Psalm 37:4
November 5th 2011 AM
Pastor Craig Ledbetter
I.
Introduction (Psalm 37:4)
A.
Many people
could tell you a lot about God.
1.
Many know He
is holy, He is everywhere, He is perfect, He is righteous
2.
Christians
especially know that He created this entire universe in 6 days, provided
manna and quail in a desert for almost 40 years, split the Red Sea, and
brought the walls of mighty
3.
Many people
know ABOUT God
B.
But then
there are those who delight in God (Ps 37:4) – They talk about God in a
strange way
1.
Like they
love Him intensely
2.
Like they
really ENJOY spending their time in His Book, or at church with His people
3.
To the
world, it looks like such a waste of time – a drudgery, but to them, it is a
delight!
C.
To “Delight”
means:
1.
To have
great pleasure in doing something, or being with someone
2.
It is like
the word, Delicious – not just likeable, but amazingly wonderful!
3.
Delight is a
permanent pleasure – it is the attitude you have when you think of:
a.
Chocolate
b.
A warm,
sunny beach
c.
A hug from
your grandchildren
d.
You don’t
even have to think about it – you just enjoy those things and you enjoy
thinking about those things!
4.
What a
wonderful word!
D.
Did you
notice Psalm 37:4?
1.
Everyone
loves to focus on the second half of the Scripture, “and he shall give thee
the desires of thine heart”
2.
But there is
NO second half without the first half of the verse!
3.
The promise
made to those who delight in God
4.
82 times,
the Bible talks about delighting in God! Enjoying God!
5.
To love God
is the greatest commandment in the Bible, and the greatest privilege! The
greatest privilege of any human being is to just know and understand God
(Jer 9:23,24)
6.
To delight
in God means…
a.
To just
simply enjoy HIM
b.
Enjoy the
simplicity of Jesus Christ (2Cor 11:2)
c.
Enjoy what
He has already done for you
d.
Not
constantly withhold love and thrill because God is not doing
e.
God
shouldn’t have to do something spectacular for you every hour of every day
in order to be your delight!!!
f.
31 years
ago, I fell in love with the Almighty Being who loved me already, and I
CANNOT fall out of that love!
E.
This
morning, I want to stir you to delight in the God who is there, who created
you, knows you, loves you, gave Himself for you, and is coming again for
you, soon!
F.
So much so,
that when you come out of a time in prayer or in the Bible, you come out a
satisfied person – a man or women who has been blessed and made happy!
II.
Message
A.
What Does God Enjoy? What Does
HE Delight In?
1.
God Delights
in Jesus (Isa 42:1; Mt 3:17) – says it over and over! Well pleased!
2.
God Delights
is Us (2Sam 22:20; Zeph 3:17)
a.
Not excited
about the stars, galaxies, planets, nebulae, comets
b.
He doesn’t
delight in sports, and politics
c.
He does NOT
delight in our sins, in secrets, in hypocrisy, in religious rituals – the
things that modern movies are all about
d.
But He DOES
delight just in US (Dt 7:7,8)
e.
Only because
God Delights in Mercy (Micah 7:18) and forgiveness! He LOVES to forgive! Do
you?
3.
God Delights
when we Obey (1Sam 15:22). In the simple things. It thrills Him just like it
does any parent! It ought to scare us when our children have no interest in
obeying us or God
4.
God delights
when we are REAL, and broken, and yielding to Him (Psalm 51:16)
5.
So, God
enjoys some things… some great things
6.
So should
we!
B.
What Most People (even most
Christians) Miss Everyday…
1.
The delight
of prayer with God – it thrills God when we talk with Him (Pr 15:8), and it
thrills the believer – the entire Book of Psalms is written by men who
delighted in prayer!
2.
The delight
of just reading and understanding the Bible (Psalm 1:2)
3.
The delight
of meditating on just who God is (Psalm 104:34) – falling in love with the
infinite God who thinks about us!
4.
The delight
of doing God’s will (Psalm 40:8)
5.
The delight
of correction by God (Hebrews 12:5,6,11,12) – oh that is a hard one
6.
The delight
of being a part of a great church (Acts 4:32)
a.
People try
and find such delight at their pub, Or in their sport, Or in their hobby
b.
But there is
NOTHING like what is right here, amongst God’s people!
7.
The delight
of your inner man (Romans 7:22)
a.
We live only
to please the flesh, the belly, and the mind
b.
But there is
a part of you called the inner man – the soul
c.
THAT is
where the greatest and longest lasting delights are experienced!
8.
The
protective hand of God in your life (Psalm 37:24)
9.
None of this
will mean much to any of you until the Author of it all Himself is precious
to you (1Peter 2:6-8)
C.
We Ought to Delight in God
D.
But, Only Good Men Will Delight
in the Lord (Psalm 37:23)
1.
Sinful men
and women will never enjoy God. Will never enjoy the Bible, or soul-winning,
or prayer, or even heaven!
2.
Only a Good
Man Delights in God - God speaks of a Good Man.
a.
Not a
sinless man, but a godly man – someone who has been forgiven and brought
close to God by the blood of Jesus Christ (Eph 2:12,13)
b.
Not a
selfish, arrogant, egotistical, independent man
c.
Not a
self-absorbed female who is only interested in the power she wields in this
modern world
d.
Not anyone
who loves secret sins
e.
No, ungodly
men and women will never delight in God
1)
To them, God
is a distraction
2)
To them, God
will hold them back
3)
To them, God
is boring, and foolish
f.
But not to
those of us who have been born again – who have fled for refuge (Ps 62:8)
3.
Oh that we
all realised how GOOD God is to people when He is drawing them to a
brokenness, an awareness of their need to repent (Romans 2:4)
4.
You will
never know just how good God is, until you have let Him save your soul, and
give you eternal life!
5.
To delight
in God means…
a.
To just
simply enjoy HIM – what He does, who HE is, what HE promises!
b.
Start by
enjoying what He has already done for you
6.
We love Him
(delight in Him) because He first loved US (1John 4:19)!
E.
Only Yielded Men Will Delight
in God (Psalm 37:23)
1.
A Good Man
Delights Enough in God to Enjoy the Journey!
2.
You can’t
say that you love God if you do not love His will for your life!
3.
God’s will
is perfect (Psalm 18:30)
4.
Most people
only love those who do things THEY want! But to love God means you are
willing to do what HE wants!
5.
David is an
interesting example
a.
Started off
as a shepherd boy who was appointed to be the next king
b.
But it turns
out to be more than a decade before he ever takes the throne
c.
And for 7
years of that time, he is running from a man king named Saul and hiding in
caves for his life
d.
But it when
during those times of loneliness and seeming defeat that David learned to
enjoy where God had him, and what God was teaching him
6.
Joseph
a.
Young Joseph
was the same
b.
He knew he
would be great one day
c.
But what he
didn’t know was that to be great, he would have to go through some of the
most awful trials and disasters
d.
He was hated
by his own brethren – the will of God – made him like Jesus
e.
He was sold
for 30 pieces of money – like Jesus
f.
He was
imprisoned, like Jesus
g.
He was dead
and gone to everybody that he loved – just like Jesus was
h.
He then
miraculously reappears to them – just like Jesus did
i.
And when
Joseph reappears, he is a Prince and ruler – just like Jesus
j.
No wonder
Joseph is the person most like Jesus in the entire Old Testament!
k.
What IF,
Joseph decided to NOT delight in the way that God had laid out for him to
follow?
7.
Why not
decide today to say with David, I delight to do thy will O my God (Psalm
40:8)
F.
Only Dependent Men Will Delight
in Jesus (Psalm 37:24)
1.
We will fall
– mess up – sin
2.
But He
upholds us with His very own hand
3.
There is a
dependence that is missing in most people’s lives – a decision to be
supported ONLY by the Lord Jesus Christ
a.
Everyone
today is deceived into thinking they don’t need God, and so would not ever
find themselves thinking more than two thoughts about Him during a week
b.
People who
have every friend, and every way of getting their needs met will not delight
in the Lord God
c.
But those of
us who know there is only ONE reason why we are alive today, and know there
is only ONE power that is holding our lives together, have such a delight in
who God is and what He is doing in our lives!
1)
We may fall,
but we do not fail
2)
We may have
remorse, but we have no regrets
3)
We may sin,
but at least we have a Saviour
4)
We may have
needs, but we know where to go to surely get those needs supplied!
4.
Only
dependent people – only needy people enjoy God (Psalm 113:5-9)
III.
Conclusion (Psalm 37:4)
A.
There is a promise made to
those who delight in God
B.
But the promise is directed at
only Good men – Godly men – men who have been made right with God – born
again!
C.
We have looked at what it means
to delight! What a wonderful word!
1.
82 times,
the Bible talks about delighting in God! Loving God!
2.
It is the
greatest commandment in the Bible, and the greatest privilege! The greatest
privilege of any human being is to just know and understand God (Jer
9:23,24)
3.
To delight
in God means…
a.
To just
simply enjoy HIM
b.
Enjoy the
simplicity of Jesus Christ (2Cor 11:2)
c.
Enjoy what
He has already done for you
d.
Not
constantly withhold love and thrill because God is not doing something
spectacular for you every hour of every day!
e.
31 years
ago, I fell in love with the Almighty Being who loved me already, and I
CANNOT fall out of that love!
4.
We love Him
(delight in Him) because He first loved US (1John 4:19)!
D.
We have Seen That a Good Man
Enjoys God’s Will
1.
God’s will
may look scary, and uncertain, but they are THE most carefully laid out
steps that are the safest and most rewarding!
2.
God’s will
is perfect
3.
You can’t
say that you love God if you do not love His will for your life!
4.
We looked at
two powerful examples in the Bible: David and Joseph! Both endured some very
rough steps, but the path was perfect! Wasn’t it?
5.
What IS
God’s will for your life? Find out!
E.
We have Seen that Only Yielded
Men Will Delight in God (Psalm 37:23)
F.
We have Seen that Only
Dependent Men Will Delight in Jesus (Psalm
37:24)
G.
Don’t Miss Out On…
1.
The delight
of prayer with God – it thrills God, and the believer
2.
The delight
of just reading and understanding the Bible
3.
The delight
of meditating on just who God is – falling in love
4.
The delight
of doing God’s will
5.
The delight
of correction by God
6.
The delight
of being a part of a great church
7.
The delight
of your inner man
8.
The
protective hand of God in your life
H.
Don’t miss
out on any of these great delights! Don’t finish your day without
experiencing all of these great delights that are only available to
believers in Jesus!
I.
Maybe there
is no joy in your day, because Jesus is not in your life!
J.
Well, Jesus
says He is not willing that any perish, but that all should come to
repentance!
K.
Are you
tired of all the empty thrills of your life? I know I was 31 years ago!