God's Works: What is Our Response to Be?

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Preached at Northwest Christian Church

David P. Kautt

Sunday Morning, March 13, 2011

Psalm 111:1-10, “Praise the LORD! I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright and in the congregation. The works of the LORD are great, studied by all who have pleasure in them. His work is honorable and glorious, and His righteousness endures forever. He has made His wonderful works to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and full of compassion. He has given food to those who fear Him; He will ever be mindful of His covenant. He has declared to His people the power of His works, in giving them the heritage of the nations. The works of His hands are verity and justice; all His precepts are sure. They stand fast forever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness. He has sent redemption to His people; He has commanded His covenant forever: holy and awesome is His name. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.”

How am I, how are you to respond to the work God is doing in this world, and in our lives?

For two weeks now we have opened up this intriguing passage and examined the subject of the work or works of God. In alphabet, acrostic fashion the psalmist has walked us through this subject, pointing out to us the facts. He has reminded us that when God does something, never mind what men think they can do! When God does something, something like an earthquake and a tsunami, what He does is off the charts! It is without comparison. Verse two says it like this: “the works of the Lord are great!” Verse 4 indicates that the works of the Lord are wonderful. That means that they cause your mouth to drop open and exclaim, “wow!” And, then verse six adds what we already know from the devastation of what we call 'natural disasters', earthquakes and tidal waves, and what we ought to know from watching Him work to SUPER-naturally bring someone out of darkness, out of the darkness of their sin and guilt and despair into the joy and light and hope of His salvation. Take a look, verse 6, adding to what we've already noticed in verses 2 and 4, verse 6 reminds of what ought to be obvious to all of us, when God works, when He does something, whether it be in the natural realm – in His creation – or, whether it be a work of what the Bible calls 'new creation' in Christ Jesus, what kind of work is it? How best is it to be described? Verse 6 – it is best to be described as a POWERFUL work! A display of God's unlimited strength!

How am I, how are you, to respond to the work God is doing in the world and in our lives? That's the question of the hour, the direction toward which this psalm, reading it, investigating it, teaching and preaching it must lead us. How are we to respond?

Before we answer that with at least 3 specific directives derived from this text, allow me to point out again to you the 'atmosphere', the overall 'mood' and 'tone' that ought to permeate these responses on our part, and with which the psalm begins and ends.

We've seen it before, in our previous lessons, but keep it in mind with me, will you? When God works, when He does something - verse one, first line, very first words – what should our response, I mean our automatic reply and reaction to it be? 'Praise ye the Lord!' 'Hallelujah!' Oh, not a flippant or frivolous or even sarcastic expression of praise. 'Oh, yeah! God did something, alright! Praise the Lord! Bah, humbug!' No, rather, the 'atmosphere', the attitude, if you will, of the child of God, as he or shee stands back and watches what God is up to should always, ultimately be, that of praise! 'Praise ye the Lord', the psalm begins with those words, and, in effect, it ends with those words: 'the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom', a dropped jaw sense of awe and reverence before the One, the only One, whose name – think of it – is 'Holy and Awesome', entering into the everlasting praise offered up to the One who does all these great and wonderful and powerful things, what better response, what more appropriate response, what wiser response can there be than to 'praise the Lord', to praise Him?

What are we to do, how are we to respond, when God does something? With in this 'atmosphere', this context of praise, the psalm offers three specific steps you and I ought to take in light of what God does and has done.

Number one, the psalmist urges us to STUDY, to diligently seek out so as to grasp, what God is up to, what He is doing. “The works of the Lord are great,” the text says, “studied sought out by all who have pleasure in them.”

Now, right off the bat, our first thought about this suggestion, this directive to study, is something like: 'Study?! I gave that up a long time ago! I mean, I graduated, got my diploma and everything, why do I need to STUDY anymore?'

Well, before we delve into this too far, let me ask you a question: how many of you like to be 'in the dark'? I mean, when some friends or loved ones of your are conversing about something, and you walk up and start to join in, all of the sudden you realize, “I don't have any idea what they are talking about! I'm in the dark about this subject!” How many of you would rather be 'in the know' than 'in the dark'? You - study what God is up to? Me – seek out what God is doing? You understand why the psalmist urges us to STUDY what God is doing, don't you? So that you might know and be 'in the know' when it comes to the work and works of God.

By the way, you realize, don't you, that when God works, He works primarily in one of four areas, in one of four ways. He works sovereignly - powerfully - with respect to His creation... And, He works sympathetically, in great pity and compassion, to HELP and to SAVE. Furthermore, He works SINLESSLY, out of His perfect righteousness when He judges, when He enters into judgment. And in all of those areas, in all of those ways, what does God do? He shows us His superiority, from His lofty position as the Creator and King of the universe, when He works, marvelously and yes, mysteriously, He proves that His ways, His thoughts and plans are higher and greater than ours!

STUDY God's works! To be 'in the know' rather than 'in the dark'! Study them, diligently search them out – why? For the sake of getting a degree or diploma to hang on the wall? For the sake of 'wowing' everyone as the 'What God is Up to 'Expert'? No! When my car is broken, I look at a repair manual – no, actually, I call in my sons who can read and understand those manuals! When my car is broken, I pull off the 'everything you always wanted to know about broken cars but were afraid to ask' book and devour it from cover to cover, right? No! I grab the REPAIR manual, the How-to book – you know why? So that I can get the old jalopy running again!

STUDY God's works – why? For the sake of gaining knowledge, understanding, wisdom, verse 10, that I can use in my everyday life!

How am I to respond, what are we to do, in light of what God is doing? Number one – we are to study, to seek out the meaning, the significance and even the personal apply-it-to-my-life lesson to be derived from it. But, why? Why would we want to do that? The purpose yes, is to be 'in the know' rather than 'in the dark'. But, look again at what drives or ought to drive that pursuit. Once again, verse 2, “the works of the Lord are great, studied, diligently sought out by all who have pleasure in them!”

A teacher or professional educator has suggested that a student learns best, what he loves most! I think that's the point of the psalmist here, don't you? You want to know, I want to find out what God is doing, why? Because we DELIGHT in what He's up to. We love what He's doing!

Sorry, Ladies, I don't mean to hurt any of you great cooks' feelings, seeing that you like to try out new recipes on us fellows. But, listen – when it comes to studying, food, right guys? When it comes to studying, searching out all I can find out about what you serve up on my plate, my delight, my love points me toward steak and potatoes, not toward eggplant casserole!

Why do we study God's works? What drives us to do so? Remember what the Teacher told us, we learn best what we love most... “The works of the Lord are great, studied – sought out – by all those who take pleasure in them!”

There's a second response, a fitting and appropriate response we should make, in light of what God is doing, and that is the one mentioned in verse 4. Take a look with me, will you please? The psalmist writes, beginning at verse 2, the works of the LORD are great, they cause your jaw to drop! Next there's verse 3, “the work of the LORD is honorable and glorious, majestic and splendid. Then, last of all, there's verse 4, which says of God's work and works, that what He does, what God is up to is wonderful, made up of one marvel after another. So, how am I to respond to all of those marvels? Verse 4 – I am to remember them.

Now, again, we have to stop and evaluate what is being communicated here: the wonderful works of our great and gracious God, we are challenged to REMEMBER them. How? Why? You know, at first glance, what I perceive the psalmist telling us to do, is to kind of sit back in our rocking chairs with a good cup of coffee, thinking about the 'good ole days' until we fall asleep. 'Nothing like remembering what God has done for me!'

Now, while there's nothing wrong, and actually, a whole lot that is right about good memories guiding your thoughts about God and His work, listen, I think what the psalmist has in mind here is a lot more active and alive than just simply leaning back in the rocking chair and drifting off into the sweet dreams about God's goodness.

Rather, I believe that what he has in mind for us here is what he states in a similar passage over in Psalm 105. It's one of those 'photo album' psalms. One of those passages where God's poet pulls out the pictures and begins to tell the stories of what God has done for His people.

Psalm 105:1-6, “Oh, give thanks to the LORD! Call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples! Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; talk of all His wondrous works! Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD! Seek the LORD and His strength; seek His face evermore! Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth, O seed of Abraham His servant, you children of Jacob, His chosen ones!”

When the poet wrote those words – and the words of our text Psalm 111 – he didn't plan on us rocking away into sleepy-land! No! He intended for us, as we think of what God has done for us, to TELL somebody about it! Yes, pull the children and grand-children, mom and dad, husband or wife, grandpa and grandma around and make God - not Barack Obama, not Charlie Sheen, nor even the price of gas and an earthquake and tidal wave in Japan – gather your friends and loved ones around and make God the talk of the town! Remember, we've got to remember, what God has done for us, and study, diligently seek out, what He is doing in this world and in our lives – why?

One more response, one more way to reply to what God is up to. Verse 10 – the wisest decision you and I could ever make. Do you know what it is?

Response number three, “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, a good understanding (I like the way that is put there, don't you?) have all those who DO His commandments! What is the third, final, and I believe, the most fitting response of all that we can make to what God is doing?

Out of a humble, surrendered heart, we can OBEY, we can DO what He commands! We can, we should, we must, act wisely and reverently in keeping with what He has done and is doing for us!

“Praise ye the Lord. I will praise the Lord, with all of my heart, in the assembly of the upright and in the congregation. The fear of the Lord is the beginning – the chief part - of wisdom, a good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever...”

A Prayer for a More Fruitful Life

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Preached at Northwest Christian Church

David P. Kautt

Sunday Morning, January 30, 2011.

Philippians 1:9-11, “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”

We're nearly one month deep into the new year, and I supposed we could say that the 'newness' has worn off. January is nearly over with, February is in view, and it's time – so we say – to move on to other things. That may be true in a lot of areas of our lives, but I'd like to suggest to you that it isn't true, it must never be true, when it comes to what ought to be the back-bone of our lives, the foundation of who we are as God's people, the Church. What I'm talking about, My Loved Ones, is this prayer from Philippians chapter one.

We've looked at it four times already this month, and this morning I want to look at it one more time before we close out this study. But, not because I didn't have anything else better to preach on. Not because I want us simple to mark some time before we go home for lunch! No! But because this prayer, and other, powerful New Testament prayers like this prayer, are indeed the backbone, as I said, of our lives, the foundation of who we are and ought to be as the people of God, the Church. In other words, my slogan, my by-line, “A Prayer for a More Perfect Church”, “A Prayer for the New Year” is not your preacher just blowing smoke! No! This prayer (and the others that are like it, recorded in this Book) this prayer really is a prayer for everyday of the year! It is a prayer that is so very practical, one that has obvious application for our church AND for our families!

Growing in, increasing in Christ-like love for each other; what could be more practical than that? What could be more powerful, to promote unity and harmony in our homes, in our marriages, in our work together for God's kingdom than for us to abound in Christ-like love?

This prayer is extremely practical in its orientation. It also is a necessary, and I would say, an urgently needy protection in a day and time when so many people, indeed, so many so-called Christians, don't know the difference between truth and error, right and wrong. Paul's prayer for the Philippians, and really, our prayer at this point in time for ourselves, ought to be: “God, would you not only cause Christ-like love to increase in Me; but would you also help me to be able to discern, to prove and approve what is best. Yes, give me eyes to see the excellent things, so that I won't be lured into pursuing what will waste the precious time You give me, and what will tear down what You are trying to build in me!”

This prayer for every day of this new year, it really has a protective focus to it also! That you and I might abound, might increase still more and more in knowledge – deep, spiritual knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ – that we might be more able to discern by way of fuller heavenly insight and understanding – why? So that we might be protected and preserved from the many potholes and pitfalls that are disabling and derailing so many in our day and time! We need to pray this prayer and pursue God's answer to this prayer this year for that very reason...

But, then – allow me also to recommend to you that we need to pray this prayer, and the others that are like it found in places like Ephesians 1, Ephesians 3, Colossians 1, 1 Thessalonians 3, and so on. We need to pray this prayer and beg God to answer this prayer IN us, and THROUGH us because of how it relates to what God wants to PRODUCE in us!

Did you know, my friends, did you know that God is in the 'fruit business'? God is all about fruit! Don't believe me? Go back to Genesis chapter one and you'll see it! God is in the 'fruit business'! But, listen – that's not all, did you know, beloved, you really ought to know, that being FRUITFUL is what the Christian life is all about! Read the text with me again and note carefully the emphasis the Holy Spirit supplies along these lines.

Philippians 1:9-11, “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”

God is in the 'fruit business'. And you, if you are His child, you are the 'trees' – His 'trees'!

Now, how does all of this work out in real life? What does it mean for you and me to be God's 'fruit trees' today – January 30, 2011?

Let's take a look, shall we? Genesis one – I mentioned that foundational text a moment ago, didn't I?

Genesis 1:26-28, “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our ` likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

My Loved Ones, you see it, don't you? Oh, what a powerful message for God's people during this SANCTITY of LIFE month. God is in the fruit business, and His first step in accomplishing His plan has to do with children! Children - brought into this world by His creative power at work in our bodies! And yes, children, brought up in this world, not like wild weeds, but like choice plants in the house of God!

Listen, my friends: God's first step in fulfilling His business strategy is for His people to bring for children and to bring them up in the fear and admonition of the Lord! I like to call it a multi-generational vision, pursuing and promoting godliness in my life, and through my life in my children's lives and through their lives in their children's lives – and on and on it goes! I think God would call it planning and preparing for future harvests, future harvests – plural.

This prayer, inspired by the Holy Spirit, prayed and written down by the Apostle Paul, is all about a fruitful life! In God's economy, what could be more of a fulfillment, more of an answer to that prayer than for all of us to be all about building families, generations of godly families?

Then, secondly, note with me another fruit-passage, this time in the Psalms. Psalm one – While you're finding that passage, allow me to remind you of the illustration I used in last Lord's Day's sermon: remember? I asked the question of you ladies, “Have you ever made a banana nut cake for a bake off contest?”

I know that, in my little story, the key ingredient missing was the Adam's Bran real vanilla extract. By the way, my children pointed out that I also left out the sugar and the oil! Shows what I know about baking! But listen – stay with me for one more minute on this cake baking story. If God were writing down HIS 'recipe' for a cake like this what do you think He would put in bold type? What ingredient or ingredients do you think He would highlight with one of those yellow markers? Now, what 'business' is God in? He's in the 'fruit business', right? So, what do you bet? I bet that with His heavenly highlighter He would underscore the words, “Don't forget the fruit!”

Psalm 1:1-6, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper. The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.”

Paul, what does it mean to be “filled with the fruit of righteousness? How am I to go about living a fruitful life? Step one, depart from ungodly counsel. “Blessed is the man who does not walk...” Step two, delight – I love that word – delight in God's law! Make this Book the focus of your thoughts from morning till evening! Depart from ungodly counsel and ungodly counselors – why? Because you don't want to be like the chaff! Because you don't want your day to end up where the ungodly's way ends up! Depart from ungodly counsel and ungodly counselors, and, delight – take great pleasure in – the Word of the Lord, and the Lord of the Word!

Jeremiah 17 – The fruit-filled life, the Word of the Lord through Jeremiah is a powerful addition to our understanding of what it means to be “filled with the fruits of righteousness.”

Jeremiah 17:5-8, “Thus says the LORD: “ Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the LORD. For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see when good comes, but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land which is not inhabited. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.”

How many of you want to be, want your families to be, want this church to be, nothing more than scrawny, little shrubs, struggling to survive in a barren wilderness? Trust in man! Depart from God and lean on man's strength! That's 'shrub business'! But, listen – how many of you want to be a part of God's 'business'? Have I told you recently? God's in the fruit-business! Trust in Him! He'll make you a tree! Put your hope in His strength! He'll cause your branches to be loaded with the fruit of righteousness!

John chapter 15 – What a marvelous ending to this look into God's business, the fruit tree business. Let's read some of this important chapter, shall we?

John 15:1-8, ““I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will[b] ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”

To be filled with the fruit of righteousness, fruit that Paul says comes by, through the agency of Jesus Christ – guess what? I must, I must be connected to Him – to Jesus! Why? Because He's the Vine, the Tree Trunk, the Root! He is my life source! And this 'branch' is foolish to think that I can bear fruit without Him! To be fruitful, I need Him! I need Jesus! To be fruitful, I need Jesus' word, His 'good seed'! I need it to be where seeds are always found in fruit, at the very core! And, yes, I need Jesus' Father – I need the Vinedresser, the True Pruner, to cleanse me, to cut away the 'sucker branches' from my life that keep me from being as productive, as fruitful as He wants me to be!

A prayer, your prayer and my prayer, for a more perfect church; a prayer, our daily prayer, for a more fruit-filled life! Do you see where a prayer like this one ends up? What is the outcome, when God answers a prayer like this prayer in you and through you – what is the outcome of such a prayer?

Jesus put it this way: John 15:8, “By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples...” God is glorified! The Vinedresser, the 'Orchard Owner', receives the accolades!

A prayer for a more fruitful life, and a more perfect church, my Dear Ones, I don't want to be simply and only someone who prays this prayer, I also want to be someone who earnestly seeks to be one of God's ANSWERS to this prayer. How about you? I yearn for these descriptions to be more and more true of me. I yearn for these descriptions to be more and more true of others, whom God influences through me! And, one more things to keep in mind.

Listen – This is a prayer, a petition offered up to God, a request laid at His feet for Him to accomplish, why? Because apart from Him, it will never, ever happen! The fruit of righteousness comes BY and THROUGH Jesus Christ! Yes, this is a prayer! And the answers to this prayer that I trust are forthcoming are not reasons for me, for us, to boast in ourselves, but always and only reasons for us to boast in Him – in God!

Let's pray. “Father if any pruning needs to be done, then we accept that. Help us to be focused on having Your Word in us, so that the leaf, the blossom, and fruit may be produced. I pray that You will be gratified to see how Your Spirit has worked in our lives, as the fruit is produced to the glory and praise of God.”

Passing Heaven's Taste Test

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Preached at Northwest Christian Church

David P. Kautt

Sunday Morning, January 23, 2011

Philippians 1:9-11, “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

A prayer for a more perfect church… Have you been praying this prayer recently? Philippians one, verses nine through eleven, a prayer – our prayer – for ourselves, for our families, for this church; a prayer for every day of the year.

So far, in our look at this marvelous prayer the apostle Paul offered up to God in behalf of the church at Philippi, this prayer God’s Spirit led him to record for us, we have examined the CONTENT of this prayer. Paul asks God to cause Christ-like love to abound, to increase in the lives of God’s people, he prays that Christ-like love, the Christian’s ‘crown jewel’, might be evident in every area of our lives personally and congregationally. And, he prays this way, he beseeches God for this abounding Christ-like love because he knows how Christ-like love, when its influence is as strong as it should be, it will result in sweeter fellowship, richer prayer, more practical need meeting ministry, and wider, more caring outreach.

A prayer for a more perfect church, a church marked by Christ-like love, abounding in its midst - is that the kind of congregation you desire to be a part of? Here’s a model to use in asking God for that very thing!

Then, we looked at what Paul said here about Christ-like love abounding in knowledge and depth of insight, Paul’s prayer, he wasn’t simply asking God that the Christians at Philippi would be well-educated… no! Education is fine, sure. But education, if knowing Christ, knowing Him and being more completely conformed into His image, if knowing Christ, grasping His wisdom, attaining to His understanding and insight is not the goal, is not at the heart and center of the curriculum, then, ultimately, such education is worthless!

Paul’s prayer, our prayer for a more perfect church, is not a prayer for a better educated church, loaded with Ph.D.’s and M.D’s and so on. Rather, his prayer, our prayer, is to be that expression of simple, child-like faith, “Jesus, I want to know YOU! I want to be, to become, what You want me to be…”

“And this is my prayer, that your love may abound still more and more, in knowledge and depth of insight.” That’s the CONTENT of Paul’s prayer, WHAT he prayed for the Philippians, and for us.

But then – what’s next? Next Paul shows us why he prayed this way - we looked at this part of Paul’s prayer last week, didn’t we? He asked God to move upon the hearts and minds of the Philippians to move upon our hearts and minds – why? Not only so that our THINKING might be aligned with the mind of Jesus, but also so that our DECISION-making might be so aligned! “And this is my prayer, that your love may abound still more and more, in knowledge and depth of insight…” Why? “So that you may be able to discern what is the best…” “So that you may APPROVE, that you may prove, put to the test and prove in your day-to-day lives, those things that are excellent, those things that really matter as far as Jesus Christ is concerned.

This part of this amazing prayer, what is it concerned with? What is it that Paul is trying to say to us here? He’s urging us, he’s nudging us in the direction of priorities, He’s challenging us to align what we consider most important with what God considers most important! “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness…” That’s a statement of priority, isn’t it? And that’s the kind of thing Paul had in mind in this part of his prayer.

But, now look at the next section of this prayer. Paul has told the Philippians, “I am always praying for you, joyfully petition God for you…” (verse 4) And, in verse 9, he tells them what? He asked God for in their behalf: “that [their] love might abound still more and more in knowledge and in all judgment, in all spiritual discernment and understanding…” But, then in verse 10, he moves the focus of his prayer from CONTENT to OUT-come. “I am praying for you, my Dearly Loved brothers and sisters in Christ at Philippi, praying that you might grow in Christ-like love and increase in your knowledge of Jesus Christ.” Why? Here’s the hoped-for, the prayed-for, outcome: “that you may be sincere and without offense – that you may be blameless and pure – until the day of Christ and filled [overflowing] with the fruits of righteousness that come by Jesus Christ.”

How many of you ladies have ever baked a pie, a cake, a batch of cookies, or maybe even a casserole, a main-course meat dish or some unique salad or side entrée, and submitted it to a ‘bake-off’ contest or a ‘tasting bee’?

In my experience with 20 years of delicious fellowship meals here at Northwest, a lot of you ladies could very easily enter and win such a contest.

Ladies, let’s say you decided to enter such a contest. And so you work hard perfecting your recipe, and the precise details regarding oven temperature, time in the oven, cooling time and so on. And, then, the bake off day arrived. Time to make good on all the practice efforts. So you send your husband to the store, with explicit instructions to purchase the exact ingredients you need – nothing more, noting less. So, your husband heads off to Kroger®, and he gets a bunch of Dole®-brand bananas – you see, you’re going to make a banana-nut cake. And, he grabs a package of Diamond®-brand walnuts, and a bottle of McCormick®-brand cinnamon, and a dozen of Pilgrim’s Pride® large-sized eggs, and a gallon of Borden’s® brand whole milk, and a 5-pound sack of gold medal, unbleached, pastry flour. Check – check – check, he gathers every last ingredient that you asked for – except… Except for the one ingredient that is most essential: the Adam’s® brand vanilla flavoring. Kroger® was out of it. So, he takes out his trusty cell phone and calls you with the good news, “I’ve got everything on your list – I’ll be home soon.” “Did you get the Adam’s® vanilla?” you inquire! “No, honey – they’re fresh out of it at Kroger®.” “Well, would you mind checking at Brookshire’s® for me, please?” “I will.” And, off he goes to scour the shelves at Brookshire’s®. “No Adam’s® brand vanilla. Do you want me to try Walmart®, maybe Albertsons® or Sam’s Club®…” “Yes, honey – please. I’ve got to have Adam’s® brand vanilla, or my cake won’t taste right.” Your husband, who loves an adventure, checks all the other stores and ends up - I know the suspense is killing you – he ends up empty-handed. There’s not a drop of Adam’s® brand vanilla to be found in all of McKinney. “Hmmm! Well, thank you, honey, for all your extra efforts. I guess I’ll just have to settle for a teaspoonful of the store brand instead, and hope it all works out…

Two hours later, after the cake is cooled and ready to be frosted, you slice off a portion for your husband to sample – “Mmmm, mmmm! Just as delicious as always.” he remarks. “Oh, honey, you’re my biggest fan. But, what will the judges think? Maybe they won’t taste the difference, because I’m sorry to say, I do!”

Have you ever wondered what it will be like to have your life ‘tasted’ by the ‘Master Chief’, the King and final Judge of heaven? When Paul prays this prayer, he asks God to so work in the lives of God’s people, to so order and combine the ‘ingredients’ of Christ-like love and depth of spiritual insight and Kingdom of God-oriented priorities in and into our lives, that the outcome, the finished product when we’re DONE with our time in this ‘oven’ (earth), is not a “I’m not sure whether the presence of second-rate ingredients in my life will be acceptable.” But rather, a confident, “God, my Maker, You have made me, worked mightily in my life and combined in me all the right ingredients so that – now – here I stand before You, blameless and pure, sincere and without offense…”

My friends, my Dear Loved Ones in Christ, do you understand, do we grasp the seriousness of what it will be like to take part in HEAVEN’S tasting bee? We may be able to pull one over on human judges, but not on the Judge of heaven! When He tastes our lives, what will He say? And how will that affect our eternal destiny? “That you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ.” This part of Paul’s prayer ought to stop us short, because it points us in the direction of a Day yet to come, the Day of Judgment!

But, you know there’s a second aspect, a second level of application to our lives that flows from this part of the prayer. And that is this: what effect on others, spouses and children and parents and siblings and the person across the aisle from you at work or down the row from you in this sanctuary, what effect do second-rate ingredients mixed into our lives have on others’ lives?

In chapter two of this incredible letter, Paul moves from praying for the Philippians, to exhorting the Philippians along these very lines. Philippians 2:14-16, look what he says:

Philippians 2:14-16, ”Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.”

The blameless life, the life of Christ-like purity, it’s not just for God’s eyes to observe, it is meant for everyone else’s eyes, too! The Christ-like life, lived without admixture, not only does it hold forth promises in the life to come, remember Jesus’ beatitude: “blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God…”? Not only does a life of sincerity, a life of good and godly ‘ingredients’ mixed in us through and through hold forth promise in heaven - listen – it also has power, great power to INFLUENCE others for God’s Kingdom – now!

Let me ask you a question, if I may: “How many of you have ever been God’s servant to baptize someone into Christ?” Now, let me ask this: “How many of you have ever conducted a funeral of someone who apparently drank himself to death, who stepped into the baptistery with you fifteen years earlier?” I have – yesterday.

How did that happen? What went wrong in the life of my young friend, D. L.? Don’t get me wrong – I’m not God, nor do I have all the answers and insight that He has – but listen, I wonder that if a part of why D. died in the horrible way in which he died, is because somehow, somewhere, he saw ‘cakes’ that had inferior ingredients and he couldn’t reconcile the truth of what he read in Scripture, with the hypocrisy that he saw elsewhere!

Does that statement hit you between the eyes? It hit me between the eyes yesterday, as I stood next to D.’s casket.

Paul’s prayer here and this emphasis on the blameless life, the pure, faultless, sincere, no-admixture, life, in view of the Heavenly tasting bee, and in view of the earthly impact of such a life, reminds me of these familiar words from a cherished hymn – and with these I will close:

“When He shall come with trumpet sound,

oh, may I then in Him be found

dressed in His righteousness alone,

faultless to stand before His throne

On Christ the solid rock I stand

All other ground is sinking sand,

All other ground is sinking sand.”

Understanding and Finding True Freedom - Independence Day 2010

Preached at Northwest Christian Church

David P. Kautt

Sunday Morning, July 4, 2010.

John 8:31-36: “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?” Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”

Galatians 2:20 - “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

Today our nation marks the 234^th anniversary of it’s independence – a freedom bought and paid for by the blood of patriots whose mindset and motto was, “Give me liberty or give me death…” For those of us who truly understand the history and context behind that great struggle for independence – and the sacrifices made to achieve it, and the blessings that have come with it – there is a great measure of appreciation for those men and women and for what God enabled them to accomplish. In other words, for those of us who view this day for what it really means – this is not just another day for the banks and Post Offices to be closed, not just a day to cook some brisket and drink a six-pack, not just a day to shoot fireworks and fly a flag – but a day to celebrate the freedoms we enjoy in this country: freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly. It’s also truly a day to remember and thank God for those He used to bring al of it to pass.

My friends, though we could talk for a while yet on that aspect of freedom, what I really want to do is open up the Word of God and examine what is says about this subject. True freedom, what is it? What is it not? And, how do we obtain and experience it? As I see it, deep within the heart of every person is a longing, an intense desire to be free. However, that desire, that longing - warped and mis-shapened as it is because of our sinfulness – often propels us in the direction of lives lived without controls, behaviors expressed without restraints, as if the uncontrolled, lawless life was the truly free life.

But, the fact of the matter is – it isn’t! True freedom is not living without rules and without consequences for one’s actions. No, that’s chaos, that’s rebellion, and that’s destruction. Just listen to these words of wisdom from the Book of Proverbs that speak to this subject: what does it mean – what can be expected – when one lives his life with a “no-rules, no restraints” way of thinking? Proverbs 25:28 – “Whoever has no rule over his own spirit, is like a city that is broken down and without walls…” The destruction, the wide-open vulnerability to be destroyed of a live lived without restraint is obvious to us – or, is it? Proverbs 16:32, “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit, than he who takes a city.” Great warriors who take cities are great. But, the Word of God says that the self-controlled person is even greater!

What does it mean to be truly free? Does it mean what a friend of mine told me her neighbor thinks it means? This friend of mine – her neighbor, expressed his ‘freedom’ by urinating on the public sidewalk in her apartment complex. And, he did so, in the sight of my friend’s 8-year-old son. Is that what it means to be free? Another young man I was talking to recently told me that he’d had enough of his big brother’s ranting and raving and trying to control his life – so he punched his lights out! Is that the way to be truly free?

What does it mean to be truly free? You know, we Christians have a statement that we rehearse and recite often, don’t we? It goes like this: “Jesus Christ is Lord.” “Jesus Christ is Lord.” And, believe me, it’s an important statement! The apostle Paul indicated that the verbal expression of that statement, combined with a heart felt belief in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ leads to salvation. (Romans 10:9-10) But listen, that statement “Jesus Christ is Lord,” is it only a Christian confession of faith? Is it only a theological doctrine of religious creed? Or, is it something more? If our answer to these questions is, “No! This Christian confession is not something more, it is only a theological doctrine,” then I believe the door is thrown open for the rebellious, un-restrained, no rules life and life-style. But, if the words, the declaration, “Jesus Christ is Lord” is more than mere doctrine or creed, then I believe we have a sign-post before us, pointing the way to the freedom for which we all yearn.

What does it mean to be truly free? Take a look at our main text, John 8:31-36, and watch how Jesus answers that for us.

First of all, He underscores for us a truth - a reality, a hard, cold fact-of-life - that until we acknowledge it, and alter our lives in accordance with it, we will never know true freedom. What is that fact? Verse 34 – sin enslaves! No, I didn't say what the devil has been saying since the Garden of Eden, but I point you to what Jesus said. What He said was that the sinner, is a slave! You and I may think that we've found “freedom” in that thrill, that 'no-no' we're getting away with, that activity or addiction that allows us to get away from it all. But listen again to the words of the One who knows you better than you know yourself, “Whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.” (John 8:34) Whoever violates the laws of God, whoever lives his life as if he has no need of anyone, especially God – such a person is not free, but in fact, miserably enslaved!

What does it mean to be truly free? And, how am I too obtain that freedom? Well, the first thing to realize and recognize is that a life without rules and restraints, a life of sinful rebellion against your Maker, is not freedom, but slavery!

Secondly, Jesus informs us that true freedom is to be found in His Word, in the truth that sets a person free! (John 8:31-32) Now, before we quickly move on to the next portion of our study here, allow me to take a moment or two with you to unpack what Jesus means. When Jesus says, “If you abide in My Word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free...” What is He trying to show us, to explain to us? Look at His words closely. As I understand it, Jesus is not saying that true freedom is found and is all about hearing His word or reading His word, or even studying His word, as we are doing now! Don't get me wrong, we need to do all of those things, we do! But none of those things, individually, nor all of those things collectively, is the goal, the outcome God has is mind for us, the doorway to true freedom. No, look. The goal, the outcome, the doorway is all about ABIDING in Jesus' word! ABIDING in the truth He has spoken.

Now, here's the $64,000 question. What does it mean to “abide in Jesus' Word”? To “abide” literally means to dwell, to remain, to stay. And, the word “in”, we all know what that little word means, don' we? It's a direction word, a location word. But, what does Jesus mean by the phrase, “abide in His word”? To put is simply: not only for Jesus, but even for us, a person's word is a verbal expression of his will. It's a declaration of what he or she wants. So, when Jesus says, “If you abide in my word, you are My disciples indeed...” What Jesus is really trying to tell us is that the liberating knowledge of the truth is all about staying – staying where? Staying, abiding in His will, as expressed by what He has said.

In other words, the truth designed to set you and me free, Jesus' words, doesn't set us free by simply reading it or hearing it (as you are this morning) or even studying it or preaching it. But it sets you and me free by conforming oneself to it! In other words, freedom is not to be found and experienced exerting my will or your will, but in surrendering to Jesus' will! In a location more liberating and more satisfying than any other, a placed described and summed up in the words of a man by the name of Saul of Tarsus - the fellow who later came to be known by the name Paul the apostle, (Acts 9:6) this blasphemer, this persecutor of the Church, this violent, angry man, on a road toward a place called Damascus, stepped into a place called the “tree freedom”, when Jesus confronted him with His word: What does it mean to be truly free? It has everything to do with abiding, remaining, staying IN Jesus' word! It has everything to do with living out the words Saul spoke with trembling lips and quivering knees: “Lord, what is it that You want me to do?”

What does it mean to be truly free? And, how are you and I to obtain that freedom? One more time, back to our text, beginning at verse 33, can't you just hear the arrogance of the Jews of Jesus' day? “We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone!” Can't you just hear the arrogance of the people of our day? “I'm an American! I've never been in bondage! I drive a nice car, live in a quiet neighborhood, work hard at my job, have white as my skin color – I've never been anyone's slave!” So, Jesus, how can you say that we will be made free?

Well, remember the point at which Jesus began this discussion: He made clear to all, I mean all, that all who sin are slaves! Does that include you? Does that including me? Yes! And, notice – in verse 35 – that He says that a slave, he does not, indeed, he cannot call the “house” his “home”, his permanent dwelling. Why? Because the “house” is meant only for the master's sons, for the king's children. But, what happens when a son, we'll say, THE Son – Jesus Christ – sets s slave free? What results? A temporary work release, kind of like they do with some of the prisoners over here at the county jail? A partial entry into the joys and privileges of the “house”? No! Look again at verse 36 and at the one whose words these are - “A slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed!”

True freedom, what does it mean? It means it's moving day! There are a lot of folks on the road in their rented U-Haul trucks this weekend, aren't there? It's moving day, for every slave to sin set free from that bondage, that's right, that's what it is. Sin is bondage, but for every slave to sin who is set free by the Capital 'S' Son, it's moving day! Time to send out the change of address cards, because the servant's quarters is no longer his abode! No! From this day forward this used-to-be-slave is a son. And, from this day forward this son lives in the house with his Master, his King, his Father! And, how is that possible! The Capital 'S' Son makes it possible! “I have been crucified with Christ,” the apostle Paul writes in Galatians 2:20, “nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ lives in me. And the life that I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

“Jesus Christ is my Lord”. Oh, listen my friends, that statement is more, way more than just a doctrinal declaration. It is what freedom, true freedom is all about! “Jesus Christ is my Lord, there for I will abide, I will locate myself, I will stay in His word, I will rest and reside within the bounds and blessings of His will! Then, and only then, will I be truly free!

God's Way is the Best Way

North Clear Creak Falls, San Juan Southern Rocky Mtns. - Copyright Jon Barger - Litho in USA

Preached at Northwest Christian Church
David P. Kautt
Sunday morning, February 7, 2010

Psalm 1:1-6: “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his
delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. He
shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit
in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall
prosper. The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives
away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the
congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but
the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Psalm 18:28-33: “For You will light my lamp; the LORD my God will enlighten my
darkness. For by You I can run against a troop, by my God I can leap over a
wall. As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is proven; He is a
shield to all who trust in Him. For who is God, except the LORD?and who is a
rock, except our God? It is God who arms me with strength, and makes my way
perfect.He makes my feet like the feet of deer, and sets me on my high places.

Isaiah 55:1-3, 6-9: “ “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who
have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for
what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let
your soul delight itself in abundance. Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear,
and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you— the
sure mercies of David. Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while
He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his
thoughts; let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him; and to our
God, for He will abundantly pardon. “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor
are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the
earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your
thoughts.” ”

John 14:6: “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one
comes to the Father except through Me.

I’ve got a two question survey I’d like to conduct this morning – and guess what? Your number is the one I’ve dialed and I’ve got you on the line… So, will you participate with me in this?
Question number one is designed for you to show your response to what I ask, by raising your hand. But, question number two – let’s just say that I invite you to take it up with the Lord, just between Him and you – without any visible response on your part at this time…

Here’s the first question: “How many of you believe that God’s way – His plan – is the BEST way to go?” Raise your hand, please, if you agree with that statement.

Okay, now to question number two – and, again – I urge you to take this one up with the Lord, just the two of you. Here’s the question: “If people watching your life were to try to discern whether or not you really believe that God’s way is best, what would they say – what conclusion would they draw, based upon the way you live your life?”

“God’s way is the very best way” – our survey says that an overwhelming majority of this crowd, at least, really believe that to be the case. But, the question – the one that makes us squirm in our seats, the one that pricks our consciences, or maybe even causes our blood pressure to go up – is not: “Is God’s way the BEST way?” But, rather, “Does my life line up with my acknowledgement and confession that God’s way is best?”

How many of you have been to the Post Office recently in order to mail a package? You can raise your hands on that one, if you like?… Several of you have – Now, here’s the question for you to think about: “When you walk up to the Postal Clerk at the desk - your prized package in hand – what do you ask him or her?” Remember, this is an important piece of mail, right? And, likely it about to be sent to a very important person, right? So, what do you ask the P.O. clerk? “Sir, what’s the cheapest way to send this?” or “Ma’am, what’s the quickest way to mail this?” Or, do you and I ask – as we really should ask – “Sir/Ma’am, what’s the BEST way to send this package?” Interesting, isn’t it, how often speed – or even more, our pocket books – override the wisdom there is in asking and abiding by the BEST way for our packages to be delivered.
You know something? I’m afraid that that very same way of thinking is what often guides us in ALL of our lives? You know, the mindset that says, “How can I get this done with the least amount of effort on my part?” Or, the thought process that leads us down a road marked ‘self-reliance’ and ‘self-sufficiency’, and off the high road, the straight way marked “trusting in the Lord.” Is God’s way the BEST way?

We agree with that statement, don’t we? We’d answer ‘yes’ to that question, wouldn’t we? But, do our lives prove it? Do they?

Take Psalm one for instance – we read it a moment ago. It’s one of my favorite Psalms in the Bible. And it serves along with Psalm two as kind of an introduction and summation of the message of the entire book of Psalms. Psalm 1 is the story of two ways – there’s our key word, my friends – it’s the story of two ways for a man, the account of two men. One I call ‘Blessed Bill’ and the other I call ‘Woeful Will’. Two men who took those two different ways – those two divergent life paths. Look again at what the Bible says through that Psalm about ‘Blessed Bill’. Why is he someone folks like us would call ‘Blessed’? Is it because he SAYS – is it because he intellectually acknowledges - that God’s way is best? Is that the reason he is ‘Blessed Bill’? No! Look closely at what God’s word says here – Blessed Bill is blessed why? Because he ACTS upon his belief, instead of letting ungodly men and women – TV talk show hosts, new age gurus, grocery store scandal sheets – be his guide; instead of reading his horoscope for advice, where does he go to find the way?

“Blessed is the man who does NOT walk in the counsel [the advice, the guidance] of the ungodly!” Or, how about his friendships, his intimate, heart-to-heart connections with other people? What about him? Are Blessed Bill’s heart strings woven together with people who say ‘no’ to our survey question? Has he taken his stand with them? Think about it with me, will you? How many times have good moral been corrupted and contaminated by evil companionships? No! Blessed Bill, he refused to stand in the path that sinners are using and cruising!

Furthermore, like God, Blessed Bill laughs, and then, cries – he weeps – because ungodly counselors and sin-path walkers, if they continue in that direction – what do they become? They soon become mockers, scoffers, arrogant scorners who foolishly claim, “There is no God!”… There is no BEST way other than their own way!

Yes, Blessed Bill is blessed why? Because his belief is consistently translated into ACTION – “His delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night!”

I don’t know if you have thought about it or not before – but consider it with me now, if you would, please. Your thoughts, my plans, our ways – what makes us think that THEY are the best? That they’re BETTER than what God, our Maker, our Sustainer, the One in Whom we live and move and breathe – what makes us think that our ways are as good as or better than His?
Psalm 18. By the way, these very same words are also found in 2 Samuel 22. Psalm 18 – Did you notice what David the psalmist wrote there? Psalm 18, verses 28 and following: “For You, O Lord, will light my lamp; the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness” – my darkness, did you catch that? “The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.” And, why is that? Verse 30, because His way – not mine – is perfect! And His word is proven and flawless!…

Beloved, thinking that my way is better…, thinking that your plan is superior… How foolish and puffed up could we be? It makes me think about the jet airplane story I heard some time ago… The recorded message comes over the airplane’s intercom. “This is your pilot speaking; please fasten your seat belts and sit back and relax. You’re in for a smooth, comfortable ride. And, remember, on this airline, nothing can go wrong… go wrong… go wrong… go wrong!” How dare we claim that our way is at least as good as God’s! His way is PERFECT! Who can get any better than that? Who can top that? And, then, look at the second half of that verse – all you scientists out there. It says that “God’s word is proven”. What does that word mean? It means that God’s word has been put to the test, and shown to be reliable! Not like our ‘theories’ – you know, still in the experimental stages! No! God’s way IS best! It is! Remember Jesus’ parable with which He closed out His marvelous sermon on the mount? Matthew 7, verses 21 and following – “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who DOES the will of My Father in heaven… And whoever hears these sayings of mine, and DOES them, is like a wise man, who built his house upon a rock…”

God’s word – His way – is best! Why? Because it’s solid, it’s proven, it’s reliable – like a rock! But our ways… what are they? Second part of that parable of Jesus. They are like sand – sinking, shifting sand – and what happens when you build on sand? SPLAT! Down comes the house – down goes your life in a big heap of rubble.

Yes, God’s way is best – because it is perfect, and it is proven. But, think again about Psalm 18:30. What does David the psalmist mean when he informs us that God’s word and way is “flawless”? Here’s what I think this passage is trying to teach us – that God’s way is best, because God’s way, His word is pure! It’s pure! My friends, let’s get a little up close and personal. Is that an adjective we can honestly attach to our lives, to our words and ways? God’s way – His word – is pure, it is! His way and word are free – completely free – of dross, of admixture. But us, oh, how dross-filled we are! How full of impurities are OUR ways!
Isaiah the prophet, speaking in the Lord’s behalf, said it this way – Isaiah 55:8-9. “For My thoughts are NOT your thoughts, nor are your ways, My ways,” says the Lord, “for as high as the heavens are above the earth [and believe, that’s high!], so my thoughts.” God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts, and His ways are far, far above our ways!

“God’s way is the best way...” Do you agree with that statement? More significantly, does your life prove it?

God’s word has been pointing us in the direction of something that – up till now – we really haven’t touched on, something that turns this lesson toward the crux of the matter. Are you ready to hear and heed this part of God’s message to us?

God’s way in the best way – let’s come at this one more time, shall we? What’s really at stake when we move that statement from a simple survey question, to a heart-to-heart wrestling match with God?

Go back to Psalm 18 one more time with me, and this time please find verse 31. God’s way is best! What really is the crux of the matter? Simply this – this extremely important question – asked by the words of this psalm: verse 31 “Who is God?”

Standing on Mount Carmel one day, the Lord’s man – Elijah the prophet – asked that very same question of the 400 false prophets of Baal, and the Israelite people. Remember? He said, “Who is God? If Baal is God, then choose him! But, if Jehovah is God, then follow Him! This bold statement really begs this question – this crux of the matter question – who is God? You see, if my mindset is that MY ways are every bit as good as the Lord’s, then who really is god, in my life? If your thoughts are along the lines of, “I’ve got this one all figured out; I don’t need the Bible to guide me..” Ophrah says this… Dr. Phil says that… But don’t bother me with what the Holy Spirit says… Then, really, now – who IS god? You, me, or Him? “As for God, His way is perfect! As for God’s word, His word is proven and flawlessly pure. He is a shield to all who trust in Him!” In whom? “In Him!” For who is God? Baal? You? Me? No! Baal is not God! Nor are you or I! No one is God except the Lord! No one is a rock, except our God! Jesus said it this way, didn’t He? He said, “I am the way, the truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me!”

His way, His new and living way – opened up through the veil that is, His flesh – is better, the BEST! Why? Because of WHO He is! He is God incarnate! His way is best! And, all other ways – where do they lead, where do they end up? At a sign marked with the words: D-E-A-D E-N-D! Dead end! All other ways – as good as they may appear, are dead ends!

So, what difference does it make – why should I align my life with my ‘yes’ answer to our first survey question? Psalm 18:32-33 – God’s way is best, it is perfect, it is proven, it is flawlessly pure. Here’s what difference it makes when you and I live like we believe that! He will make our way perfect [Psalm 18:32], and verse 33, He will make our feet sure and swift – like a deer. He – our God, our Lord whose way is the Best – will set our lives on high places!

Is God’s way the best way? If people watching your life were trying to discern whether or not you really believe that – what conclusion would they draw?

Let me close with this final statement. Joy is NOT found in having our way. Sorry all you Burger King fans. Rather, joy is found in choosing to be satisfied with – in deciding to align our lives - with God’s way!

And, with one final passage of Scripture we will close…

Isaiah 55:1-3, 6-7: “ “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the
waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and
milk without money and without price. Why do you spend money for what is not
bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat
what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance. Incline your ear,
and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting
covenant with you— the sure mercies of David. Seek the LORD while He may be
found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the
unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy
on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” ”