Psalm 4: 1-8

When I call you answer.

One of the greatest characters of God is that when I call on Him He answers. Now it might not be the answer I am looking for but it does not matter.

When my daughters ask me a question in which they need guidance, I answer it. They do not follow my guidance all the time, and that is fine. But many times they realize that the guidance I gave them was the correct one.

With God it is the same thing, if you don’t follow His guidance you will soon realize that His guidance was the best Guidance for you.

V1. I love the fact that when I need something I can call on the Lord.

But read what it says, God of my righteousness.

my righteousness, that does not mean, my righteousness but the righteousness given to me by God.

In order to have God answer your call prayer, you have to have righteousness on.

Once you have it on, read what it says,

you have delivered me in my distress. What’s your distress.

Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.

Have mercy on me, delivered me in my distress.

Again, the questions is what is your distress?

I tell you what, many people do not feel distressed, many of these people are in the ministry. Pastors, worship leaders, bible teachers. Why

They are so comfortable, that they think they are perfect.

Some don’t even ask for forgiveness.

Is this you, now you don’t have to be ministry to feel this way.

But I will tell you this.

My distress is that sin I can not get rid of. My distress is wanting to change my heart to have a heart after God’s own heart and my flesh trying to return me to the past.

I have to ask for forgiveness every single day because I constantly fall. And the Lord is there to relive me of my distress.

When was the last time you gave your distress to God.

Addictions, pornography, lying, adultery, fornication, pride, boastfulness,

the list goes on.

And you expect God to answer your prayer when you don’t put on the righteousness of God.

If you don’t then He won’t, If you will then He will.

Genesis 18:1–5 “And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.”

V2.

In context, we are reading about people against David. But I like to apply this to myself, and say How long have I Boris turn God glory to shame.

How would I do that.

By not being obedient.

How long will I love worthlessness and seek false hood.

be careful what you do. God is watching you. Be careful what you say, God is hearing you. Be careful what or who you listen to, God is listening.

A bad word is a bad word, grow up and stop saying bad word, I don’t care how small.

What is a bad word, any word that be little's people.

1 Peter 3:8–12 “Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.”

Matthew 5:43–48 “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”

“Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light; and

Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much

Seek to be consoled, as to console;

To be understood as to understand;

To be loved, as to love;

For it is in giving that we receive;

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and

It is in dying that we are born to eternal life”.

How am I glorifying God?

I just read two versus on how to do it.

Do I want to turn God’s glory to shame, No

Do I want to seek falsehood, no

What do I do to not do those things, well I gave you two verses earlier, where did I find them, In the bible.

Are we eager to open our bibles like Abraham was when God met him?

Only you can answer that question.

V3.

Take a look what verse 3 states.

When the Lord has set you apart then then the Lord will hear you.

I don’t know why people believe that the Lord answers the unbelievers prayer. He does not.

The only prayer the Lord answers when you are unbeliever is the sinners prayer. Once you belong to Him then and only then will He answer your prayers. Most of us know this.

But keep in mind, if you live in sin, the Lord will not answer your prayer util you have asked for forgiveness.

The reason why is because maybe just maybe the Lord has you where He wants you in order for you to repent.

Again, can you be holy and live in sin, no

Can you live in sin and be righteous, no

If you want to hear from God, if you want Him to answer your prayers, then you better be Holy and righteous, not perfect.

V4,

this verse remind me that it is OK to be angry and mad. but it is not OK to sin while I am angry and mad.

But listen to what you do when you are angry.

You to go your bed, you lay down, and you meditate on his word.

Just stay there, be still. The Lord will speak to you and teach you.

I remember of an incident a few years ago, when I did get mad and angry. The reason does not matter.

What I did was lay down in the front yard and look at the sky. I pray. The Lord spoke to me and directed me and guided me and instructed me in what to do.

I would love to stand up here and tell you i do that all the time, but there has been times in the past where my flesh has gotten the best of me and I do not do that.

My God is good and when I ask for forgiveness, you know what He does, He forgives me.

Don’t be afraid to tell God your darkest secrets.

I have a news flash, they are not a secret for God.

Give it a try, tonight when you go to bed, or better yet when you get home. What sin do you struggle with and give it to God. actually say it.

For example, God please deliver me from pornography.

God please deliver me from fornication with such and such person

God please deliver me from lusting after such and such person and actually name the person.

God please deliver me from lying to such and such person

God please deliver me from having a adulteress relationship with such and such person.

Be as forward and as honest as you possibly can.

It is only then that you will be delivered. But you have to continue to pray this way until you are delivered.

300 Sermon Illustrations from Charles Spurgeon “Is that All?” (John 16:14; 1 John 1:7)

Luther says that when the devil came to him, he brought him a long sheet containing a list of his sins, or of a great number of them, and Luther said to him, “Is that all?”

“No,” said the devil.

“Well, go and fetch some more then.” Away went Satan to bring him another long list, as long as your arm.

Said Luther, “Is that all?”

“Oh, no!” said the devil, “I have more yet.”

“Well, go and bring them all,” said Luther. “Fetch them all out, the whole list of them.” Then it was a very long black list. I think that I have heard that it would have gone round the world twice. I know that mine would.

Well, what did Luther say when he saw them all? He said, “Write at the bottom of them, ‘The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin!’ ” It does not matter how long the list is when you write those blessed words at the end of it. The sins are all gone then.

We can actually connect verse 3 and 4.

Colossians 1:13–14 “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:”

We are delivered, we are redeemed, we are forgiven.

What God chooses, He cleanses.

What God cleanses, He molds.

What God molds, He fills.

What God fills, He uses.

That is our God, that is whom we serve.

V5.

Trust in the Lord

Proverbs 3:5–6 “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; And lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, And he shall direct thy paths.”

I don’t think I need to go much into trusting the Lord. I think we all here understand what that means.

V6.

Romans 3 states there i none righteous no none

The only one that is good is God.

you all know yourselves, are you good, no

We have thoughts we should not have

We do things we should not do,

We see things we should not see,

We listen to people we should not listen to

Who will show us, well the answer is God.

God will show us, direct us, and guide us.

V7.

You have put gladness in my heart.

If you remember a few months ago I read Psalm 1, Blessed is the man meaning complete fulfilled.

If you re fulfilled then you will have gladness in your heart.

Do you have gladness in your heart?

Are you complete and fulfilled?

V8.

I love this last verse.

Peace that passes all understanding. It does not matter what we are going through in life, When we have this peace only Christians who have it will understand.

You don’t lose your joy over matters of the world.

Your joy, your peace is not circumstantial.

Your circumstances don’t dictate whether you have peace or joy.

Are are always full.

But you have to walk away from people, areas, things, events, or anything that will try to come between you and God.

for example, let’s you are having a blessed day. Listening to worship music or listening to a pastor on the radio. Being blessed in one way or another. The someone cuts you off. Whats your reaction? Did you just allow that individual to take away your joy and peace.

Or let’s say you are feeling like that at home, and all of a sudden you receive an unexpected phone call. Wil you allow that individual to take away from joy and peace.

See those two examples are circumstantial.

If your peace and joy are circumstantial then you are constantly losing them.

But if they are not, then you constantly are walking in the spirit.

Then what is the answer, remember when you are in the spirit, you will be attacked. Expected.

When that person cuts you off or you receive that phone or hat ever it might be.

Say,

I was expecting this. Satan is trying to still my peace and my joy.

The immediately go into prayer, if you can pull over close your eye and meditate.

you might say, I don’t have time for that. That’s OK. then you better meditate one way or another. Remember the person who cut you off didn’t sin, it might have been you.

Or if you are home, lay down and meditate.