I will magnify him with thanksgiving. Have you ever really attempted to catalog all the things that God has done on your behalf?
[45:08] If you ever said, you know what, today I'm going to say, what am I truly thankful for? I got a sheet of paper and I got a pen and I got a little bit of time. And I sit down and say, God, let me think through this.
[45:19] Oh, wow. Wow. I know somebody that can't see. God, I'm so thankful that I can see. I can't imagine if I didn't have the ability to see. And I know a guy who's colorblind and I'm not.
[45:30] God, thank you that I can see color. God, I know a person that's struggling to breathe right now in the hospital. God, I'm so thankful that breathing is easy for me. I'm thankful for children.
[45:41] I'm thankful for grandchildren. I'm thankful for... Literally, if we start, we go on and on. You know what? Where that generally bubbles from is a heart that's captivated by God. God will reveal himself to you.
[45:52] And our understanding of who he is will increase. And as we are captivated, we will praise him. The chief end of man, according to the Westminster Confession, is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.
[46:06] Do you enjoy him? The more we know him, the more we enjoy him because he's good. He's good. And then the third point is this.
[46:24] There's something about humility that I see scattered all throughout the scriptures. There's something about humility that we're being called to.
[46:37] What is humility? You know, that's a tough question to answer. I don't know that I'm going to give you a thorough explanation or answer or definition. It's going to touch all facets of this thing.
[46:48] But I would say this, is that I'm nothing. I'm not able. Spiritually speaking, you know we have nothing to offer. The kingdom of God. You know that by our ability and our talent and our effort, we cannot enrich God at all.
[47:09] When we really get a grasp of how big he is, then we begin to see how small we are. You remember Isaiah in the throne room? The vision that he had? He sees God in the throne room and he says, Cursed I am and cursed are the people that I'm a part of.
[47:28] Cursed is the nation. In light of your glory, I've seen my eyes, have seen the Lord of glory, and I now see how sinful I really am. I had no idea how great you are.
[47:42] I had no idea of your glory. God, forgive me that I would ever think that I have anything that would enrich you.
[47:54] That I have any way of benefiting your kingdom. That I have any way of adding to your glory. God, forgive me. You know, in that place when we really start to recognize our inability, we recognize that we're not capable of doing anything for the kingdom of God.
[48:14] Then in that state of saying, God, I have nothing to offer you. There's nothing that I can do that's going to be great in your eyes that's out of my own strength and effort.
[48:25] Nothing. Nothing. You know, when we finally get there, you know what happens? We see the gift of God.
[48:36] We see the hand of God. We see the blessings of God. You know what happens? We rejoice. We're glad. No matter the condition, we're glad.
[48:46] God. And he says this, when the humble see it, see what? See that God honors the heart, not just the offering. I don't have a bull. I don't have a ram.
[48:58] God, does that mean I'll never be acceptable in your eye? No, no, no. Though you're poor, I look not at the bull and the ram. I look at your heart. What I want is a heart that surrendered to me.
[49:08] That's what I desire. And the humble say, that, Lord, I can do. I love you with all my heart. I serve you with all my heart. I seek you with all my heart.
[49:19] I give my life to you, God. And the humble are glad. You who seek God, let your hearts revive.
[49:29] Let's pray. Father, would you captivate us with your glory? Would you show us your glory?
[49:39] God, would you open our eyes to see more of you? God, would you show us your presence? God, would you reveal yourself to us? God, would you help us to know that you are not only here, but when we're alone with you, would you draw near?
[49:56] Father, and God, would you show us your power? God, in simple ways, in grand ways, in any ways, God, show us your power through the words of the scriptures.
[50:08] Show us your power through the lives of friends, and show us your power personally, God, that it would transform us, that we would be captivated by you, and that, God, we would magnify your name and magnify the glory, God, your glory, God, that we would magnify you with all of our heart, that we would be deeply in love with you.
[50:34] And, Father, in being in love with you, we would desire to honor you in every way. God, this year, as we think about what we should do, Father, I pray that for each of us, it would be in conversation with you.
[50:51] God, what do you want to do this year? How do you want me to step? Where do you want me to go? Father, I want you to be central in my life. God, would that be true for all of us?
[51:03] Father, if there's someone here that's not in the kingdom, that's not a believer, that's not a Christian, God, would you open their eyes to see who you are, that you would show them your glory, show them your grace, show them your love, show them your forgiveness, God, that they might be in the kingdom, born again Christians.
[51:21] God, I pray this in your name. Amen.