1 00:00:03,680 --> 00:00:06,880 Good morning three CI it is a great privilege to share the 2 00:00:06,880 --> 00:00:09,840 word of God with you this morning my wife shared so 3 00:00:09,840 --> 00:00:13,480 beautifully babe, you're amazing what God has done in your life 4 00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:15,880 is incredible. It's a privilege to be married 5 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:21,320 to 18 years this year. Hey and going awesome 3 CI I 6 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:24,800 want to say this to you. You're a base church, that is 7 00:00:24,800 --> 00:00:29,400 you impact the lives of of, of, of, of gospel families across 8 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:33,320 the earth. The gospel reverberates, echoes 9 00:00:33,320 --> 00:00:36,720 out of this place and touches our hearts and Durban people in 10 00:00:36,720 --> 00:00:41,800 Cape Town, Lisbon and beyond. And what you are doing and 11 00:00:41,800 --> 00:00:45,320 you're serving the Lord here is impacting people out there. 12 00:00:46,400 --> 00:00:49,280 Paul writes to the the Thessalonian Church and he says 13 00:00:49,440 --> 00:00:53,280 the word of God rang out from you not in only in your region, 14 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:56,680 but to every area where your faith, faith has been made 15 00:00:56,680 --> 00:01:00,480 known. And I want to say to you, 3 CI, 16 00:01:00,480 --> 00:01:03,560 you're a beautiful church. You're a beautiful church. 17 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:07,000 You may not feel beautiful, but God has made You Beautiful. 18 00:01:07,360 --> 00:01:09,000 The Father says you are beautiful. 19 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:11,600 You're beautiful in his eyes. I pray you received that this 20 00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:15,360 morning. Jesus makes us beautiful. 21 00:01:16,120 --> 00:01:18,960 You're a beautiful church. Roy and Mel, thank you for your 22 00:01:18,960 --> 00:01:22,560 love and tremendous support. The leaders of this church thank 23 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:25,200 you for backing us. Thank you for for how you love 24 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:29,400 us, how you support us. This church continues to support 25 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:33,920 us in so many ways and we are so grateful your team has hosted us 26 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:37,760 with such heaven like generosity this weekend. 27 00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:41,960 We are so filled up and refreshed and and built up. 28 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:43,720 I want to thank you from three CI. 29 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:45,520 Thank you every single one of you. 30 00:01:45,520 --> 00:01:47,360 Thank you. Wonderful. 31 00:01:47,520 --> 00:01:51,400 There's 10 in our Bibles this morning to Psalm chapter Psalm 32 00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:53,840 16. It's it's not chapter 16, it's 33 00:01:53,920 --> 00:01:59,360 Psalm 16. I'm going to read from the real 34 00:01:59,360 --> 00:02:10,600 Bible. OK, let's hear the word of God 35 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:14,200 this morning. Protect me God verse one, 36 00:02:14,640 --> 00:02:17,200 protect me God, for I take refuge in you. 37 00:02:17,760 --> 00:02:19,440 I said to the Lord, you are my Lord. 38 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:24,000 I have nothing good beside you. As for the holy people who are 39 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:26,280 in the land, they are the noble ones. 40 00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:29,400 All my delight is in them. The sorrows of those who take 41 00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:31,560 another God for themselves will multiply. 42 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:34,320 I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood. 43 00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:36,840 I will not speak their names with my lips. 44 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:40,560 Lord, you are my portion and my cup of blessing. 45 00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:45,280 You hold my future. The boundary lines have fallen 46 00:02:45,280 --> 00:02:48,640 for me in pleasant places. Indeed, I have a beautiful 47 00:02:48,640 --> 00:02:52,560 inheritance. I will bless the Lord who 48 00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:55,360 counsels me. Even at night, when my thoughts 49 00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:59,520 trouble me, I always let the Lord guide me. 50 00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:03,960 Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 51 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:10,280 Therefore my heart is glad and my whole being rejoices, and my 52 00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:15,400 body also rests securely. For you will not abandon me to 53 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:18,160 shield. You will not allow your faithful 54 00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:22,240 one to see decay. You reveal the path of life to 55 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:26,280 me in your presence is abundant joy at your right hand, our 56 00:03:26,280 --> 00:03:29,120 eternal pleasures. And I've been prayed for this 57 00:03:29,120 --> 00:03:32,560 morning, but let's pray. Heavenly Father, I pray this 58 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:36,400 morning that we'll come under the conviction of your word by 59 00:03:36,400 --> 00:03:39,960 the power of the Holy Spirit, and that you will enable me to 60 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:42,760 preach your word with boldness this morning in Jesus name, 61 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:47,520 Amen. You remember how God took David, 62 00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:50,360 a young shepherd boy from Bethlehem, and he anointed him 63 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:53,720 king over Israel. And the process of becoming king 64 00:03:53,720 --> 00:03:57,480 was long and treacherous. As king, David carried great 65 00:03:57,480 --> 00:04:00,920 responsibility and he enjoyed many victories, but he also 66 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:05,360 endured many trials. And God used David to show us 67 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:07,440 his covenant love and his faithfulness. 68 00:04:09,440 --> 00:04:13,560 This particular Psalm is is called a Mctim of David. 69 00:04:14,680 --> 00:04:17,519 Scholars have no cooking clue what the word MC Tam actually 70 00:04:17,519 --> 00:04:23,120 means, but the root word that this word MC Tam takes its 71 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:25,840 reform from is actually quite interesting. 72 00:04:25,840 --> 00:04:29,320 There's 2 two or three Hebrew words, but significant is one of 73 00:04:29,320 --> 00:04:33,160 them is the words secret and the other one is protective 74 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:36,320 covering. I don't know if you've, I looked 75 00:04:36,320 --> 00:04:40,280 at Brad and Debbie recently and said, Brad and Debbie, I don't 76 00:04:40,280 --> 00:04:43,360 know how old you are, at least over 40, but you look like 77 00:04:43,360 --> 00:04:45,520 you're not a day over 30. You know, what's your secret? 78 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:47,800 What's your secret? How do you stay so young? 79 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:53,480 Brad and Debbie, one could say of David, you know, what's your 80 00:04:53,480 --> 00:04:56,000 secret, David, what's your secret? 81 00:04:56,000 --> 00:04:58,960 How do you keep on going through the trials that you've that 82 00:04:58,960 --> 00:05:01,240 you've faced? How do you hold this 83 00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:03,920 responsibility of being king over Israel when, when things 84 00:05:03,920 --> 00:05:06,880 are good and when things have have not been easy at all? 85 00:05:07,240 --> 00:05:10,320 Like when your own son has betrayed you and tried to take 86 00:05:10,320 --> 00:05:13,040 the Kingdom from you, when your own sin has caught you out? 87 00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:15,880 David How, how, how have you lived in God's covenant faithful 88 00:05:15,880 --> 00:05:18,800 love and experienced the joy in in your heart? 89 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:22,800 Where do you get your confidence, David? 90 00:05:23,520 --> 00:05:27,280 And so I see Psalm 16 as a as a window into the devotion of 91 00:05:27,280 --> 00:05:30,040 David's life, his convictions brought about by the Spirit of 92 00:05:30,040 --> 00:05:33,360 God. And in Psalm in verse 11, David 93 00:05:33,360 --> 00:05:38,040 says God reveals the path of life to me, the path of life. 94 00:05:39,080 --> 00:05:42,120 And so that's the title of my sermon this morning, the path of 95 00:05:42,120 --> 00:05:43,120 life. I want to talk about 96 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:47,040 experiencing, knowing the life of Jesus that we have been 97 00:05:47,040 --> 00:05:51,600 delivered, saved into walking it out the path of life. 98 00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:55,960 Many Christians trust Jesus for forgiveness of sins, but we 99 00:05:55,960 --> 00:05:57,760 don't trust him for our everyday life. 100 00:06:00,040 --> 00:06:02,760 We give our hearts to Jesus, but we still live our own lives 101 00:06:02,760 --> 00:06:04,240 according to the pattern of the world. 102 00:06:04,240 --> 00:06:07,240 And we wonder why we're not enjoying God's peace. 103 00:06:07,920 --> 00:06:10,080 But he saved us into a whole new country. 104 00:06:10,720 --> 00:06:16,480 It's called the Kingdom of God. And in the Psalm, I see seven 105 00:06:16,480 --> 00:06:19,680 statements of radical devotion from a man who experienced God's 106 00:06:19,680 --> 00:06:24,240 faithful covenant love through the highs and lows of life. 107 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:27,720 And we're all invited to walk the path of life. 108 00:06:28,200 --> 00:06:32,440 We are delivered into the path of life by grace, undeserved 109 00:06:32,440 --> 00:06:35,000 favour, and by the Spirit of God. 110 00:06:35,920 --> 00:06:38,480 God invites us to walk it out, to live under him. 111 00:06:40,520 --> 00:06:44,000 Let's go through this Psalm. Protect me God, for I take 112 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:50,600 refuge in you point #1 take refuge in God, friend, take 113 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:55,520 shelter in God. I grew up in a ministry hustle. 114 00:06:55,520 --> 00:07:00,880 I heard many tragic stories in my life. 115 00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:04,480 My dad would get the phone call, so and so has died. 116 00:07:06,720 --> 00:07:11,360 There's a time where my dad had to go to a couples home and tell 117 00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:12,880 them that their first child had died. 118 00:07:12,880 --> 00:07:15,360 And a couple of years later he had to go to their home again 119 00:07:15,360 --> 00:07:17,040 and tell them their second child had died. 120 00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:20,960 And my dad taught me how to take shelter in God. 121 00:07:21,400 --> 00:07:24,440 I remembered dad holding my dad holding hands with us as a 122 00:07:24,440 --> 00:07:28,400 family and say, let's pray. Let's pray when trouble hit, 123 00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:31,120 let's pray. Let's seek the Lord. 124 00:07:31,120 --> 00:07:34,360 Let's take shelter in our God. I'm grateful for that. 125 00:07:35,360 --> 00:07:37,080 How are you dealing with life, friend? 126 00:07:37,080 --> 00:07:40,680 Are you trying to, are you trying to do it in your own 127 00:07:40,680 --> 00:07:43,480 strength, trying to face your troubles and your own wisdom and 128 00:07:43,480 --> 00:07:46,680 your own strength? Do you know the shepherding of 129 00:07:46,680 --> 00:07:49,040 God? Protect me, Lord. 130 00:07:49,040 --> 00:07:52,320 It actually means shepherd me God, Shepherd me God. 131 00:07:54,920 --> 00:07:56,920 David says he runs to God for shelter. 132 00:07:57,800 --> 00:08:01,560 Another psalmist called Elamoth in Psalm 46 verse one says God 133 00:08:01,560 --> 00:08:06,600 is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found, say, 134 00:08:06,600 --> 00:08:09,600 always found in times of trouble. 135 00:08:12,560 --> 00:08:15,040 Let's run to God for refuge. This is the path of life. 136 00:08:19,840 --> 00:08:21,880 I said to the Lord, You are my Lord. 137 00:08:21,920 --> 00:08:25,560 I have nothing good beside you. I want to invite you to come 138 00:08:25,560 --> 00:08:30,880 under God's loving authority as this child come under God's 139 00:08:30,880 --> 00:08:36,840 loving authority. I said to the Lord the Lord 140 00:08:38,159 --> 00:08:44,320 Yahweh, the God who breathed in all of creation came into 141 00:08:44,320 --> 00:08:49,040 existence. The Lord the one who spoke the 142 00:08:49,040 --> 00:08:53,880 stars into being filled the universe with such beauty and 143 00:08:53,880 --> 00:08:57,680 wonder and glory. Dallas Willard says yo you we, 144 00:08:57,680 --> 00:09:00,080 we put a little fish tank in our home and we can't get enough of 145 00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:02,360 the little fish. Have you ever looked into the 146 00:09:02,360 --> 00:09:05,440 might of the oceans and seen the unfathomable riches of colour 147 00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:09,280 and and life? The Lord who parted the Red Sea 148 00:09:09,280 --> 00:09:12,880 before Moses and the Israelites, the God of Abraham, Isaac and 149 00:09:12,880 --> 00:09:16,840 Jacob, the God who by grace came down and said, Abraham, I will 150 00:09:16,840 --> 00:09:22,080 bless you, the Lord. I said to the Lord, You are my 151 00:09:22,080 --> 00:09:25,040 Lord. You know what the grace of God 152 00:09:25,040 --> 00:09:27,160 is. The mercy and the wonder of God 153 00:09:27,280 --> 00:09:29,600 is that the Lord wants to be your Lord. 154 00:09:30,520 --> 00:09:38,200 He wants to be your Lord. My wife has just shed her 155 00:09:38,200 --> 00:09:41,880 testimony and beat me to it. I was going to she, but I'll 156 00:09:41,880 --> 00:09:43,840 just fill in some details. There was a guy called Sean 157 00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:47,400 Adams LED a youth ministry, still leads youth ministry to 158 00:09:47,400 --> 00:09:52,640 this day in Nosbrite, Pomalanga. My, my wife heard the gospel 159 00:09:52,640 --> 00:09:57,960 under Sean Adams and, and then she was learning to, to walk 160 00:09:57,960 --> 00:10:00,400 this out and she got a bit distracted at the University of 161 00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:04,680 Pretoria and she, she wasn't involved in so many good things. 162 00:10:05,920 --> 00:10:14,440 And the Lord arrested her heart one Saturday morning in varsity 163 00:10:14,760 --> 00:10:18,200 and said enough. And she was convicted. 164 00:10:19,120 --> 00:10:25,280 And so that night at a party, she was learning to listen, 165 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:30,840 someone else comes to her. So let me just backtrack a bit. 166 00:10:30,840 --> 00:10:33,600 Sorry, very important. She said, Lord, if you want me 167 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:35,680 to go to church, then tell me which church to go to. 168 00:10:35,680 --> 00:10:40,640 And she took out a map of Pretoria and before Google Maps 169 00:10:40,640 --> 00:10:43,160 and she and she said, where, where should I go? 170 00:10:43,920 --> 00:10:45,480 And she said you'd help me, Lord. 171 00:10:45,720 --> 00:10:48,680 So that night at a party, someone comes up to her and 172 00:10:48,680 --> 00:10:51,320 says, you won't believe it. I found a church. 173 00:10:51,400 --> 00:10:56,120 This is 2:00 in the morning, three CI, we should go tomorrow. 174 00:10:57,480 --> 00:10:59,200 She walked into the doors of three CI. 175 00:10:59,200 --> 00:11:00,640 And her life has never been the same. 176 00:11:02,200 --> 00:11:10,760 The Lord became her Lord. I have nothing good apart from 177 00:11:10,760 --> 00:11:12,320 you. You know what? 178 00:11:12,320 --> 00:11:19,240 David comes to the conclusion that in life, no God, and I mean 179 00:11:19,240 --> 00:11:23,440 the God, no God, no good. No God, no good. 180 00:11:24,080 --> 00:11:29,200 If God's not in it, I don't want it. 181 00:11:29,200 --> 00:11:32,640 Everything under the sun loses its goodness apart from God. 182 00:11:33,440 --> 00:11:35,840 Marriage, business, entertainment, pleasure, it all 183 00:11:35,840 --> 00:11:38,280 gets sick and twisted without the presence of God. 184 00:11:40,160 --> 00:11:43,320 When we think there is there is any good outside of God's 185 00:11:43,320 --> 00:11:51,080 presence, outside of his loving authority, that is not life, you 186 00:11:51,080 --> 00:11:53,880 know. You know Jesus came, came 187 00:11:53,880 --> 00:11:58,160 preaching the good news of the Kingdom saying repent because 188 00:11:58,160 --> 00:12:00,320 the Kingdom of God has come near. 189 00:12:01,320 --> 00:12:05,080 The Kingdom of God means the rule of God, the loving 190 00:12:05,280 --> 00:12:10,480 authority of God. Most High Jesus was saying you 191 00:12:10,480 --> 00:12:12,640 can come in and live under the rule of God. 192 00:12:13,360 --> 00:12:16,080 It is available. The Kingdom of heaven has come 193 00:12:16,080 --> 00:12:21,360 near and we know through Jesus the only way to the Father, we 194 00:12:21,360 --> 00:12:24,480 can come under the loving authority of God and live under 195 00:12:24,480 --> 00:12:28,640 his gracious rule and reign. You know the two very important 196 00:12:28,640 --> 00:12:30,480 lessons that God had to teach Abraham. 197 00:12:31,160 --> 00:12:37,560 Genesis 15 I am your protector. Genesis 22, I am your provider. 198 00:12:38,720 --> 00:12:41,120 Come under the authority of of God, friends. 199 00:12:41,560 --> 00:12:44,120 Learn to live under the protection and the provision, 200 00:12:44,520 --> 00:12:49,360 the loving authority of God #3 #3 delight in God's people. 201 00:12:51,080 --> 00:12:54,800 As for the holy people in the land, they are the noble ones. 202 00:12:55,160 --> 00:12:59,760 All my delight is in them. Friends to delight this word 203 00:12:59,760 --> 00:13:02,840 delight means to take extreme pleasure and satisfaction, 204 00:13:03,480 --> 00:13:05,720 extreme pleasure and satisfaction in God's people. 205 00:13:05,720 --> 00:13:07,440 Look, look at the person next to you. 206 00:13:09,600 --> 00:13:13,920 So I, I delight in you. It might seem weird, but I'll it 207 00:13:13,920 --> 00:13:16,400 will make sense now. OK, Some of you looking at your 208 00:13:16,400 --> 00:13:17,400 wives. It's it's good. 209 00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:24,640 I delight in you, friends. I have observed this, I've 210 00:13:24,640 --> 00:13:26,080 observed this. I've been in the church. 211 00:13:26,080 --> 00:13:28,560 It's my 40th birthday in August 26th. 212 00:13:28,560 --> 00:13:32,800 If just I've observed this, I've observed this. 213 00:13:32,800 --> 00:13:35,040 I grew up in the church. It didn't make me a Christian. 214 00:13:35,080 --> 00:13:37,920 Jesus came to me. He is my Lord. 215 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:42,240 People who love the church have a lot of joy. 216 00:13:46,240 --> 00:13:48,360 People who love the church have a lot of joy. 217 00:13:50,280 --> 00:13:52,760 People who love God's people have a lot of joy. 218 00:13:53,640 --> 00:13:56,920 We walk the path of life when we invest our lives in God's 219 00:13:56,920 --> 00:14:00,840 people. There is safety, there is joy, 220 00:14:00,840 --> 00:14:03,840 there is encouragement being amongst God's people. 221 00:14:03,840 --> 00:14:06,480 I have not walked out of one gathering of the church and I've 222 00:14:06,480 --> 00:14:10,000 fellowship in America and Australia and Thailand and 223 00:14:10,000 --> 00:14:13,480 Portland OR and and Lisbon, Portugal and here in three CR 224 00:14:13,680 --> 00:14:15,800 and I've never walked out of a church service. 225 00:14:15,920 --> 00:14:18,560 We haven't been encouraged and built up and full. 226 00:14:18,720 --> 00:14:21,040 Just God, thank you for your grace. 227 00:14:26,520 --> 00:14:29,320 As a pastor, I want to tell you this, God has had me on a 228 00:14:29,320 --> 00:14:32,200 journey of learning to delight in His people more and more. 229 00:14:32,440 --> 00:14:35,000 When I was fresh in the ministry, it was about me, my 230 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:37,680 responsibility, what I need to organize, the weight of 231 00:14:37,680 --> 00:14:40,960 leadership. And while this is all part of 232 00:14:40,960 --> 00:14:44,080 the role, God has been changing my perspective and I've 233 00:14:44,080 --> 00:14:47,600 discovered the joy of delighting in God's people, celebrating 234 00:14:47,600 --> 00:14:50,040 what God is doing in people's lives. 235 00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:54,760 You are bought with the precious blood of Christ. 236 00:14:55,080 --> 00:14:58,600 I look upon the sea of people and I'm amazed. 237 00:14:58,760 --> 00:15:01,200 We hear all sinners saved by grace. 238 00:15:01,400 --> 00:15:04,760 Each of you a miracle story of what God, God has redeemed you 239 00:15:04,760 --> 00:15:08,080 and saved you and washed you and brought you into the Kingdom of 240 00:15:08,080 --> 00:15:11,360 God. Oh, learn to delight in God's 241 00:15:11,360 --> 00:15:15,400 people. Learn to delight in God's 242 00:15:15,400 --> 00:15:17,360 people. Learn to celebrate what God is 243 00:15:17,360 --> 00:15:19,680 doing in other people's lives. Friends, I want to tell you 244 00:15:19,680 --> 00:15:21,040 this. I know, I know. 245 00:15:21,040 --> 00:15:24,120 We journey through the church long and some of you, you've 246 00:15:24,120 --> 00:15:26,680 experienced pain in the church some some of you are hurt. 247 00:15:28,080 --> 00:15:31,880 And I just want to tell you this, Don't give up on the 248 00:15:31,880 --> 00:15:35,120 church. Jesus never gives up on his 249 00:15:35,120 --> 00:15:37,800 church. If you read the end of the 250 00:15:37,800 --> 00:15:40,360 story, it says Jesus marries his church. 251 00:15:40,360 --> 00:15:44,480 I want to encourage you if you're cynical this morning, if 252 00:15:44,480 --> 00:15:48,560 you've been hurt, it's not a lack of compassion for what 253 00:15:48,560 --> 00:15:50,800 you've gone through. I don't know your story, but I 254 00:15:50,800 --> 00:15:54,360 want to tell you just just open up your arms and say, Lord God, 255 00:15:55,760 --> 00:15:57,480 may I delight in your people again. 256 00:16:04,160 --> 00:16:08,560 First of all, the sorrows of those who take another God for 257 00:16:08,560 --> 00:16:11,720 themselves will multiply. I will not pour out their drink 258 00:16:11,720 --> 00:16:13,760 offerings of blood. I will not speak their names 259 00:16:13,760 --> 00:16:17,880 with my lips. I summarize what David is saying 260 00:16:17,880 --> 00:16:21,920 into this Have nothing to do with the ways and worship of the 261 00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:24,480 wicked have nothing to do with it. 262 00:16:28,160 --> 00:16:32,600 There's a quote by Andy Crouch. He says all idols begin by 263 00:16:32,600 --> 00:16:35,200 offering great things for a very small price. 264 00:16:36,440 --> 00:16:40,800 They will take more and more and offer less and less until 265 00:16:40,800 --> 00:16:45,160 eventually they demand everything and offer nothing. 266 00:16:48,640 --> 00:16:53,480 I've been in church a long time. As I've said, I've observed 267 00:16:53,480 --> 00:16:56,360 people who are faithful in worship and in simple obedience 268 00:16:56,360 --> 00:16:59,400 to the Lord, and they've lived with joy in their hearts for 269 00:16:59,400 --> 00:17:04,040 decades. But worldly ambition that's 270 00:17:04,040 --> 00:17:06,599 crept into the hearts of believers, those who fall for 271 00:17:06,599 --> 00:17:09,440 the pursuits of the world. I've seen them taken out of 272 00:17:09,440 --> 00:17:12,760 their church according to their own decision and come into 273 00:17:12,760 --> 00:17:19,040 spiritual drought. David is not saying have nothing 274 00:17:19,040 --> 00:17:22,800 to do with ungodly people. We are called to reach out to 275 00:17:22,800 --> 00:17:26,480 the lost. David is saying have nothing to 276 00:17:26,480 --> 00:17:28,319 do with their worship and their ways. 277 00:17:28,319 --> 00:17:31,160 Don't take the world's value system on board. 278 00:17:34,080 --> 00:17:36,640 You see, if we enter the ways and worship of the wicked, 279 00:17:36,640 --> 00:17:39,760 running after the things they are running after, we will enter 280 00:17:39,760 --> 00:17:43,200 their sorrow. It's it's not good. 281 00:17:43,200 --> 00:17:46,680 It's not the path of life. It's not the life in the Kingdom 282 00:17:46,680 --> 00:17:49,680 of God that our Father is calling us to live in. 283 00:17:53,200 --> 00:18:01,440 You know, the way the world operates behind it is the one 284 00:18:01,440 --> 00:18:05,160 who opposes Satan's agenda. And we, we do not fear him 285 00:18:05,160 --> 00:18:08,600 because we are protected and, and, and made perfect in the 286 00:18:08,600 --> 00:18:12,080 love of Christ. But let's just be real according 287 00:18:12,080 --> 00:18:14,360 to the word of God that the way of the world is there to 288 00:18:14,360 --> 00:18:18,840 desensitize us and and to and to make us think you're Jesus 289 00:18:18,840 --> 00:18:22,960 standard of righteousness is a bit extreme and sin is not that 290 00:18:22,960 --> 00:18:26,440 bad. And I'll tell you friends, I 291 00:18:26,440 --> 00:18:31,160 meet many people that start to think this word is outdated, 292 00:18:32,320 --> 00:18:35,880 that God's ways are but old school. 293 00:18:38,720 --> 00:18:43,720 Daryl Johnson says this. Even when I don't understand the 294 00:18:43,720 --> 00:18:50,160 word, I stand under it. This is the infallible word of 295 00:18:50,160 --> 00:18:54,200 God. This is our standard of 296 00:18:54,200 --> 00:18:57,680 righteousness. God's standard of righteousness 297 00:18:57,680 --> 00:19:02,000 is a is a righteousness of love. It's for his glory and it's for 298 00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:05,440 our good. And so we read the word of God 299 00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:08,160 and we say, Lord, I've fallen fast short. 300 00:19:08,160 --> 00:19:10,520 Thank you, Lord Jesus, that I'm covered by the righteousness of 301 00:19:10,520 --> 00:19:13,200 Christ. I'm unable to live for you. 302 00:19:13,720 --> 00:19:15,680 I just want to encourage you in this place. 303 00:19:16,160 --> 00:19:18,720 If you're involved in something you know that is not part of 304 00:19:18,720 --> 00:19:25,080 this, this family of God, run from it, get rid of it, it's not 305 00:19:25,080 --> 00:19:29,800 worth it. Come out of it, repent. 306 00:19:30,280 --> 00:19:38,280 The Kingdom of God is available, the rule of God is here #5 enjoy 307 00:19:38,280 --> 00:19:41,000 God and enjoy what He has given you. 308 00:19:42,120 --> 00:19:45,080 Enjoy God and enjoy what He has given you. 309 00:19:45,160 --> 00:19:49,920 This is the path of life. Lord, You are my portion and my 310 00:19:49,920 --> 00:19:52,440 cup of blessing. You hold my future. 311 00:19:52,880 --> 00:19:56,720 Vanessa and I were in America, in Green Bay, WI for six months 312 00:19:56,720 --> 00:20:06,000 of our lives and, and, and I was running after some stuff and it 313 00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:09,440 was a preacher from, from, from the South. 314 00:20:10,840 --> 00:20:13,800 And he was preaching in the church that day, you say, 315 00:20:13,800 --> 00:20:18,560 where's that South African cup come to the front? 316 00:20:18,560 --> 00:20:21,520 And he prophesied incredibly accurately about some details in 317 00:20:21,520 --> 00:20:24,520 my life. And he said, I feel to tell you 318 00:20:24,520 --> 00:20:30,560 this, the Lord says I am yours and you are mine. 319 00:20:32,440 --> 00:20:36,720 I am yours and you are mine. That comes from Song of Solomon 320 00:20:36,720 --> 00:20:40,000 2 verse 16. My love is mine and I am His 321 00:20:41,360 --> 00:20:43,480 friends. This truth has been a life to me 322 00:20:45,080 --> 00:20:48,920 when things are not going my way and when I don't get what I 323 00:20:48,920 --> 00:20:54,400 want. The Lord is mine and I am His 324 00:20:54,800 --> 00:20:57,720 and that is enough. That is enough. 325 00:21:02,640 --> 00:21:06,240 You hold my future. You hold my future. 326 00:21:06,520 --> 00:21:13,480 Say you hold my future friends, the way of the world, the way of 327 00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:17,160 the successful In the world's success markers, the self-made 328 00:21:17,160 --> 00:21:20,320 man and woman, master of your own destiny. 329 00:21:20,520 --> 00:21:24,440 Get all you can get. It's a sad way to die. 330 00:21:28,920 --> 00:21:32,640 The good news is that in Christ, God is the master of my destiny, 331 00:21:35,480 --> 00:21:39,560 and this applies to your final glorification at the return of 332 00:21:39,560 --> 00:21:43,320 Jesus, and it applies to the fulfillment of every promise and 333 00:21:43,320 --> 00:21:45,560 dream that God has spoken over your life. 334 00:21:46,400 --> 00:21:48,360 God is the one who holds your future. 335 00:21:48,920 --> 00:21:54,600 Your life is in no man's hands, not in your boss's hands, not in 336 00:21:54,600 --> 00:21:59,200 anyone's hands. We live under the rule of God. 337 00:22:00,080 --> 00:22:03,720 He is the master of our destiny. The boundary lines have fallen 338 00:22:03,720 --> 00:22:05,960 for me in pleasant places. Indeed, I have a beautiful 339 00:22:05,960 --> 00:22:09,240 inheritance. Remember, David wrote the Psalm 340 00:22:09,240 --> 00:22:14,040 when he was in trouble, when things were not going well, and 341 00:22:14,040 --> 00:22:16,560 he says the boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant 342 00:22:16,560 --> 00:22:19,400 places. Indeed, I have a beautiful 343 00:22:19,400 --> 00:22:23,400 inheritance. I'll tell you a little story. 344 00:22:23,440 --> 00:22:25,680 Three men woke up one day to a phone call. 345 00:22:27,320 --> 00:22:30,360 The person on the other side of the telephone says you've 346 00:22:30,360 --> 00:22:34,280 received an inheritance. So the first man spent his whole 347 00:22:34,280 --> 00:22:36,960 life going to court trying to argue that he didn't deserve the 348 00:22:36,960 --> 00:22:40,800 field, that he was given the inheritance was a field, crucial 349 00:22:40,800 --> 00:22:44,920 part of the story, sorry, and that surely he couldn't have 350 00:22:44,920 --> 00:22:48,720 been given such a gift for free. So he argued in court the rest 351 00:22:48,720 --> 00:22:51,280 of his life. One man spent his life and he 352 00:22:51,280 --> 00:22:53,400 complained that the field had some weeds in it. 353 00:22:53,960 --> 00:22:56,280 And he cried out that this is useless and he rejected the 354 00:22:56,280 --> 00:23:00,240 potential. The last man rejoiced in the 355 00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:03,080 gift, worked the land and he enjoyed a harvest the following 356 00:23:03,080 --> 00:23:13,330 year. Ashley Bell leads Branston New 357 00:23:13,330 --> 00:23:15,930 Covenant Once on a ministry trip. 358 00:23:15,930 --> 00:23:17,770 He just turned to me. He'd like one of those throwing 359 00:23:17,770 --> 00:23:20,450 lines to a young man. He said, you can only have what 360 00:23:20,450 --> 00:23:25,730 heaven gives you, James. This comes from John 327. 361 00:23:26,330 --> 00:23:29,170 Context As John's disciples come rushing to John and saying 362 00:23:29,170 --> 00:23:34,520 everyone is heading off to Jesus and John says I'm not the 363 00:23:34,520 --> 00:23:37,480 Messiah, he must increase, I must decrease. 364 00:23:38,000 --> 00:23:41,360 My ministry has run its course and I'm happy I got to be the 365 00:23:41,360 --> 00:23:43,440 friend of the groom who rejoiced at his coming. 366 00:23:44,360 --> 00:23:48,120 He says this John responded no one can receive anything unless 367 00:23:48,120 --> 00:23:50,440 it has been given to him from heaven. 368 00:23:54,840 --> 00:23:58,400 I've travelled from being born in Middleburg and Pomalanga, to 369 00:23:58,400 --> 00:24:03,520 studying in Pretoria, to a job in a mechanic shop in Centurion, 370 00:24:03,520 --> 00:24:06,360 to Sydney, Australia, back to Middleburg, now to Durban. 371 00:24:06,560 --> 00:24:09,560 And I've learned this. You are happiest where God has 372 00:24:09,560 --> 00:24:12,400 you and you're happiest when you enjoy. 373 00:24:12,400 --> 00:24:15,720 That is, make full use of what God has given you. 374 00:24:17,480 --> 00:24:20,600 And some of us are too busy wishing about living in another 375 00:24:20,600 --> 00:24:24,280 country or or or or or or Lord, give me something else and 376 00:24:24,280 --> 00:24:26,360 wishing for something else in your life that you're not 377 00:24:26,360 --> 00:24:28,640 enjoying your wife, you're not enjoying your kids, you're not 378 00:24:28,640 --> 00:24:31,240 enjoying what is, what has heaven given you? 379 00:24:31,480 --> 00:24:34,200 Can you stand up with David and say the boundary lines have 380 00:24:34,200 --> 00:24:36,640 fallen me for me in pleasant places? 381 00:24:37,400 --> 00:24:40,960 I will enjoy what I will enjoy God because firstly, he is my 382 00:24:40,960 --> 00:24:44,400 portion and my cup of blessing. And I will enjoy what the Father 383 00:24:44,400 --> 00:24:46,840 has given me. I will make full use of it. 384 00:24:49,240 --> 00:24:51,760 This is the path of life number six. 385 00:24:51,760 --> 00:24:53,560 Open your heart to God's counsel. 386 00:24:54,800 --> 00:24:59,120 I will bless the Lord who counsels me even at night when 387 00:24:59,120 --> 00:25:03,080 my thoughts trouble me. I've observed that people who 388 00:25:03,080 --> 00:25:06,920 seek godly counsel make good decisions and enjoy the peace of 389 00:25:06,920 --> 00:25:12,600 God. Isaiah 9 verse 6 Speaking of the 390 00:25:12,600 --> 00:25:17,440 Messiah, says he will be called wonderful counselor. 391 00:25:22,800 --> 00:25:25,080 How many of you are turning to God for His counsel? 392 00:25:28,800 --> 00:25:33,480 How many of you in your prayer life simply said, Lord, speak to 393 00:25:33,480 --> 00:25:39,120 me, what should I do? What will be your way? 394 00:25:40,120 --> 00:25:42,960 Before I rush off and do my way, what will be your way? 395 00:25:42,960 --> 00:25:48,080 Lord counsel me. Lord, Friends, we have to open 396 00:25:48,080 --> 00:25:51,120 ourselves up to the counsel of God, especially when we're in 397 00:25:51,120 --> 00:25:54,000 trouble. When we're in trouble, we tend 398 00:25:54,000 --> 00:25:55,840 to hide from God in the church, right? 399 00:25:56,960 --> 00:25:59,200 We get busy with trying to solutionize. 400 00:25:59,600 --> 00:26:03,280 It's my own word. I've got to figure this out. 401 00:26:03,440 --> 00:26:06,360 I just got a couple of things to get through and the church will 402 00:26:06,360 --> 00:26:08,680 see me later, but I got to deal with this first. 403 00:26:09,120 --> 00:26:11,920 And God is saying you stick in the family of God, you stick in 404 00:26:11,920 --> 00:26:14,400 the counsel of God. You, you, you don't turn aside 405 00:26:14,400 --> 00:26:16,280 to the left or the right. You, you, you seek the 406 00:26:16,280 --> 00:26:18,080 counselor. Lord, you walk through it. 407 00:26:18,080 --> 00:26:26,480 In the family of God, you walk through it when you're in 408 00:26:26,480 --> 00:26:28,520 trouble, when you're depressed, when you're anxious. 409 00:26:28,520 --> 00:26:30,200 This church has got an amazing saying. 410 00:26:30,200 --> 00:26:32,680 You run to God and you run to his church. 411 00:26:35,040 --> 00:26:37,080 And I love this. David gives us a beautiful 412 00:26:37,080 --> 00:26:42,240 picture of how worship opens up the doorway to God's counsel. 413 00:26:43,120 --> 00:26:47,240 So David says that he blesses the Lord who counsels me even at 414 00:26:47,240 --> 00:26:53,640 night when anxiety rages. How many of you in this room go 415 00:26:53,640 --> 00:26:55,720 to bed some nights and you just feel like the world is a 416 00:26:55,720 --> 00:27:00,480 tremendously dark place? Just me. 417 00:27:00,600 --> 00:27:07,040 OK friends, I've learnt this. I've learnt a lie. 418 00:27:07,040 --> 00:27:11,080 I'm just going to do a little picture that you I learnt and I 419 00:27:11,080 --> 00:27:15,160 put my head on my pillow. I feel troubled by the stuff 420 00:27:15,160 --> 00:27:21,440 that I can't control. And I just say, Lord, I worship 421 00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:25,360 you. I praise you, Lord, I am yours 422 00:27:25,360 --> 00:27:28,680 and you are mine. You're my portion, my cup. 423 00:27:30,720 --> 00:27:33,000 I worship you, Lord. I can't control it, Lord. 424 00:27:33,800 --> 00:27:35,640 God, you can work while I'm sleeping. 425 00:27:36,640 --> 00:27:39,680 I can't make it happen. I love you, Lord. 426 00:27:40,640 --> 00:27:43,680 Bring peace to my anxious heart. Speak peace to my soul right 427 00:27:43,680 --> 00:27:47,920 now, Lord. Praise you, Lord, just to ask 428 00:27:47,920 --> 00:27:49,320 you to close your eyes. Just close your eyes. 429 00:27:49,320 --> 00:27:53,800 Let's begin to worship the Lord. I don't know that any in any 430 00:27:53,800 --> 00:27:55,920 building, any time there's a church gathering, there can be 431 00:27:55,920 --> 00:27:58,360 troubled hearts in our midst. They can be people going through 432 00:27:58,720 --> 00:28:01,480 the depths of pain that some of us don't understand. 433 00:28:01,480 --> 00:28:03,600 Many of us don't understand right now. 434 00:28:03,600 --> 00:28:07,040 Maybe for some people in this room, there's a great sense of 435 00:28:07,040 --> 00:28:08,920 hopelessness in in some people's hearts. 436 00:28:08,920 --> 00:28:10,960 So we're going to worship God together and we're going to 437 00:28:10,960 --> 00:28:13,640 trust God to speak his peace to anxious hearts. 438 00:28:13,640 --> 00:28:16,720 Right now, this morning, come with you, with your, with your, 439 00:28:16,720 --> 00:28:19,920 with your lips, just I worship you, Lord, I praise you, Lord, 440 00:28:19,920 --> 00:28:24,000 speaking to worship God, cry out to him, Praise you, Lord, I 441 00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:27,760 worship you, your holy name. You are good, wonderfully, good, 442 00:28:27,920 --> 00:28:30,240 amazing, magnificent. You love us. 443 00:28:30,400 --> 00:28:34,200 You know every hair on my head, Lord, I worship you Jesus, 444 00:28:34,560 --> 00:28:37,120 praise you, Lord, thank you, Jesus. 445 00:28:37,120 --> 00:28:40,400 Father, I pray that you just touch any heart in this place. 446 00:28:41,000 --> 00:28:47,080 I want to encourage you with this when we think that our 447 00:28:47,080 --> 00:28:51,000 anxiety is too much to bear. John writes this whenever our 448 00:28:51,000 --> 00:28:54,720 hearts condemn us. God is greater than our hearts 449 00:28:55,040 --> 00:28:58,760 and He knows all things. Verse 8. 450 00:28:59,080 --> 00:29:01,800 I will always let the Lord guide me because he is at my right 451 00:29:01,800 --> 00:29:03,080 hand. I will not be shaken. 452 00:29:03,600 --> 00:29:05,760 My last point is this, Trust the Lord to lead you. 453 00:29:09,440 --> 00:29:12,520 I always let the Lord guide me. This phrase is literally 454 00:29:12,520 --> 00:29:14,640 translated. I put the Lord in front of me. 455 00:29:15,920 --> 00:29:21,960 I put the Lord in front of me. Many of us have no peace because 456 00:29:21,960 --> 00:29:24,760 we live our lives like this. My Father in heaven, my Kingdom 457 00:29:24,760 --> 00:29:27,680 come, my will be done. But the last time I checked, it 458 00:29:27,680 --> 00:29:31,520 doesn't go like that. Jesus says follow me, follow me. 459 00:29:36,720 --> 00:29:39,480 There's been a vital reminder in in the call of ministry. 460 00:29:39,480 --> 00:29:42,840 I remember in a prayer meeting and when this was still a tent 461 00:29:43,560 --> 00:29:45,960 and we had a prayer meeting at the back somewhere behind the 462 00:29:45,960 --> 00:29:49,040 sound desk there, and we were in the middle of a pre meeting. 463 00:29:49,040 --> 00:29:51,200 I was a young man. I wanted to serve God and I had 464 00:29:51,200 --> 00:29:53,160 a lot to learn. In the middle of the pre 465 00:29:53,160 --> 00:29:55,480 meeting, the guy who led the church at the stage name was 466 00:29:55,480 --> 00:29:58,040 Nick Davis. He stopped the pre meeting and 467 00:29:58,040 --> 00:30:00,560 he looked at me, looked straight at me and said God will raise 468 00:30:00,560 --> 00:30:03,720 you up. God will raise you up. 469 00:30:05,040 --> 00:30:08,280 In other words, you don't have to fight for what God is going 470 00:30:08,280 --> 00:30:10,360 to give you one day. You don't have to position 471 00:30:10,360 --> 00:30:13,520 yourself and wangle it. God will raise you up. 472 00:30:16,920 --> 00:30:22,480 That has been so life giving for me. 473 00:30:23,320 --> 00:30:25,760 In a world of ministry where people are brand building and 474 00:30:25,760 --> 00:30:28,840 platform building and whatnot, God will raise you up. 475 00:30:29,320 --> 00:30:31,960 Whatever God is calling you to do, God will position you for 476 00:30:31,960 --> 00:30:34,000 it. That that that word guide means 477 00:30:34,200 --> 00:30:39,680 to be positioned. God will position me if you're 478 00:30:39,680 --> 00:30:42,240 looking for that, that that thing that that promotion, if 479 00:30:42,240 --> 00:30:45,160 God has it for you, God will position you be faithful and 480 00:30:45,160 --> 00:30:49,000 obedient with what he's given you today and you pray about it. 481 00:30:49,640 --> 00:30:52,080 But friends, don't take things into your own hands. 482 00:30:53,400 --> 00:30:55,640 He says the Lord is at my right hand. 483 00:30:55,680 --> 00:30:59,120 I will not be shaken. That that phrase right hand. 484 00:30:59,120 --> 00:31:02,160 That's very significant, especially in in in ancient 485 00:31:02,160 --> 00:31:04,240 Middle East. The one who was at your right 486 00:31:04,240 --> 00:31:07,800 hand was, was was your your defender, your advocate, someone 487 00:31:07,800 --> 00:31:10,040 who defended you. Are you trying to defend your 488 00:31:10,040 --> 00:31:13,440 life? Can you, can you live with a bit 489 00:31:13,440 --> 00:31:16,360 of people misunderstanding you? Do you always have to explain 490 00:31:16,360 --> 00:31:19,040 yourself? Can you live in the peace of God 491 00:31:19,040 --> 00:31:21,320 that the Lord will defend me? The Lord vindicates me. 492 00:31:21,320 --> 00:31:24,680 Do you have to do you have to prove yourself? 493 00:31:27,040 --> 00:31:29,200 If someone tells you something you already know, do you have to 494 00:31:29,200 --> 00:31:30,720 tell them? Yeah, but I already know that. 495 00:31:30,720 --> 00:31:34,960 Or can you just. Can you just he just let the 496 00:31:34,960 --> 00:31:36,680 Lord defend you can live in the peace. 497 00:31:37,040 --> 00:31:39,560 It's the peace and freedom of knowing that God knows. 498 00:31:44,440 --> 00:31:47,360 And it's the military context where it's it's, it's, it's, 499 00:31:47,600 --> 00:31:49,080 it's where your sword is stripped. 500 00:31:49,600 --> 00:31:56,160 It's, it's your right hand, man. God is at my right hand. 501 00:31:56,160 --> 00:32:00,080 He's the hand of my strength. My hands alone are not strong 502 00:32:00,080 --> 00:32:02,200 enough to lead me where God wants to take me. 503 00:32:04,920 --> 00:32:06,880 Friends, the consequence? Let's just read this again. 504 00:32:06,880 --> 00:32:09,040 What's the consequence? I'm done. 505 00:32:10,040 --> 00:32:12,840 What's the consequence of being shepherded by God by walking in 506 00:32:12,840 --> 00:32:16,120 His path of life? Just close your eyes. 507 00:32:17,960 --> 00:32:22,000 Therefore, my heart is glad and my whole being rejoices. 508 00:32:22,560 --> 00:32:26,040 My body also rests securely. For you will not abandon me to 509 00:32:26,040 --> 00:32:29,440 shield You will not allow your faithful one to see decay. 510 00:32:29,920 --> 00:32:31,320 God will not abandon you, friend. 511 00:32:32,960 --> 00:32:37,200 God will never abandon you, no matter how far you go running 512 00:32:37,200 --> 00:32:40,320 away from His love as his child. God will not abandon you. 513 00:32:44,040 --> 00:32:49,600 God will not abandon you. We are saved by grace. 514 00:32:50,680 --> 00:32:53,000 You reveal the path of life to me, and your presence is 515 00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:55,680 abundant joy at your right hand or eternal pleasures. 516 00:32:56,440 --> 00:32:59,200 Peter says in his sermon at Pentecost and Acts 2 that this 517 00:32:59,200 --> 00:33:02,080 Psalm is actually about Jesus. You see, because Jesus is 518 00:33:02,080 --> 00:33:05,640 actually the hero of the story. Jesus has perfectly glorified 519 00:33:05,640 --> 00:33:08,160 the Father as a man. Jesus is heaven on earth. 520 00:33:08,240 --> 00:33:12,160 Jesus is the path of life. Experiencing God's abundant life 521 00:33:12,160 --> 00:33:15,560 starts with putting our total trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. 522 00:33:15,560 --> 00:33:20,720 God bless you. 3 CI. May God work mightily in your 523 00:33:20,720 --> 00:33:21,600 lives. Amen.