War Cry 1 - Song of Attack
Through the psalms, David models how to praise and worship God.
Doyle Jackson
Jul 8, 2018 32m
This sermon is the first in a new series inspired by the Book of Psalms. Because almost all of this book was written by David, it takes a close look at David's relationship with God. Through the stories in the Psalms, David teaches us how to praise and worship God. Video recorded at Columbus, Ohio.
TranscriptionmessageRegarding Grammar:
This is a transcription of the sermon. People speak differently than they write, and there are common colloquialisms in this transcript that sound good when spoken, and look like bad grammar when written.
This is a transcription of the sermon. People speak differently than they write, and there are common colloquialisms in this transcript that sound good when spoken, and look like bad grammar when written.
Doyle Jackson: 00:37 Awesome. Whether you know it or not, you did a great job. They say we won the parade. I don't know how you win a parade, but we did, and you can applaud, that's good, that's alright you know. I think it's just we overwhelmed with so many people is all we did.
Doyle Jackson: 00:54 Hey, I hope you got a couple of these when you came in today. We want you to take one for yourself, take one and give it away. We want you to smell good, and we want other people to smell good. Also, there's a lot of things that are going on around here. We're excited about all the activity, we want you to know about it, to be a part of it. I don't always wear a tie, I have a wedding after church today, another beautiful families coming together. It's so exciting to see all the lives changing, and what God is doing here at The Church Next Door. If you're new, we're glad you're here. Just dive right on in, join us in what God is doing in this place today.
Doyle Jackson: 01:29 We've started a new series, it's called War Cry. And the reason we're calling it that is because we're going to look through the book of Psalms in both July and August, and the psalms are largely written by a young man, a young man by the name of David a couple thousand years ago. He really poured out his heart to God, and he shared with God the struggles that he had in love, the struggles that he had in developing in his career., and he talks about the battles that he had. And one day he became King of Israel, and he invites you and I to sing his songs, and that's what we're looking at it. And this week we're going to talk about just the song of attack. Now this is why, if you are tired of running from life, and you finally want to run at life, this is why we're looking at it. We want to invite you to run at the battles that you've faced, to run at the things that are happening to you, instead of constantly responding to the drama and the craziness. Let's run at it the way David did. David was not afraid to take on Goliath. David was not afraid to take on the lion and the bear. And whatever it is that you face today, whatever you face today, know this, you can handle it with God's help. David would say to you, God will provide. Do me a favor, look at your neighbor and say, God will provide.
Doyle Jackson: 03:07 That reminds me of a story I saw this this week, and it just really encouraged me. Jennifer and I came back from a conference last week, and we were just so encouraged hearing some other pastors talk about what God was doing in our nation, and there's a lot of great things that are happening. The story is about a young man who was invited to speak at this large conference. This young preacher was invited to speak and he shows up that night, and they seat him on the front row, and they put him right next to this very famous wise, experienced a minister. And the experienced minister looked over, and he could just tell by the sweat on this young man and the nervousness, he said, it's going to be okay, God will provide. He said, no, I don't you understand, this is my first time ever to speak at a conference like this. He said, it's okay, God will provide. He said, no, no, no, you don't understand. I was so nervous about this, I was so upset, that I left my Bible at home. I left my notes at home, and I'm sitting here right now, and I can't even remember what I wrote down there. The elderly gentleman said, just calm down, i's okay, God will provide. He said, here, take my Bible, you can use my Bible. The young man, he comes up on the stage, he opens up the Bible, he standing at the pulpit, and he begins to just really preach his heart out. I mean, he's given them what the old timers would call a barn burner. You know what I'm saying? I mean, he's got alliterations, he's got illustrations, he's got some practical application. When he gets done, the crowd just erupts in applause, you know, they're so excited. He walks down off the steps and he says, thank you, and he hands the Bible to the older minister that had loaned him the Bible. That man's face is just beet red, he looks at him and said, you stole my sermon. The young man looked at him and smiled, said, God will provide.
Doyle Jackson: 05:10 This is what I want you to know about that, alright? When you and I read through the psalms, you need to understand some basic factors about David's approach. David really believed that God would provide no matter what would happen. But the reason David gives you his songs, the reason he gives you the psalms, is he believes with all his heart that if you will sing those songs, if you will proclaim those songs over your life, it will transform your life and my life in the same way that it did his. If you go to a concert, and the room is filled, and whoever is leading the concert, if you begin to sing the song, it's the greatest compliment of all is it not? You'll notice they'll back off from the microphone, and they'll just listen to you. Why? Because they want you to sing their song. David wants you to pray his prayers, to sing his song, to proclaim his victory over your life. And when you and I are invited to read the Book of Psalms, we are invited to proclaim that over our life. It is not stealing, it is not wrong, it is not inappropriate. Honestly, it's the most appropriate thing you can do. That's what he wants you to do, he's inviting you, God is inviting you, sing the song that I put on David's heart. So this summer I'm inviting you, every one of you, I want you to begin every day to read one or two psalms with me.
Doyle Jackson: 06:52 If you look at the bottom of the notes today, if you'll open up your worship folder, pull out the notes. You'll notice each psalm that we've asked you to read with us each day this week. If you've got The Church Next Door app, you can open that up. It's at the bottom of the message notes there, but it's also in the app. That way, wherever you go, if you've got your phone with you, you can read along with us. Just hit the Bible app, and if you don't have time to read it, you just press the little play button and it'll read it out loud for you. I do that while I ride in my car, or when I'm walking along, and I'll just want to listen to the word of God. You can do that. That's why we have it for you, we want it to strengthen you, we want it to encourage you, we want it to bless your life, because it's been a blessing to us.
Doyle Jackson: 07:37 Now, I want to give you one key factor in David's life, an underlying belief that David has. It's in your notes, look at your notes, I want you to see this because it's very powerful. David believes with all his heart that only believers can truly worship God. Let me unpack that, let me explain that to you. What David understands is you cannot worship something that you don't believe exists, you can't worship something that you don't value, that you don't see as precious. So David's assumption is this, if you sing his songs, if you pray his prayers, if you declare his words over your life, you've got to believe in God. Now, be clear, David is not opposed if you don't believe in God, for you to participate and observe worship, and to be a part of the celebration, he's great with that, David doesn't mind. God's people have always welcomed outsiders to participate in that. They get to observe, experience, and be with worshipers, that's why we invite people. Most every church I know of invites people to come and be a part of the worship, to experience it, to sense it, to feel it. That's because that's God's nature, he wants you to see what worship looks like before you believe in it. He wants you to see the power of it, and he believes it's attractive. How do I know this? When you go to the Old Testament and you look at God's people, what's it say? It says that they had the tent of meeting, they had the place of sacrifice, the gathering of God's people. But they had also a place for the nations. God has always wanted every nation to worship him, don't believe the lie that God is for only one kind of people, one race of people. It's not true, God has always loved all people.
Doyle Jackson: 09:52 He did choose one kind of people to be salt and light and to encourage the world, and those are the people that love him. So in order for you to truly experience worship, you have to cross that line where you say, okay God, I believe. In the moment you say to God, I believe in you, God, I trust you. When you begin to do that, let me tell you what, it comes really alive. Now, this is how, for many of us, it's worked. We've come in, and we've watched people worshiping God. We see them just really giving their heart to God. It may be through song, it may be through their generosity, it may be in the way that they care for their neighbor, but we see people who are genuine, who are true, and they live their love for God in the way that they love their neighbor. See, and in so doing, people see that and they're going, wow, I wish I had that. I wish I had the peace that they have, I wish I had the joy that they have, I wish I had the confidence that they have. I wish that I had the strength that they have And you know what the next step is for you, if you find yourself longing for that, you say, Oh God, I want to believe. God, help my unbelief, God helped me take that next step. And how do I know that's true? Jesus. Wherever Jesus went, there was a crowd, there was a crowd, there was a huge throng of people. What they're doing, they're looking, what's he doing now? What's he doing now? And they're pushing, and their trying to see what God is doing.
Doyle Jackson: 11:23 See, the world is always watching you. The world is always watching you. If you're a believer, the way you behave It can be attractional towards God, or it can be confusing to them. Make sure you live a life worthy of the one who saved you, and see what they did. They say, Jesus, I want some of that, Jesus, can I have some of that? And he says, do you believe? And they say, yes, I believe with God, all things are possible. You see, the moment you do that, you step across, and you're able to give your heart to God and to worship him. Doesn't mean you've got it all figured out, doesn't mean that everything's perfect in your life. It just means you've taken the step now where you say, okay, I believe that if there is a god that he would love someone like me, and he would make a way out. Belief is key. Look what it says here. This is the gospel of John, the gospel of John 4:24, it says, "God is spirit, and only by the power of his spirit can people worship him as he really is." So once you believe, you say, Lord, I believe, and his spirit enables you to connect with him.
Doyle Jackson: 12:40 What's so amazing about David? What's so amazing about these psalms is this, there between two and three thousand years old, and yet they're still important to people today. How can that be? We don't know the tune, we don't have any of the tunes of David songs. It's because the words are true, the words reach our hearts. This week Jennifer and I were driving in the car, and I hit the button to turn on the radio, and this song came on and I was like, oh, yuck, please change it. I love the words, the words are true, but the music is gagging me. You know what I'm saying? You can like a song, and you're like, oh, the tune is terrible, but the words are true. The reason the tunes of David are gone is not because the tunes were bad, it's just that the tunes don't, don't, don't reach our heartstrings. And what was really, really important were the words, and the truth of the words, and the power of the words. The reason you sing a song, the reason you joined along with somebody, is that the words ring true in your life. Let's be honest, I could start several songs right now with bad tunes, and you'd sing them all day. I will not do that to you.
Doyle Jackson: 14:08 But I will share with you the words of David, from Psalms 17:1-6, "Hear oh Lord, my righteous plea, listen to my cry. Give ear to my prayer, it does not rise from deceitful lips. May my vindication come from you. May your eyes see what is right. Though you probe a heart, and exam me at night, though you test me, you'll find nothing. I have resolve that my mouth will not sin. As for the deeds of men, by the word of your lips, I have kept myself from the ways of the violent. My steps have held to your paths, my feet have not slipped. I call on you, Oh God, for you will answer me, five ear to me, and hear my prayer." You hear David's confidence, you hear the struggle that he's in the midst of, but he's not backing off. He's not backing off his relationship to God, he's leaning right in. He's saying, God, I trust you, I know you're going to provide for me right now. God, I trust you.
Doyle Jackson: 15:24 What two principals that I see in these verses from David that I think are powerful for you and I. Number One is this, our tongues speak volume. Our tongues speak volume. There's a pattern in the Bible that comes up again and again, and that pattern is this. That pattern is, is that your tongue says a lot about who you are. When you go to the doctor, what happens? They take a tongue depressor. They make you stick out your tongue and say, ah, why? They want to look at you. They can tell by what's going on in your mouth whether or not you're doing alright inside. Did you know? God can tell. Your kids can tell. That's why when you're out in the public, you're worried that your kid might repeat one of the words that you've said at home, right? And see, your tongues speak a lot about you, and what David understood was this. If I can share out of my mouth what I want God to do in my life, it will transform me. And David, he even says, God, you can examine me all night long, you can probe on me. I'm going to share with you what's going on in my life, I'm going to give it over to you, and I'm going to trust you to help me with that matter. I'm going to trust you God, to work it out in my life. I love this. God's word is the path of victory.
Doyle Jackson: 16:49 David will tell you, if you want to win at life, if you want to win, put God's word in your mouth. He says, look to God, He's going to show you. Can I tell you this? David believed that God was the one that was in charge of his future. The question is this, if we'll put God's word in our life, will we entrust our future to God? Or are we still hanging onto it, and trusting our self? And David learned that his future was always best when placed in God's hands, and the way to put it in God's hands, was to live according to God's word. That's what David did. He did it again, and again, and again. When he went to take on Goliath, he said, I'm sorry King Saul, but your armor won't fit. But the shield of the Lord, will be all I need, because I trust in him. No matter what David faced, no matter what he faced. I want to tell you, it doesn't matter today what you face if you're, if you're facing a health crisis, a financial crisis, it doesn't matter if you're taking a step of faith and you know that God has called you into a new territory, into a new job, a new experience, a new relationship. You can trust God to lead you. I know that.
Doyle Jackson: 18:12 Can I tell you this? In my life, there have been times that I didn't know what to do, and I've opened up the psalms. I've read through them, and I found a psalm that was fitting for what I was going through, and I would just change the pronoun so it was me. And I would just declare it out over my life and it's changed the direction. The psalms have helped me forgive someone who's harmed me in a way that I never imagined being harmed. The Psalm has given me the prayer for health, when I needed health. The psalms have given me the song that I needed to be a father, to be a husband, to be a pastor, to be a friend.
Doyle Jackson: 19:03 If you will read the psalms, and you look for them, and you find the psalm. It's like the same way, you know, we used to have these jukeboxes. You'd go up to the jukebox and you'd read down, and you'd look for the one that felt like you felt, and you press B-9, drop your quarter in. Why did you do that? Because you needed something that resonated with your soul. And what David does is he shares his soul, his mind, his will, and his emotions. And he says, you need to know something. You need to know something with all your heart, the only one they only way to restore a broken soul is God. See, the reason that we're inviting you to read the psalms is so that the Lord can restore your soul.
Doyle Jackson: 19:55 Let's go on the offensive. Let's stop always living our life, reacting to all the problems and the drama. The world loves drama, God invites you to peace. Jesus is called the Prince of peace, the Lord of life. See, if you begin to speak his words over your life, it'll change you. Look what David says, David says, prayer lights the way, God strengthens us with the word. And so if you and I will take the word of God and speak it out over our life, what it'll do is light our path, it'll show us what's the next step I need to take in this relationship? Do I need to end it? Don't need to go forward with it? God's word will tell us, what's the next step I need to take in my career? What's the next step I need to take? What's the next step I need to take? The Lord has your future.
Doyle Jackson: 20:53 If the Lord has your future, the question is, will you look to his word to guide that, to receive it? And say, okay, Lord, I'm good with that, I'm good with that. Makes me nervous, but I'm good with that. In Psalm Eighteen, David describes one of the many times in his life when he looks to the Lord. He says, for you light my lamp, the Lord my God illuminates my darkness. Do you believe that? Do you believe that God intends for you to see, to find the way to the future, to have freedom and life? See David did, I invite you to it? Tonight I'm going to teach a class at 5:00 PM. on the freedom that comes from Christ Jesus. David understood that his path, and the light, always came from God. And if you will apply that, he will give you greater freedom. He'll give you greater life. Look what could he says here. He says, for by you, I can run upon a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall. Literally those Hebrew words there say that I can run at a barricade, I can run at a group of men that have built up a blockage, and I don't have to worry about it I'll go right through it. He says, I can leap over a wall. In the ancient world, in order to take a city, you had to get over the wall. And they would build them huge and massive, and we have, we have relief drawings of the ancient world. How some of these guys would be like pole vaulters to go over the wall. David says, God gives me gives me that ability, to leap over the wall, God gives me the ability.
Doyle Jackson: 22:40 What if you started putting points on the board? What would your life look like if you started going over the obstacles in your life? Through the difficult places? As for God, his way is blameless. The word of the Lord is tried. He is a shield to all who take refuge in him. For who is God but the Lord, and who is a rock except our God. The God who girds me with strength, and makes my way blameless. He makes my feet like hinds feet, like a deer's feet, and sets me upon high places. He trains my hands for battle. so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. David was was looking to God to give his hands what they needed. Do you need wisdom for your career? Do you need wisdom for your life? Do you need strength in your body? See, David said, God gives me everything I need, he relies on God.
Doyle Jackson: 23:49 I want to ask you to take a step of faith today. alright? In front of you, there's a pocket, and there's one of these connect cards. I would like for everyone in this room to take out one of these connect cards. And this is why, I'd like you to pick it up, and I like you to write on it, what is the obstacle you face right now? What is the one thing that in your heart, you're like, man, if I could just deal with this, things will be better in my life if I can just take care of this one thing. I want you to write that down as your prayer request, the Way David did. Say, Lord, I'm depending on you to be my shield in the midst of the words that have been coming against me. God, I'm looking to you, to tell me to run at this barricade right now, this career change that I've got, this opportunity that's before me. I'm trusting you to move everything out of my way. God, I'm trusting you. God, I need you in this area of my life. Maybe it's someone else in your life, maybe you're believing for somebody else. I prayed with somebody this last hour they had someone in their family that's in a really hard place. And what they know is this. If this family member doesn't get God in the midst of this situation, it's going to impact their relationship, and so they're saying, pray with me, pray with me. Maybe you need to write that down. I want you to write it down, and say, God, I need you to show up in this situation. This is my Goliath moment. This is my test right now about your Lordship, your relationship to me, God, I need you. We're going to trust him. Say God gave me light to this, give me the right voice to cry. Lord, I'm trusting you, I'm relying on you, only you can meet me in this. Alright, I hope everybody's written something down. We're going to trust God for these matters. We're going to come back to them. Okay?
Doyle Jackson: 25:55 Before we leave. I want to give you a couple more neat principles about David's Psalms and the way David approached God, and the way David always approached God was from the perspective of a shepherd king. David was a shepherd before he was a king, but he always understood God first as the Lord of his life. As the one who sent him, where he went, the one who gave him his orders, the one who gave him his life, the one who provided the peace in his life, the one who provided for him. See David, he understood the nature of God was to be a shepherd, and a king, of our life.
Doyle Jackson: 26:37 In Psalm 22, this is part of our reading this week. This is what David said, "Yet you, (speaking of God) are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. In you, our fathers trusted, they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they've cried and were rescued, in you they trusted, and were not put to shame." See, what David understood was this. When the people of God, praise God, he gave them victory. When the people of God praised him, God was the one that gave them deliverance. David had read the history of Israel, and the history of Israel encouraged him that God is trustworthy. David would read the history of how God delivered them from Egypt, how God provided every time they needed food, every time God needed to to give them shelter. Every time they needed, whatever it was, from rain, to food on the table, David knew God would provide. And he said the key to that, the key to that, is understanding that if we praise him for being who he is, the good king will always provide for the people what they need. So this is the principle behind it. Praise puts God in his place as savior. See, when you praise God, it says something in your heart, it says something to God. It says, God, you're my savior. It's not Doyle's my savior, no, God is my savior.
Doyle Jackson: 28:21 Then the second principle comes from the 23rd Psalm. Probably the most famous of all the psalms. Most of us already know it, but listen to it again, just the first three verses. I'm not going to do all of it. Listen to what it says. It says, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures." He gives you sleep at night. He gives you the peace. He gives you everything you need to rest secure. "He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name sake." The principle that David lays out is this. Praise puts us in our place, under God's care. Folks, when you hear that, a pressure should just leave from your life right now. You mean it's not my responsibility? You have some responsibility, but you don't carry all the responsibility, because you have a shepherd king. You have a God that loves you. He's a God that goes after the one. He goes after the one, when they've wandered away, he goes out and says, come back, sweetheart, come back with me. Come back with me, come home with me. See, God is that nature, the reason that we worship Jesus, the reason that Christians worship Jesus all over the world today, is because they know that God is the shepherd king. That he stepped into our world, and that the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep, and David understood that 2000 years before Jesus even arrived, David understood that that's the nature of God, that God wants to be a good shepherd king. So that's why today you and I can take whatever thing we face, whatever burdens we bear, whatever wall we are facing, and we can say, okay God, I'm looking to you to answer my prayer. I'm looking to you to meet me in the midst of this, give me the light. give me the wisdom, give me the strength, give me whatever it is I need to go over this wall.
Doyle Jackson: 30:54 Today we're just going to pray those first three words of Psalm 23, that's our prayer. And what I want you to do, as a sign of your faith and trusting God to take care of that as your shepherd king, is you hold these in your hand. And then when you leave, I want you to leave him in God's hands, okay? You're going to drop them in the boxes at the back, and you just say, God, I'm trusting you, I'm trusting you, and you put them in the boxes. There's boxes at the rear of the room on the wall, and you just drop them. That's why David talks about his offering. David always brought his offering to God, and his offering was his heart, his heart towards God.
Doyle Jackson: 31:35 We're going to give our heart to God today, so if you would join me in standing, I give you permission to hold your neighbor's hand, make sure they give you permission to. But hold onto your card, and we're going to proclaim the 23rd psalm, the first three verses over this. Okay, are you ready to say it with me? The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness, for his name's sake. Amen. Amen. God bless you. Thank you for coming. If you're a guest, please stop by, they have a gift for you in the back. If you'd like to meet me, I'll be down here. I'd love to say hello. We always have a team that prays with people. Have a great day. Take some extra air fresheners if you'd like. I'll be here.
Recorded in Columbus, Ohio.
Doyle Jackson: 00:54 Hey, I hope you got a couple of these when you came in today. We want you to take one for yourself, take one and give it away. We want you to smell good, and we want other people to smell good. Also, there's a lot of things that are going on around here. We're excited about all the activity, we want you to know about it, to be a part of it. I don't always wear a tie, I have a wedding after church today, another beautiful families coming together. It's so exciting to see all the lives changing, and what God is doing here at The Church Next Door. If you're new, we're glad you're here. Just dive right on in, join us in what God is doing in this place today.
Doyle Jackson: 01:29 We've started a new series, it's called War Cry. And the reason we're calling it that is because we're going to look through the book of Psalms in both July and August, and the psalms are largely written by a young man, a young man by the name of David a couple thousand years ago. He really poured out his heart to God, and he shared with God the struggles that he had in love, the struggles that he had in developing in his career., and he talks about the battles that he had. And one day he became King of Israel, and he invites you and I to sing his songs, and that's what we're looking at it. And this week we're going to talk about just the song of attack. Now this is why, if you are tired of running from life, and you finally want to run at life, this is why we're looking at it. We want to invite you to run at the battles that you've faced, to run at the things that are happening to you, instead of constantly responding to the drama and the craziness. Let's run at it the way David did. David was not afraid to take on Goliath. David was not afraid to take on the lion and the bear. And whatever it is that you face today, whatever you face today, know this, you can handle it with God's help. David would say to you, God will provide. Do me a favor, look at your neighbor and say, God will provide.
Doyle Jackson: 03:07 That reminds me of a story I saw this this week, and it just really encouraged me. Jennifer and I came back from a conference last week, and we were just so encouraged hearing some other pastors talk about what God was doing in our nation, and there's a lot of great things that are happening. The story is about a young man who was invited to speak at this large conference. This young preacher was invited to speak and he shows up that night, and they seat him on the front row, and they put him right next to this very famous wise, experienced a minister. And the experienced minister looked over, and he could just tell by the sweat on this young man and the nervousness, he said, it's going to be okay, God will provide. He said, no, I don't you understand, this is my first time ever to speak at a conference like this. He said, it's okay, God will provide. He said, no, no, no, you don't understand. I was so nervous about this, I was so upset, that I left my Bible at home. I left my notes at home, and I'm sitting here right now, and I can't even remember what I wrote down there. The elderly gentleman said, just calm down, i's okay, God will provide. He said, here, take my Bible, you can use my Bible. The young man, he comes up on the stage, he opens up the Bible, he standing at the pulpit, and he begins to just really preach his heart out. I mean, he's given them what the old timers would call a barn burner. You know what I'm saying? I mean, he's got alliterations, he's got illustrations, he's got some practical application. When he gets done, the crowd just erupts in applause, you know, they're so excited. He walks down off the steps and he says, thank you, and he hands the Bible to the older minister that had loaned him the Bible. That man's face is just beet red, he looks at him and said, you stole my sermon. The young man looked at him and smiled, said, God will provide.
Doyle Jackson: 05:10 This is what I want you to know about that, alright? When you and I read through the psalms, you need to understand some basic factors about David's approach. David really believed that God would provide no matter what would happen. But the reason David gives you his songs, the reason he gives you the psalms, is he believes with all his heart that if you will sing those songs, if you will proclaim those songs over your life, it will transform your life and my life in the same way that it did his. If you go to a concert, and the room is filled, and whoever is leading the concert, if you begin to sing the song, it's the greatest compliment of all is it not? You'll notice they'll back off from the microphone, and they'll just listen to you. Why? Because they want you to sing their song. David wants you to pray his prayers, to sing his song, to proclaim his victory over your life. And when you and I are invited to read the Book of Psalms, we are invited to proclaim that over our life. It is not stealing, it is not wrong, it is not inappropriate. Honestly, it's the most appropriate thing you can do. That's what he wants you to do, he's inviting you, God is inviting you, sing the song that I put on David's heart. So this summer I'm inviting you, every one of you, I want you to begin every day to read one or two psalms with me.
Doyle Jackson: 06:52 If you look at the bottom of the notes today, if you'll open up your worship folder, pull out the notes. You'll notice each psalm that we've asked you to read with us each day this week. If you've got The Church Next Door app, you can open that up. It's at the bottom of the message notes there, but it's also in the app. That way, wherever you go, if you've got your phone with you, you can read along with us. Just hit the Bible app, and if you don't have time to read it, you just press the little play button and it'll read it out loud for you. I do that while I ride in my car, or when I'm walking along, and I'll just want to listen to the word of God. You can do that. That's why we have it for you, we want it to strengthen you, we want it to encourage you, we want it to bless your life, because it's been a blessing to us.
Doyle Jackson: 07:37 Now, I want to give you one key factor in David's life, an underlying belief that David has. It's in your notes, look at your notes, I want you to see this because it's very powerful. David believes with all his heart that only believers can truly worship God. Let me unpack that, let me explain that to you. What David understands is you cannot worship something that you don't believe exists, you can't worship something that you don't value, that you don't see as precious. So David's assumption is this, if you sing his songs, if you pray his prayers, if you declare his words over your life, you've got to believe in God. Now, be clear, David is not opposed if you don't believe in God, for you to participate and observe worship, and to be a part of the celebration, he's great with that, David doesn't mind. God's people have always welcomed outsiders to participate in that. They get to observe, experience, and be with worshipers, that's why we invite people. Most every church I know of invites people to come and be a part of the worship, to experience it, to sense it, to feel it. That's because that's God's nature, he wants you to see what worship looks like before you believe in it. He wants you to see the power of it, and he believes it's attractive. How do I know this? When you go to the Old Testament and you look at God's people, what's it say? It says that they had the tent of meeting, they had the place of sacrifice, the gathering of God's people. But they had also a place for the nations. God has always wanted every nation to worship him, don't believe the lie that God is for only one kind of people, one race of people. It's not true, God has always loved all people.
Doyle Jackson: 09:52 He did choose one kind of people to be salt and light and to encourage the world, and those are the people that love him. So in order for you to truly experience worship, you have to cross that line where you say, okay God, I believe. In the moment you say to God, I believe in you, God, I trust you. When you begin to do that, let me tell you what, it comes really alive. Now, this is how, for many of us, it's worked. We've come in, and we've watched people worshiping God. We see them just really giving their heart to God. It may be through song, it may be through their generosity, it may be in the way that they care for their neighbor, but we see people who are genuine, who are true, and they live their love for God in the way that they love their neighbor. See, and in so doing, people see that and they're going, wow, I wish I had that. I wish I had the peace that they have, I wish I had the joy that they have, I wish I had the confidence that they have. I wish that I had the strength that they have And you know what the next step is for you, if you find yourself longing for that, you say, Oh God, I want to believe. God, help my unbelief, God helped me take that next step. And how do I know that's true? Jesus. Wherever Jesus went, there was a crowd, there was a crowd, there was a huge throng of people. What they're doing, they're looking, what's he doing now? What's he doing now? And they're pushing, and their trying to see what God is doing.
Doyle Jackson: 11:23 See, the world is always watching you. The world is always watching you. If you're a believer, the way you behave It can be attractional towards God, or it can be confusing to them. Make sure you live a life worthy of the one who saved you, and see what they did. They say, Jesus, I want some of that, Jesus, can I have some of that? And he says, do you believe? And they say, yes, I believe with God, all things are possible. You see, the moment you do that, you step across, and you're able to give your heart to God and to worship him. Doesn't mean you've got it all figured out, doesn't mean that everything's perfect in your life. It just means you've taken the step now where you say, okay, I believe that if there is a god that he would love someone like me, and he would make a way out. Belief is key. Look what it says here. This is the gospel of John, the gospel of John 4:24, it says, "God is spirit, and only by the power of his spirit can people worship him as he really is." So once you believe, you say, Lord, I believe, and his spirit enables you to connect with him.
Doyle Jackson: 12:40 What's so amazing about David? What's so amazing about these psalms is this, there between two and three thousand years old, and yet they're still important to people today. How can that be? We don't know the tune, we don't have any of the tunes of David songs. It's because the words are true, the words reach our hearts. This week Jennifer and I were driving in the car, and I hit the button to turn on the radio, and this song came on and I was like, oh, yuck, please change it. I love the words, the words are true, but the music is gagging me. You know what I'm saying? You can like a song, and you're like, oh, the tune is terrible, but the words are true. The reason the tunes of David are gone is not because the tunes were bad, it's just that the tunes don't, don't, don't reach our heartstrings. And what was really, really important were the words, and the truth of the words, and the power of the words. The reason you sing a song, the reason you joined along with somebody, is that the words ring true in your life. Let's be honest, I could start several songs right now with bad tunes, and you'd sing them all day. I will not do that to you.
Doyle Jackson: 14:08 But I will share with you the words of David, from Psalms 17:1-6, "Hear oh Lord, my righteous plea, listen to my cry. Give ear to my prayer, it does not rise from deceitful lips. May my vindication come from you. May your eyes see what is right. Though you probe a heart, and exam me at night, though you test me, you'll find nothing. I have resolve that my mouth will not sin. As for the deeds of men, by the word of your lips, I have kept myself from the ways of the violent. My steps have held to your paths, my feet have not slipped. I call on you, Oh God, for you will answer me, five ear to me, and hear my prayer." You hear David's confidence, you hear the struggle that he's in the midst of, but he's not backing off. He's not backing off his relationship to God, he's leaning right in. He's saying, God, I trust you, I know you're going to provide for me right now. God, I trust you.
Doyle Jackson: 15:24 What two principals that I see in these verses from David that I think are powerful for you and I. Number One is this, our tongues speak volume. Our tongues speak volume. There's a pattern in the Bible that comes up again and again, and that pattern is this. That pattern is, is that your tongue says a lot about who you are. When you go to the doctor, what happens? They take a tongue depressor. They make you stick out your tongue and say, ah, why? They want to look at you. They can tell by what's going on in your mouth whether or not you're doing alright inside. Did you know? God can tell. Your kids can tell. That's why when you're out in the public, you're worried that your kid might repeat one of the words that you've said at home, right? And see, your tongues speak a lot about you, and what David understood was this. If I can share out of my mouth what I want God to do in my life, it will transform me. And David, he even says, God, you can examine me all night long, you can probe on me. I'm going to share with you what's going on in my life, I'm going to give it over to you, and I'm going to trust you to help me with that matter. I'm going to trust you God, to work it out in my life. I love this. God's word is the path of victory.
Doyle Jackson: 16:49 David will tell you, if you want to win at life, if you want to win, put God's word in your mouth. He says, look to God, He's going to show you. Can I tell you this? David believed that God was the one that was in charge of his future. The question is this, if we'll put God's word in our life, will we entrust our future to God? Or are we still hanging onto it, and trusting our self? And David learned that his future was always best when placed in God's hands, and the way to put it in God's hands, was to live according to God's word. That's what David did. He did it again, and again, and again. When he went to take on Goliath, he said, I'm sorry King Saul, but your armor won't fit. But the shield of the Lord, will be all I need, because I trust in him. No matter what David faced, no matter what he faced. I want to tell you, it doesn't matter today what you face if you're, if you're facing a health crisis, a financial crisis, it doesn't matter if you're taking a step of faith and you know that God has called you into a new territory, into a new job, a new experience, a new relationship. You can trust God to lead you. I know that.
Doyle Jackson: 18:12 Can I tell you this? In my life, there have been times that I didn't know what to do, and I've opened up the psalms. I've read through them, and I found a psalm that was fitting for what I was going through, and I would just change the pronoun so it was me. And I would just declare it out over my life and it's changed the direction. The psalms have helped me forgive someone who's harmed me in a way that I never imagined being harmed. The Psalm has given me the prayer for health, when I needed health. The psalms have given me the song that I needed to be a father, to be a husband, to be a pastor, to be a friend.
Doyle Jackson: 19:03 If you will read the psalms, and you look for them, and you find the psalm. It's like the same way, you know, we used to have these jukeboxes. You'd go up to the jukebox and you'd read down, and you'd look for the one that felt like you felt, and you press B-9, drop your quarter in. Why did you do that? Because you needed something that resonated with your soul. And what David does is he shares his soul, his mind, his will, and his emotions. And he says, you need to know something. You need to know something with all your heart, the only one they only way to restore a broken soul is God. See, the reason that we're inviting you to read the psalms is so that the Lord can restore your soul.
Doyle Jackson: 19:55 Let's go on the offensive. Let's stop always living our life, reacting to all the problems and the drama. The world loves drama, God invites you to peace. Jesus is called the Prince of peace, the Lord of life. See, if you begin to speak his words over your life, it'll change you. Look what David says, David says, prayer lights the way, God strengthens us with the word. And so if you and I will take the word of God and speak it out over our life, what it'll do is light our path, it'll show us what's the next step I need to take in this relationship? Do I need to end it? Don't need to go forward with it? God's word will tell us, what's the next step I need to take in my career? What's the next step I need to take? What's the next step I need to take? The Lord has your future.
Doyle Jackson: 20:53 If the Lord has your future, the question is, will you look to his word to guide that, to receive it? And say, okay, Lord, I'm good with that, I'm good with that. Makes me nervous, but I'm good with that. In Psalm Eighteen, David describes one of the many times in his life when he looks to the Lord. He says, for you light my lamp, the Lord my God illuminates my darkness. Do you believe that? Do you believe that God intends for you to see, to find the way to the future, to have freedom and life? See David did, I invite you to it? Tonight I'm going to teach a class at 5:00 PM. on the freedom that comes from Christ Jesus. David understood that his path, and the light, always came from God. And if you will apply that, he will give you greater freedom. He'll give you greater life. Look what could he says here. He says, for by you, I can run upon a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall. Literally those Hebrew words there say that I can run at a barricade, I can run at a group of men that have built up a blockage, and I don't have to worry about it I'll go right through it. He says, I can leap over a wall. In the ancient world, in order to take a city, you had to get over the wall. And they would build them huge and massive, and we have, we have relief drawings of the ancient world. How some of these guys would be like pole vaulters to go over the wall. David says, God gives me gives me that ability, to leap over the wall, God gives me the ability.
Doyle Jackson: 22:40 What if you started putting points on the board? What would your life look like if you started going over the obstacles in your life? Through the difficult places? As for God, his way is blameless. The word of the Lord is tried. He is a shield to all who take refuge in him. For who is God but the Lord, and who is a rock except our God. The God who girds me with strength, and makes my way blameless. He makes my feet like hinds feet, like a deer's feet, and sets me upon high places. He trains my hands for battle. so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. David was was looking to God to give his hands what they needed. Do you need wisdom for your career? Do you need wisdom for your life? Do you need strength in your body? See, David said, God gives me everything I need, he relies on God.
Doyle Jackson: 23:49 I want to ask you to take a step of faith today. alright? In front of you, there's a pocket, and there's one of these connect cards. I would like for everyone in this room to take out one of these connect cards. And this is why, I'd like you to pick it up, and I like you to write on it, what is the obstacle you face right now? What is the one thing that in your heart, you're like, man, if I could just deal with this, things will be better in my life if I can just take care of this one thing. I want you to write that down as your prayer request, the Way David did. Say, Lord, I'm depending on you to be my shield in the midst of the words that have been coming against me. God, I'm looking to you, to tell me to run at this barricade right now, this career change that I've got, this opportunity that's before me. I'm trusting you to move everything out of my way. God, I'm trusting you. God, I need you in this area of my life. Maybe it's someone else in your life, maybe you're believing for somebody else. I prayed with somebody this last hour they had someone in their family that's in a really hard place. And what they know is this. If this family member doesn't get God in the midst of this situation, it's going to impact their relationship, and so they're saying, pray with me, pray with me. Maybe you need to write that down. I want you to write it down, and say, God, I need you to show up in this situation. This is my Goliath moment. This is my test right now about your Lordship, your relationship to me, God, I need you. We're going to trust him. Say God gave me light to this, give me the right voice to cry. Lord, I'm trusting you, I'm relying on you, only you can meet me in this. Alright, I hope everybody's written something down. We're going to trust God for these matters. We're going to come back to them. Okay?
Doyle Jackson: 25:55 Before we leave. I want to give you a couple more neat principles about David's Psalms and the way David approached God, and the way David always approached God was from the perspective of a shepherd king. David was a shepherd before he was a king, but he always understood God first as the Lord of his life. As the one who sent him, where he went, the one who gave him his orders, the one who gave him his life, the one who provided the peace in his life, the one who provided for him. See David, he understood the nature of God was to be a shepherd, and a king, of our life.
Doyle Jackson: 26:37 In Psalm 22, this is part of our reading this week. This is what David said, "Yet you, (speaking of God) are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. In you, our fathers trusted, they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they've cried and were rescued, in you they trusted, and were not put to shame." See, what David understood was this. When the people of God, praise God, he gave them victory. When the people of God praised him, God was the one that gave them deliverance. David had read the history of Israel, and the history of Israel encouraged him that God is trustworthy. David would read the history of how God delivered them from Egypt, how God provided every time they needed food, every time God needed to to give them shelter. Every time they needed, whatever it was, from rain, to food on the table, David knew God would provide. And he said the key to that, the key to that, is understanding that if we praise him for being who he is, the good king will always provide for the people what they need. So this is the principle behind it. Praise puts God in his place as savior. See, when you praise God, it says something in your heart, it says something to God. It says, God, you're my savior. It's not Doyle's my savior, no, God is my savior.
Doyle Jackson: 28:21 Then the second principle comes from the 23rd Psalm. Probably the most famous of all the psalms. Most of us already know it, but listen to it again, just the first three verses. I'm not going to do all of it. Listen to what it says. It says, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures." He gives you sleep at night. He gives you the peace. He gives you everything you need to rest secure. "He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name sake." The principle that David lays out is this. Praise puts us in our place, under God's care. Folks, when you hear that, a pressure should just leave from your life right now. You mean it's not my responsibility? You have some responsibility, but you don't carry all the responsibility, because you have a shepherd king. You have a God that loves you. He's a God that goes after the one. He goes after the one, when they've wandered away, he goes out and says, come back, sweetheart, come back with me. Come back with me, come home with me. See, God is that nature, the reason that we worship Jesus, the reason that Christians worship Jesus all over the world today, is because they know that God is the shepherd king. That he stepped into our world, and that the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep, and David understood that 2000 years before Jesus even arrived, David understood that that's the nature of God, that God wants to be a good shepherd king. So that's why today you and I can take whatever thing we face, whatever burdens we bear, whatever wall we are facing, and we can say, okay God, I'm looking to you to answer my prayer. I'm looking to you to meet me in the midst of this, give me the light. give me the wisdom, give me the strength, give me whatever it is I need to go over this wall.
Doyle Jackson: 30:54 Today we're just going to pray those first three words of Psalm 23, that's our prayer. And what I want you to do, as a sign of your faith and trusting God to take care of that as your shepherd king, is you hold these in your hand. And then when you leave, I want you to leave him in God's hands, okay? You're going to drop them in the boxes at the back, and you just say, God, I'm trusting you, I'm trusting you, and you put them in the boxes. There's boxes at the rear of the room on the wall, and you just drop them. That's why David talks about his offering. David always brought his offering to God, and his offering was his heart, his heart towards God.
Doyle Jackson: 31:35 We're going to give our heart to God today, so if you would join me in standing, I give you permission to hold your neighbor's hand, make sure they give you permission to. But hold onto your card, and we're going to proclaim the 23rd psalm, the first three verses over this. Okay, are you ready to say it with me? The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness, for his name's sake. Amen. Amen. God bless you. Thank you for coming. If you're a guest, please stop by, they have a gift for you in the back. If you'd like to meet me, I'll be down here. I'd love to say hello. We always have a team that prays with people. Have a great day. Take some extra air fresheners if you'd like. I'll be here.
Recorded in Columbus, Ohio.
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