Back to Center

As we begin this morning, if you’re joining us on FB Live, I’m going to ask you to please hit the share button.

Sometimes we can get so wrapped up in life, in the things going on around us, the good, the bad and the ugly; that we forget to look at, we fail to recognize, and we neglect to appreciate what’s right in front of us.

We lose sight of some things because they happen without fail and without any input from us. My goal with this message is to bring us back to center.

When you’re centered, you’re balanced, you can focus on what’s important, rather than your circumstance or your situation. Sometimes it’s hard to see past what’s happening in your own body, in your own house, on your own street, in your own neighborhood. This is not to say that what’s going on with you is not important, but it to say it’s not the most important.

It’s election time and we can’t watch TV without seeing some kind of ad that’s saying how bad the other candidate is or talking about what they’ve done wrong.

It’s gotten to the point where monthly and sometimes weekly we hear of another unarmed Black man being shot by police. And when we we’re not hearing about a shooting; we’re hearing how there are no charges being filed.

Let’s get back to center; let’s bring our lives, our focus back to center.

And what is center? Turn with me in your Bibles to Psalm 19:7 - 11 NLT.

Psalm 19:7 -11 NLT - 7 The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8 The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living. 9 Reverence for the Lord is pure, lasting forever. The laws of the Lord are true; each one is fair. 10 They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb. 11 They are a warning to your servant, a great reward for those who obey them.

David begins this Psalm extolling God for all he has done. Not done for him, but what he’s done.

To get away from our own circumstance, sometimes we need only look up. David says, “The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship.” To look up to the sky and recognize there is no man that could have possibly made it. No amount of atoms crashing together could have created it.

To know that God spoke, and it was so, in fact that’s how the Book begins, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” If we can just take a moment to consider; in fact in Ps 8 David says it this way, “O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens. 2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. 3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; 4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? 5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. 6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:”

To know that God created this earth and gave mankind dominion over it, to take care of it, to nurture it… When we stop to consider that; is what we have going on in our lives really so big? Don’t misunderstand me, we all have problems, we all have things that will weigh us down, if we let them. But, if we could just take a moment to look up and consider.

Consider that, “Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known.” The sun, moon and the stars all stay in their orbits. Occasionally, if your blessed God will entertain you with a shooting star streaking across the night sky. But you have to look up.

God’s creation speaks without a word; their voice is never heard. Anyone have that kind of relationship with someone where you can have a whole conversation and never say a word? In order for that to happen, there must be a connection. You have to be in relationship.

God’s creation has sent their message throughout the earth, and their words to all the world. There is no language barrier, their message is clearly understood.

David goes on to tell us that God has made a home in the heavens for the sun, then he describes the sun as bursting forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding. He says, “It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race.”

If we would just look up, we would see that, “The sun rises at one end of the heavens and follows its course to the other end.” Every day, without fail. “Nothing can hide from its heat.” God put the sun in the sky far enough away from the earth, so we don’t burn up and close enough to provide us heat so we don’t freeze. Can you say, “Perfect”? Look up, your issue may not be as bad as you first thought. Let’s get back to center.

But then, David takes us through a series of facts, the first one being;

“The instructions of the Lord are perfect,”

The Lord’s instructions have no malice, no ulterior motive, there are no tricks, no bait and switch. God says what he means, and he means what he says. His promises are yea and amen. When he gives you instructions, they are complete and what he has for you to do will be something you can’t do alone, it will be more than what you ever dreamed of. So when God gives you instructions, get ready, because not only is God able he’s also willing and he’ll be there to add his extra to your ordinary.

“… reviving the soul.” The King James says, “converting the soul”

So why do our souls need converting you may ask?

- Because we were born in sin, shaped in iniquity.

- Because our thoughts are continuously evil.

- Because without a conversion we’re of no use to and not fit for the Kingdom of God.

Oh it’s not that Christians are so good, but in this case it is about who we know. It’s about our connection. Yes I said connection, you see when you have this connection, it’s the only one you need. When you are connected to Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Lord of Lords, the King of Kings, you don’t need any other connection. You don’t need gimmicks or games. All you need is Jesus, all you need to do is make Him the Lord and Savior of your life and a little later I’m going to give you that opportunity. But right now I need to tell you something else.

David says,

“The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy,”

When God makes a decree, you can trust that it will be carried out. Heaven and earth will pass away, but his word will remain forever.

“… making the wise simple.” Be humble, be faithful and be willing to be taught.

The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart.” What he says for us to do will not hurt or embarrass others, his commandments bring joy not sorrow. God doesn’t make mistakes and he is not haphazard or unprepared.

“The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living.” What God has laid out for us is clear and when we submit to his rule and to his teaching our lives may not always be easy, but we’ll never be alone. We all have a cross to bear, but God is there to help us bear it. He tells us, “Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for my yoke is easy and my burdens are light.” When life overwhelms you, take a step back, look up, recenter, and review what it is God has commanded you to do and you’ll get a clearer picture of the direction you’re supposed to be going in.

“Reverence for the Lord is pure, lasting forever. Our reverence and love for the Lord should be pure, without compromise and without ulterior motive, our adoration for him should not be hindered or obscured by selfish motives. We don’t love God just because of what he’s done for us, we love him for who He is. Pure love has no hidden agenda. It’s not a I’ll love you if…

if you heal me

if you give me a big house

if you give me a nice car

if you give me a man or a woman - some don’t know enough to ask for a husband or a wife. They don’t understand that every man is not a husband and every woman is not a wife.

We want to bargain with God—but he’s not a deal making God. He’s a sovereign God, who does what he wants, when he wants, to whom he wants and it will always be right.

“The laws of the Lord are true; each one is fair. God’s laws are not arbitrary, there’s not one law for him and another for her. He’s not trying to trick us.

Not only are his laws fair they’re more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They’re sweeter than honey from the honeycomb. But they are also a warning to God’s servant, I just talked about this last night. When you know better you should do better, because while his laws are a warning…they are also a great reward for those who obey them. God not only desires obedience, he rewards it.

Now David asks a question that’s very real, in verse 12 he asked, “How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart?” Anybody ever done something you never thought you’d do. Been in a situation and thought, how in the world did I get here? And here was not a good place. We often times have no idea what we are capable of doing, so be careful, be watchful and be prayerful. David asked God to cleanse him from these hidden faults.

You don’t know, what you don’t know, but when you ask God to show you; when you ask him to cleanse you; be ready for what you find out, be ready to put down, let go of and turn away from some stuff you’ve convinced yourself wasn’t so bad, some stuff you’ve justified by saying so and so is worse than me and some stuff that just plain feels good or is fun to do.

You see some sin feels good, some sin is fun because if it wasn’t you wouldn’t do it. It wouldn’t be a problem letting it go, it wouldn’t be an issue turning away from it, from him, from her. And just because it’s not a problem for you, don’t put your sister down because she’s having a problem with it—whatever it is. Just because it’s not an issue for you, don’t put your brother down because he’s not able to let it go yet—whatever it is.

Your job is to pray and encourage and pray and walk with them and pray. Your job is not to single them out nor is it to separate them out. Even though Jesus knew it was Judas who would betray him, he didn’t call him out, he told him to do what he was going to do quickly. If he had told the other disciples, especially Peter, what Judas was about to do, they probably would have taken him out. But that was not a part of the plan. See you never know why God allows things to happen, but when they do, get back to center and remember his will, his plan and his purpose for your life is perfect.

David not only ask God to cleanse him from hidden faults, he asked God to keep him from deliberate sins. What!? You mean some people sin deliberately. Yes, yes they do and they will preface it with, Lord I know what I’m about to do is wrong and I’m just going to go ahead and ask you to forgive me now, but…

We have to learn to control our flesh and not let our flesh or sin control us. It’s a hard, sometimes gut wrenching, everyday chore that we must be intentional about, because it’s only then when we will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin.

If you want to be free from the penalty of sin, which is death; the Scripture says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Salvation has been provided through the death of Jesus, repent of your sin and give your life to God, what he can do through you is so much more than you could ever do on your own.

And finally, as you get back to center pray to God, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.” When God is your strength and your redeemer, nothing shall be impossible for you.

When you get back to center, your focus changes, from what’s going on in your world, to what’s going on in the world and now you can move forward, balanced, clear headed and with the help and guidance of the Lord.

If you’ve never accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior right now is your opportunity, pray this prayer, Lord Jesus, I admit I am a sinner, I believe that you are the Son of God, I’m asking you to come into my heart and be the Lord of my life. In Jesus name I pray, amen.

If you asked God to come into your heart for the first time or perhaps you’re not connected to a body of Christ and you would like to connect with us, please reach out by sending us a message to [e-mail], if you reach out we will contact you. Even in this time of COVID, as cases begin to spike again and where some churches are still not meeting in person, like us, you can still connect. If you’d like to join our congregation on zoom, go to our website at www.lovechristianctr.org and you can find out all the information about Love Christian Center. How to connect, how to join us on Zoom, and even how to give to this ministry if the Lord is leading you to do so. We are so thankful for our ministry partners and your support of this ministry, may the Lord bless you abundantly.

Another way you can support this ministry is to share the message, whatever social media platform you are viewing this message on, hit that share button so the message can spread far and wide.