"Call HIM up!"
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Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
I have no good apart from you.”
As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble,
in whom is all my delight.
Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows;
their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
or take their names upon my lips.
The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
I have a goodly heritage.
I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.
I keep the Lord always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices;
my body also rests secure.
For you do not give me up to Sheol,
or let your faithful one see the Pit.
Intro:
Freedom.....
......the idea of making a petition to God
May seem like too elementary of a move....
May even seem like this would be beneath your pride or ego.....
Some may feel that taking this approach is generational and out dated.....
(slight pause)
But I want to challenge us this morning.......
......to take a major step towards God in a way that you have never taken before by calling on God anyway.
and.....
.....at the foundation of our voice when we call God up is our vulnerability
(Watch this clip on the screen......
......on “Being Vulnerable!”)
(pause and expound) - “Now that’s a Word!”
I watched a TikTok video share something that I thought was powerful....
it said..........
We relax in a plane.............but don't know the pilot......
We relax in the bus but don't know the driver.....
We relax on the ship but don't know the captain.....
In this Psalm today......
......David is being portrayed petitioning God to keep him safe.
and...
.....in petitioning God the pslamist celebrates the salvation of the Righteous.
I hear David saying,
“I can relax when my life is in Gods hands!!”
(pause)
He celebrates......
Trusting in God
Leaning into God’s guidance
A Destiny that is couched on the framework of a God created Design
(pause)
David unfolds his vulnerability in verse 1 by saying....
Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
David says....
Protect me........or Preserve me
meaning.....
“I need you to excercise great care over me”
(pause)
David is communicating a need that everyone in here has experienced in our lifetime at some point....
(slight pause)
Because.....
.......noone in here is capable of living an entire lifetime
......without needing someone to take care of you!
(pause and optional expound)
And David says....
I’m not comfortable with just asking anyone to do this.....
.....but
......I am self assured in “Calling on God!”
(pause)
And....
....the name of God that David invokes is
EL-Lohim = which breaks down to mean in essence.....
......David is calling on what humanity is not
(pause)
David wants to call on God in a way that......
Emphasizes God’s inhabitance of the heavenly sphere
Focus on God’s transcendence over human qualities
Visualizes power at the experience that is beyond the physical level.....
.........and yet exists with actuality to impact with authenticity.
(pause)
Freedom......
David is calling into NOTHING......
......and expecting to hear EVERYTHING!
(pause)
Calling.....
......INTO the DARKNESS
........anticipating Luminosity and Brightness!!
(pause)
And in my spiritual imagination......
....I asked David a question
I said to him....
“David, why should God protect you?”
(slight pause)
In which he responded......
“Because......it is in God who I take Refuge!”
(pause)
He said...
“Baker.....
I don’t run to just anybody.......”
(pause)
But when I call for help.......
“I look for the arms of God!”
(slight pause)
and then.....
“I enter into dialogue with my divine support system”
(pause)
“Baker.....
I am under the volitional belief.....
.....that I am willing to be vulnerable enough to
....publicize that my fate is in God’s hands!
(longer pause and expound)
Look at it.....the psalmist says
I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
I have no good apart from you.”
David says......
When I call to God, I let God know where my loyalty is!
(slight pause)
Later on in Psalms20.7 the writer says.....
Psalm 20:7 (KJV)
Some trust in chariots, and some in horses,
but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.
Freedom.......
Our Dangers.......
.......need to hear us say this!
(pause)
The stuff that we call Dangerous......
......the things that create an atmosphere for our vulnerability in the first place.
(pause)
That’s the stuff..........
.....that needs to hear us loud and clear when we declare like David in verse 2 when it says......
“When it gets Dangerous......
.......i get more LOYAL to God!”
(pause)
I will never understand how folk decrease their devotion to God...
.....in difficult times
(pause)
Because when life gets dangerous.......
.......I need to get somewhere that aint NEVER LET ME DOWN!
(pause and expound)
David says......
“God, I have no good besides You!”
meaning.....
I have no goodness in me beyond who you are in my life.
(pause)
In other words.....
.....God I’m depending on you!
(pause and optional expound)
Freedom.....
.....in verse 3 David speaks about how captivated he is with the Faith - Filled people of God.
As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble,
in whom is all my delight.
And in my spiritual imagination.....
I hear the Psalmist saying,
When I see the people......
.....I see God’s loving and forgiving nature
......that motivates them to be filled with FAITH!
I hear the Psalmist saying,
....I see how their righteousness is in God
.....as God redeems and saves
(pause)
And then in verse 4 he flips it when the text says.........
Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows;
their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
or take their names upon my lips.
David says.....
.....Anyone who has chosen another god
......the NASB version says,
“Bartered” for another god
which means.....
....exchanged goods or services for
......the KJV version says,
“hastened” for another god
which means....
.....hurried after something
(pause)
The Psalmist says,
.....when we do this
.......we multiply or we increase
.....the painful spots in our lives!
(pause and expound)
The Psalmist goes on to say.....
“You will never catch me.......
......offering sacrifices to other gods!”
and.....
“You won’t notice me speaking the name of other gods in my worship!”
(pause)
and in my spiritual imagination I see him saying......
“......Life is already dangerous enough
.......I don’t need to add nothing on top of it by sacrificing and worshipping stuff
.......that makes my life worst!”
(pause)
Now watch verse 5....
The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.
David is emphasizing the fact that.....
.......God is the one who is responsible for all of his provisions
....and everything beneficial entering into his life
(slight pause)
and......
....that last word in this verse “lot”
means....
allotment or Destiny....
which metamorphically represents relationship between God and God’s people
(pause)
The Psalmist says....
God you are the one holding on to me with a grip that wont let go of my destiny and our relationship!
........you’re the one keeping everything in place!
(pause and expound)
I wonder if there’s anybody in here that realize.........
..........if ti wasn’t for God’s hands holding our relationship
......we wouldn’t be able to hold it together!
(pause)
Look at it......
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
I have a goodly heritage.
Freedom....
.....that phrase “boundary line” translates to mean,
“A Measuring Line”
And so what the Psalmist is saying is......
David has a measured out.......
alottment
portion
part
region.......
(slight pause)
And in 1 Samuel 16.18........
.....It talks about the favor of God that is measured out on David’s life, and the gifts God has placed in his life
......and how “The Lord is with him!”
(pause)
And so what the Psalmist is saying is that.......
.....this measuring line for David has fallen in “Pleasant places”
........referring to good soil
.....or a rich, abundant, and full life.
(pause)
And not only that but the Psalmist says......
“David has a goodly heritage”
and Freedom....
......this is where we began seeing a Christological approach in the writer of the text
......where we are now watching what is to come out of David’s bloodline
.......in that of the Messiah, the risen Christ!
(pause)
Watch verse 7 Freedom.......
I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.
David says.....
“I bless the Lord”
In other words.....
.....let me describe the beneficial power of God
....that God lovingly presents into the life
......of the ones who are found praising God
.....for who God is as the blesser
(pause)
And in my spiritual imagination David says.....
“Let me share my personal experience with you.....
......as to my reason for praising God!”
(pause)
The reason I praise God.....
.....is because
....God counsels me!
(pause)
When......
.......I don’t know what to do
.....I am confused with life and how to move forward
(slight pause)
.......God is the one that gives me advice!
(pause)
Then he says.....
“At night also.......
.....my heart instructs me!”
(pause)
And Freedom.....
....this is where I see David’s praise
....spiraling upward into a continual pattern of consistency.
(slight pause)
I see the psalmist saying how......
God communicates knowledge to David that shapes his being.......
......and as a response it causes David to praise God even in the night time!
(pause)
Freedom.....
....I’m not sure if the biblical writer is speaking literally or not in terms of the night time consistency of David’s praise
(pause)
But what I do know.......
.....is that David has experienced the night both literally and figuratively
(pause)
And I don’t know which NIGHT.......
......your life may be in right now
But the text says......
David did not allow the NIGHT TIME........
........to cut off his praise!
(pause)
Freedom......
.......we do know that science suggests that our physical bodies grow in the night time when we are sleeping
and so.......
......maybe David is under the mindset that
.....NIGHT TIME
.......is my opportunity for a SPIRITUAL GROWTH SPURT!
(pause)
Heres why I say that Freedom......
....because watch verse 8!
I keep the Lord always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
David says......
“The Lord is out front giving me directions”
and.....
“The Lord is also right here beside me to protect and prreserve me”
(pause)
And so......
Since that’s the case.........
Whether it’s NIGHT TIME or not.........
(pause)
Because God is right there beside me..........
“.....I will not be moved!”
Freedom....
.....I looked up that word “Moved”
(slight pause)
and it means.....
To be made to STAGGER
To be SHAKY
To Totter or Sway back and forth
(slight pause)
But because David knows where to place his request........
he says,
“You can hit me.......
......but you can’t MOVE me!”
(pause and expound)
Watch verse 9.....
Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices;
my body also rests secure.
The text says....
Beause of this,
......there’s a joy in the inner self that says,
“Even though the physical body is confronting death.....
.....it can rest in the security of God!”
(pause)
Now Freedom......
.....this verse 9 and part of verse 10 is where we see the heritage of David being spoken of
......as the New Testament Messiah in Jesus Christ is described in the prophetic nature of this psalm
(pause)
Because in verse 10 it says......
For you do not give me up to Sheol,
or let your faithful one see the Pit.
In the first part of this verse the writer says.....
“You do not give me up.......”
....and I believe the “Me” in this verse is David
But now.....
In the next part of this verse the writer says.....
“Or let your faithful one....”
.....and I believe the “faithful one” in this verse is Christ the Messiah
(pause)
Watch this now.......
Because the text says.....
“You do not give me up to Sheol”
This word Sheol is interpreted to mean grave
The phrase “Give me up” is interpreted to mean......
.....to leave behind
.....or to hand over and leave
(pause)
And so....
....in reference to David
....the text says....
God will not abandon me in the grave!
(pause)
Now watch this......
because in reference to Christ the text says....
....and the faithful one will not see the Pit!
(pause)
Pastor......
What’s the pit?
(slight pause)
The Pit.......
.....is the process of when the body decays in the grave and it returns to the dust of which it came
(pause)
The Psalmist says......
The grave is supposed to hold on to whatever it has without letting it go
(pause)
But there are some who are REDEEMED.........
.......that the grave can’t hold!
(pause)
And The Psalmist says,
The faithful one......
Christ the Messiah.......
.....will not experience the process of decay
(pause)
And so....
Here it is........
Because David’s God has the final word!
(slight pause)
In my spiritual imagination I see David saying......
Let me......
“Call HIM UP!”
(pause)
and when I get HIM on the line......
..........all I’m gonna say is,
“God......
I trust you to KEEP ME!”
(pause)
Freedom!
Last week we celebrated the Resurrection.......
And.....
This week we stand RECONCILED!
(pause)
We have our verse 11 now.......
......because the grave had company last week
.....but because the grave couldn’t keep the company from leaving
(slight pause)
We the Redeemed can do like David did.....
and......
Make our petition known.......
(pause)
And I don’t know who I’m preaching to.....
But if you are vulnerable right now......
.....if you need something greater than yourself
“Call HIM UP!”
(pause)
His name is Jesus.........
wonderful counselor.....
Emmanuel......
God is with us......
The name above......
.....every name!
(pause)
David wrapped it up in verse 11 by saying......
When I CALL HIM UP.......
God’s presence is beyond my capacity......
Gods action benefits my Life outcome......
I’m guaranteed to receive what God is holding in God’s right hand!