Temple Baptist Church - 10-3-2021
Introduction:
A. God chose David for a great purpose: to establish an everlasting throne upon which our Lord Jesus Christ would one day sit!
1. Psalms, chapter 26, was early time in David's reign. These words that we have read are some of David's first words.
2. In 2 Samuel, chapter 23, we find David's last words.
2 Samuel 23:1-3 Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said, (2) The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue. (3) The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.
3. Verses 1-2 - As David begins this Psalm, we find confidence in his request: " Judge me, O LORD ... examine me … prove me … try me"
B. In this Psalm, David speaks of walking in his integrity: verses 1 and 11.
1. Verse 1 – David is looking back. "I have walked"
2. Verse 1 – David is looking up. " I have trusted also in the LORD."
3. Verse 1 – David is looking forward. " I shall not slide."
4. Verse 11 – David is looking around. " But as for me."
5. Verse 11 – David is looking inward. " But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity."
C. Integrity is a state or quality of being entire or whole, an undivided or unbroken state. For example, “the integrity of the oil tanker’s hull is intact.” It means there are no breaches or cracks. It is still sound and complete.
1. The state of integrity is to be morally sound without any compromises or “cracks” in character where the world can leak in and corrupt principles.
2. David defines integrity as how he reacts with sin and God in the inward man while interacting outward around sinners. It is integrity that causes God’s man to stand in an even place.
D. Character is developed, it is not inherent!
1. You can be born into the richest, most influential family in the world and have no integrity.
2. You can be born and raised in a good Christian home and have no integrity. T
3. You must both desire and develop integrity.
E. Thank God for good homes and good churches. Children must be trained to do right. A child can be trained to do right and still resent it so there must be a time in their lives when they choose to do good because it is right. Character or integrity is a personal choice.
F. Integrity:
1. Integrity is rooted in your private life; thoughts and actions.
2. Integrity is reflected in your personal life; home life and friends.
3. Integrity is reinforced in your professional life; your actions on the job or in school.
4. Integrity will then manifest itself in then integrity in your public life.
G. Integrity is that part of you that lives in close communion and fellowship with the Lord himself. When we root our integrity in Him and the Word of God, then just as natural as water running downhill, our integrity will be reflected to those whom we love and live, reinforced in our professional world with those with whom we work and play, and revealed in the public world for the glory of God.
H. David was not born with integrity! Integrity is personally purposed and developed. David purposed in his heart to “walk in integrity” and spent his life developing it. The Psalms reveal some areas of David’s integrity:
1. David purposed to place his life in God’s hands - Psalms 3:2-4 Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah. (3) But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. (4) I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah. (Life is hard at best and bad things happen to good people. We can control certain aspects of our lives but there are some things that we cannot control.)
Ecclesiastes 9:11 I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
2. David purposed to follow his Shepherd - Psalms 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. (The Lord knows the path ahead; desires only the best for His children; and will lead us in the paths of His choosing.)
3. David purposed to live righteously - Psalms 15:1-2 LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? (2) He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. (“What goes around comes around” is a reality. You may pay a price for doing right now but payday will come later.)
4. David purposed to fervently pray - Psalms 5:2-3 Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray. (3) My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. Ecclesiastes 9:11 I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. (Call unto me! The effectual fervent prayer of the righteous man availeth much! You may not get what you want the way you want when you want but God will answer in His time and His way!)
5. David purposed to value the God’s of Word - Psalms 12:6-7 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. (7) Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever. (God’s Word is the “root” from which we grow; it is the foundation upon which we build; and the rock on which we stand! It is more important than our necessary food. Heeding it builds character.)
6. David purposed to seek the Lord with all his heart - Psalms 63:1 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; (Speaking of Christ, the New Testament says “who is our life!” He is more than our Lord and Saviour, He is our Life! Without Him we become nothing; with Him all things are possible, and life is worth living.)
7. David purposed to love the house of the Lord - Psalms 27:4 One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple. (God instituted the local church for several purposes: the mission of reaching a lost world for Christ; the mission of teaching God’s Word and raising our children for Christ; and to meet the manifold needs of His children. We are family and we are friends. In the house of the Lord, we both encourage and are encouraged.)
Psalms 84:2 My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.
8. David purposed to trust the Lord patiently in troubles - Psalms 40:1-3 I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. (2) He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. (3) And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD. (God loves His children and will take care of them in the best possible ways. As we do not always rush in and remove every problem for our children, He allows us to grow through our troubles because tribulation worketh patience, patience experience, and experience hope.)
Psalms 4:8 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.
Conclusion: Integrity is an essential is a part of the man whose heart is after God’s own heart.
No comments:
Post a Comment