The Majesty of the LORD

 Temple Baptist Church - 8-21-2022

Psalm 104:1-35

 

A.  A Psalm of David.  Psalm 104 begins just like Psalm 103 with “Bless the LORD, O my soul!”  It also continues with the words “O LORD my God.”  David had a very personal relationship with the LORD.  He was the only man in the Bible whose description was “a man after mine own heart.”

 

B.  As a “man after mine own heart,” David knew the LORD in a very wise and intimate way.  This Psalm gives us a beautiful picture of Who and What the LORD is.

 

Psalms 145:3-5  David’s Psalm of Praise. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.  (4)  One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.  (5)  I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.

 

The LORD’S greatness is unsearchable: cannot be fully known or understood by the human mind as God is a spirit: John 4:24  “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”

 

C.  David, through the wording of the Holy Ghost, gives us this description of the LORD: Great, Honorable, and Majestic.  We know that He is great and honorable but I want to look at Majesty.

 

Majesty – Webster’s 1828 - Greatness of appearance; dignity; grandeur; dignity of aspect or manner; the quality or state of a person or thing which inspires awe or reverence in the beholder; applied with peculiar propriety to God and his works.

 

1.  Verses 1-2.  The LORD’s Majesty is found in His Person

 

a.  The Greatness of God – “thou art very great” – “Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised”

 

b.  The Garments of God – “thou are clothed with honour and majesty” Psalms 93:1  “The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the LORD is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved.”

 

c.  The Glory of God – “Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment” - 1 Timothy 6:16  “Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.”

 

d.  Psalms 18:9-12  “He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.  (10)  And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.  (11)  He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.  (12)  At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.”

 

2.  Verses 3-4.  The LORD’s Majesty is found in His Place

 

a.  His Surroundings – The heaven of heavens often called the third heaven.  The dwelling place of the LORD.  The city of the living God.

 

b.  His Spirits – “Innumerable company of angels”

 

c.  Hebrews 12:21-23  And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)  (22)  But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,  (23)  To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

 

3.  Verses 5-9.  The LORD’s Majesty is found in His Power

 

a.  His Creation – He laid the foundations of the earth and called the stars by name.

 

b.  His Control – He brought forth the waters and then made the waters recede and set their bounds that they cannot pass.

 

c.  Psalms 62:11  God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.

 

4.  Verses 10-26.  The LORD’s Majesty is found in His Provision

 

a.  His Compassion for His creatures.  God loves His creatures and so does this pastor.  The LORD provides for the animals, the fish, and the fowl.

 

b.  His Care for His children.  We could camp out here for a while.  God is so good to all of us.

 

c.  2 Peter 1:3  According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

 

5.  Verses 27-32.  The LORD’s Majesty is found in His Purpose

 

a.  The LORD’s Requirement – All of nature is in obedience to the LORD.

 

b.  The LORD’s Rejoicing – And everything that He made was very good.

 

c.  Ecclesiastes 3:1  To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

 

Verses 33-34.  The LORD’s Majesty is found in His Praise

 

a.  The Praise of Music

 

b.  The Praise of Meditation

 

c.  Psalms 19:14  Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

 

d.  Psalms 150:6  Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.

 

Conclusion:  Verse 35: Our praise of God’s Majesty should be one of continuation Because one day our LORD will make all things eternally right.

The Word Made Flesh - Part 1

 Temple Baptist Church - 8-17-2022

John 1:11-14

 

Introduction:  

 

A.  John 1:14 is one of the greatest of all miracles in that the Word, Jehovah God, was “made” flesh and dwelt among us. 

 

1.  It would take books for us to properly preach and teach the theology found in this one verse. 

 

2.  The entire Bible is a “Him Book.”  It began with Jehovah God in Genesis, chapter one, and ends with Jesus Christ in Revelation 22:21. 

 

B.  Needless to say, I will not attempt to preach the entire Bible from this one verse.

 

C.  We found two classes of people here: saved and unsaved.  The Word was made flesh for both.  That the unsaved would be saved and that the saved would realize all that God has for them in salvation.  To know Him!

 

D.  In verse 14, the Holy Spirit used the word “MADE.”  I have preached on this word in the past but want to make a contextual application here in John, chapter 1.

 

1.  It means to make something that is not naturally found, nor would it ever have naturally occurred without intervention.  A woman makes a cake, but the ingredients would never come together into a cake without effort on her part. 

 

2.  The Lord was “made” certain things that could not have naturally occurred for all of humanity so that all of humanity could be saved.

 

3.  The Lord was also “made” things that accompany our salvation that could have never naturally occurred without divine intervention. 

 

E.  “Made:”  Jehovah God, the Word of God, was “made” flesh and dwelt among us so as to die for our sin and to be buried and resurrected bodily for our salvation.  Possibly the greatest miracle found in the Bible!  A mystery: something that cannot be naturally explained but, in the bible, can be spiritually discerned.

 

1 Timothy 3:16  And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

 

I will preach this in two parts: 1) What Christ was made for the world and 2) what Christ was made for us.

 

F.  I will tie a familiar verse in with John 1:11-14:

 

2 Corinthians 5:21  1) For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; 2) that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

 

G.  For tonight: 2 Corinthians 5:21a  1) For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin;

 

H.  Jesus Christ took our place when He died for the sin of the world.

 

1.  What Christ Was Made For The World - 1 John 2:2  And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 

 

a.  He was made flesh - Romans 8:3  For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

 

b.  He was made of a woman - Galatians 4:4  But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law. 

 

Genesis 3:15  And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

 

c.  He was made of seed of David - Romans 1:3  Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh.

 

Luke 1:32  He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

 

d.  He was made of no reputation - Philippians 2:7  But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

 

Isaiah 53:2  For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

 

e.  He was made in likeness of man - Philippians 2:7  But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

 

Hebrews 10:5  Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:

 

f.  He was made lower than angels - Hebrews 2:7  Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:

 

Hebrews 2:9  But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

 

g.  He was made under the law - Galatians 4:4  But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law.

 

Colossians 2:13-14  And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having orgiven you all trespasses;  Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

 

h.  He was made a curse - Galatians 3:13  Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.

 

Galatians 3:10  For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

 

i.  He was made sin - 2 Corinthians 5:21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

 

1 John 3:5  And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.

 

Conclusion: 

 

a.  Jesus Christ died for the sins of the whole world.

 

b.  Jesus Christ died for the sins of this pastor.

 

c.  Jesus Christ died for your sins!

I Will Freely Sacrifice

 Temple Baptist Church 8-14-2022

Psalm 54

 

Introduction:

 

A.  Verses 1-2.  Once again, we find God’s man crying out to God.  We need not to think that the prayers of David are redundant.  His prayers were a part of his walk with God!  We are command in the New Testament to “pray without ceasing.”

 

B.  Verse 3.  David identified his enemies and his needs to the Lord in expectancy.  They are “strangers.”  They do not identify with the God of Israel.  Not only are they Godless, but they are also ungodly.

 

C.  Verse 4-5.  David states his confidence in God to take care of both the ungodly and change his circumstances by placing him back on the throne where he belonged.

 

Verse 4 – God will protect David.

 

Verse 5 – God will reward the ungodly.

 

Proverbs 3:5-6  Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  (6)  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

 

D.  It is his statement in the toward the end of the Psalm that I want to look at tonight.  “I will freely sacrifice unto thee.”  I want to break this portion down so as to understand what this sacrifice is:

 

a.  Sacrifice biblically defined: 2 Samuel 24:24  And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

 

b.  Sacrifice contextually defined:

 

1.  Sacrifice is personal – “I”

 

2.  Sacrifice is freewill – “will”

 

3.  Sacrifice is expensive – “sacrifice”

 

4.  Sacrifice is private – “unto”

 

5.  Sacrifice is pointed – “thee”

 

E.  David’s sacrifice unto the LORD in this instance was his praise of his God.  “I will praise thy name, O LORD; for it is good.”  It is a good thing to give thanks and praise to the Lord: The Goodness of God demands our sacrifice.

 

1.  A Sacrifice of Holiness - cost you the world.

 

Psalm 4:5  Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.

 

2.  Sacrifice of Joy - cost you your self-pity

 

Psalm 27:6  And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.

 

3.  Sacrifice of Repentance - cost you your sin.

 

Psalm 51:17  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise

 

4.  Sacrifice of Thanksgiving - cost you your self-worth.

 

Psalm 107:22  And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.

 

5.  Sacrifice of Prayer - cost you your will.

 

Psalm 141:2  Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

 

6.  Sacrifice of Praise - cost you your pride.

 

Hebrews 13:15  By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

 

7.  Sacrifice of your Body - cost you your popularity with the world.

 

Romans 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

 

8.  Sacrifice of Love - cost you your anger and bitterness.

 

Ephesians 5:2  And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

 

9.  Sacrifice of Service - cost you your life.

 

Philippians 2:17  Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all.

 

10.  Sacrifice of Giving - cost you your possessions.

 

Philippians 4:18  But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God.

 

11.  Sacrifice of the Blood - cost you nothing.

 

Hebrews 11:4  By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

Remind Me, Dear Lord - Part 2 - Our Great Salvation

Temple Baptist Church - 8-14-2022

1 Peter 1:1-5

 

A.  Last week, I historically introduced this series of messages with the to whom, the why, and the how that 1 Peter was written.  Briefly, their limited spiritual growth (these were new converts—by this I mean that they may have been saved for some time but because of the dispersion, they were not able to:

 

1.  Read their Bible because the canon of Scripture had not been either completed nor had it been printed and placed in their hands.

 

2.  Because they did not have the opportunity to sit in a local church under a doctrinally sound pastor.  Because they were scattered, they could not enjoy the fellowship that we enjoy this morning.

 

3.  This caused some of them to doubt their newly found relationship with God.

 

B.  By the same token, believers today undergo trials and tribulations that cause them to doubt to some degree their relationship to God but our problem with doubts is reversed and, therefore, most time willful.

 

1.  We have the completed canon of Scripture and every one of us has a copy of God’s Word in our hands this morning, but I fear that too many of God’s people do not read it!

 

2.  We have a biblical local church to assemble in and its services are regular.  We do have a fellowship to enjoy but many of God’s people choose to skip the services thus missing the teaching and preaching of God’s Word along with the exhortation of the saints.

 

3.  The end result of all these things is normally doubting the things of God and our relationship with God.

 

4.  And tribulations and trials are a way of life. 

 

a)  Tribulations because of Spiritual Persecution – The world will hate you and you will suffer persecution.

 

John 15:18  If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.

 

2 Timothy 3:12  Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

 

b)  Tribulations because of Worldly Problems – Problems are a way of life so get used to it.

 

Matthew 5:45  That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

 

C.  THE FIRST THING PETER DOES IS TO REAFIRM THEIR GREAT SALVATION!  It is not by accident that Peter begins his first epistle by reaffirming to these “strangers scattered” that they had passed from death to life through a saving knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

 

D.  This morning, I want the Lord to remind us in the same way that we are SAVED and secured in Jesus Christ. 

 

1.  What a great salvation we have, and nothing can either change it or take it away! 

 

2.  Our salvation is the most important and enduring thing that we could ever have in this world or the world to come.

 

E.  What a thrill; what a joy; what a rejoicing that we have in Christ Jesus!  Never get used to it and never get over it.  Just glory in it.

 

F.  I fear that you and I too often forget just what a wonderful thing that our Lord Jesus Christ did for us at Calvary and, therefore, give little thought to just how great our salvation is.

 

1.  We Have A Wonderful Redemption - Romans 3:24  Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: (Freely by His grace!)

 

Hebrews 9:12  Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

 

2.  The Lord Has Given Us A Divine Deliverance - 2 Corinthians 1:10  Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;

 

Colossians 1:13  Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: (Delivered from Satan)

 

1 Thessalonians 1:10  And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.  (Delivered from hell)

 

3.  The Lord Has Given Us A Wonderful Transformation - 1 Corinthians 6:9-11  Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,  Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.  And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.  (What a wonderful change has been made since Jesus came into my heart!)

 

4.  The Lord Has Given Us A Complete Forgiveness - Ephesians 1:7  In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

 

Romans 4:7  Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

 

Colossians 2:13  And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;  (Past, present, and future)

 

5.  The Lord Has Given Us A Glorious Reconciliation - Colossians 1:21  And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in you mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled

 

2 Corinthians 5:19  To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. (Reconcile - Brought into friendship from a state of disagreement or enmity)

 

6.  The Lord Has Given Us A Blessed Peace - John 14:27  Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

 

Colossians 1:20  And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

 

Philippians 4:7  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

 

7.  The Lord Has Given Us An Eternal Inheritance - Ephesians 1:18  The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

 

1 Corinthians 2:9  But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

 

          1 Corinthians 3:21  Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;

 

8.  The Lord Will Give Us A Heavenly Translation - 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18  But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.  Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

 

Conclusion:  We could spend a lot of time here, but I think that we all know these things but so often forget just how great our salvation is.