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Good morning. Sure is good to see everybody this morning. Hope everyone is doing well. John, thank you so much for your communion thoughts. And thank you for your testimony. I appreciate that. You know, that's a word that we don't often hear a lot in the churches of Christ. Testimony. Seems like we've kind of avoided that, but testimony is a good thing. We need to tell what God has done for us. We need to share with one another, and we need to share with the people around us who God is and who God is to us and what God has done for us. And so I appreciate that very much, John. Thank you. I was encouraged by it. This morning we're going to continue in our study of the Psalms and just selected Psalms for the summer. But before I get into that, I want to I want to encourage you to be here Wednesday night. Our summer series has gone very well on Wednesday, but this week I think will be probably a subject that will not only touch all of us, but will touch people that we know. A lot of people that we know. A good friend of mine, Dr. Jacob Hawk, from Mesquite, Texas, he actually stepped into the pulpit there when I left to come and be with you guys. Jacob will be here and he's going to be addressing the biblical answer to this question that people search for. That question is this why do bad things happen to good people? You've probably asked that question before. Somebody you know has asked that question, and they've asked you that question. Why do bad things happen to good people? It's one of those things that we can't wrap our head around. And Jacob's gonna share his story with us Wednesday, and I just I just want to encourage you, uh, if at all possible to be here for that. We're gonna pick up in Psalm 138 this morning, and and the title of the sermon is My God and I. And we just sang that song, and we all know that song, at least most of us do, My God and I. And I was just looking at the lyrics and thinking, wow, what a what a beautiful song. It just makes everything sound like it's just perfect. In this life, things are not perfect. We go through difficult and challenging times, and but there is one thing that is always true for the believer. It is always my God and I. Okay? We can walk into this uh auditorium in any given first day of the week, and there can be, I don't know, two, three hundred people in here. I forget exactly what the seat count is, but at the end of the day, while we're sitting here, it is just you and your God. When you commune and take of the emblems of Jesus' body and blood, it is you and God. And there will be times in our life when we feel like it's us against the world. But as a believer, it's my God and I against whatever comes our way. And so when when David shares the words of this very beautiful psalm, that's that's that's a part of the message that we're getting from him. And I hope that is conveyed to all of us this morning as we take a deeper dive into this. And so before we get into the message this morning, let's let's join together in prayer. Our Father, we thank you for the beautiful beautiful day that you've provided for us today. We're thankful for the rain. Uh being new here, I'm told this is an unusual summer. Uh I'm used to dry, hot, brown, and crunchy in Texas. Uh, and so I'm so thankful for the rain, the nourishing rain, and the green uh grass and just the beautiful surroundings here uh in Alabama. And I thank you so much for your blessings, the greatest of which is your son Jesus. He's why we're here today. We're here because of what you've done for us at the cross, Lord, and we thank you so much for that. Spirit, I pray that you will speak today to us through this message and that you'll speak to our hearts and our minds so that we can feel and understand what David is sharing in this writing that will benefit us. Lord, help us to know that we're never ever alone as a believer. You're always with us. It's always you and us. Lord, help us to lean into that when the times call for it. Help us to lean into that even when things are good. Because you're always there. And you're always with us, and you'll never leave us and never forsake us. Lord, we love you so much. We praise you, we glorify you, and we give you thanks in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Amen. But there's been some controversy with this psalm amongst the scholars who have questioned David's authorship due to his mentioning of the temple in verse 2. And this psalm, when you look at it and you break it down, it has three main divisions. In verses 1 to 3, David in full confidence is prepared to own his God before the gods of the nations, before the angels, before the rulers, before any exalted thing. David is saying, This is, you are my God. In verses four and five, David declares his wish, and this is very interesting when you look at it, his wish that the kings of the nations would praise the Lord, and that the glory of the Lord is sufficient. It's sufficient to turn even the most evil of hearts from their sins. That's a message people need to hear today. That's a message that you and I, as believers who have submitted to the Great Commission as a believer need to share with the people around us. In verses 6 through 8, David shares his personal confidence in Jehovah, who will come to his aid and who will preserve him from his enemies. So, over the course of this study, I don't know if you've noticed or not, over the course of this study of the Psalms this summer, I've been utilizing the New International Version and the King James Translation. But today, due to its literal accuracy, I'm going to be utilizing the American Standard Version of 1901. In verses 1 to 3, David in full confidence is prepared, as I said earlier, to own his God. Before the nations, before the angels, before any created thing. He is claiming Jehovah to be the God of all, the God of the universe, and his God personally. David begins in verse 1 by saying this. He says, I will give thee thanks with my whole heart. Before the gods I will sing praises unto thee. Namely, David does something different here than he does in most Psalms. He's so enthralled, he's so captured by the moment of his praise that he doesn't even mention the Lord by name. To David, there's only one God. His God, the God of the universe, the God of all creation. There is no other God. And David's relationship with his Lord is clearly seen. And that he no more thinks of mentioning the Lord's name than we would be if we were speaking to our father or a dear friend. What we get from this is the depth of his relationship with God. He sees God with his mind's eye, and he simply addresses him as thee. David's complete devotion, family, is seen in this statement. I will give thee thanks with my whole heart. I'm not reserving anything for anyone or anything else. My whole, complete, total heart and devotion I give to thee, O Lord. In David's heart, there's room for no one else before the Lord. However, realizing that there were competing interests for his attention, and that there were other gods that were vying for his love, David emphasizes his commitment to the Lord with the statement, I will praise thee before the gods. Family, we have to realize that there are competing interests for our hearts. There are competing interests in this world today for our devotion and for our time. And their names may not be Baal or Ashura or Caesar and may not require a human sacrifice, though these things that I'm going to mention next are things that take so much of our time and so much of our sacrifice that we could be giving to God and to our family and to our neighbor. Yes, their names may not be Baal or Asherah or Sirah or Caesar, but they are called the internet. They are called alcohol, they are called envy and adultery, just to name a few. And they all have a common goal to separate us from God. And if you've ever given your devotion to any of those things, or things maybe I haven't mentioned, you know that that is exactly the truth. They separate us from God. Verse 2. David says, I will worship toward thy holy temple and give thanks unto thy name for thy loving kindness and for thy truth, for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. Look carefully at what he says there. Church, this verse has been a point of controversy among biblical scholars for years. And the reason why is because the temple had not been built yet. Due to this, some have assumed that this psalm was written by someone else. Since the temple came after David's lifetime. I can see that point of connection. Family, David's reference to the temple as I understand it here is a reference to the place where God dwells, wherever that happens to be. For us, the Lord's temple is our body. In David's time, it was to tabernacle. And what we see here is that David's statement is one of supplication. And his statement is also one of submission. David mentions that he will give thanks to the Lord's name for his loving kindness and truth. Why does David say that he will give thanks to the Lord's name? Church, there's times in our life when we feel like all we have is our name. And this is something that in our culture has eroded over time. It seems like today more and more people could care less what other people think of them, which ultimately is a reflection on their name. But here's the thing if they claim to be a Christian, it's not only a reflection upon their personal name, church, it's a reflection upon the name that they wear as a believer, which is the name of Jesus. Solomon David's son is credited with saying this in Proverbs chapter 22, verse 1. He says, a good name is to be more desired than great riches. Favor is better than silver and gold. Church, in today's context, it seems that Solomon's wisdom has been somewhat perverted. To say a good name is the fringe benefit of great riches. And favor is automatic with silver and gold. But when David says that he will give thanks to the name of the Lord for his loving kindness and his truth, what David means is that these two things are synonymous with the name of the Lord. In other words, to say loving kindness in its truest form, to say or refer to the truth in its purest form is the same as to say Jehovah. Because his name sets the standard for both.

SPEAKER_00 15:11

Graceful, merciful, loving, kind, accepting, honest? Biblical.

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And what about your name as an individual? What qualities do people find synonymous with you? Again, David says, For thou hast magnified their word, thy word above all thy name. Church, what David is saying here is that God's word, his personal promises, his answer of prayers is the result of the encompassment of all that God is. This phrase in verse 2 sets the table for what David is about to say in verse 3. Listen to what he says. He says, In the day that I called, thou answered me. Thou didst encourage me with strength in my soul. Look carefully at what he says there, and the power of the statement and the testimony that David makes right there. Family, there is no proof more powerful than that of experience. Think about it. No one doubts the power of prayer after they've received the answer that they were looking for. Church, how many of us have prayed for something hard, for something that was important to us, that was dear to us, that meant the world to us. And God has not only answered that prayer, but he's answered it in a very powerful way. Has that ever happened to anybody in this room? I can't even begin to tell you how many times that's happened to me. And I don't believe it's because Devin's special. More special than anybody else. I believe because my God is special. Because my God is more important than anything else. And it means that we have to clear our heart of everything and all the distractions and all the clutter and come fully and completely and understand in our heart, it's my God and I. And I'm coming to you with my whole heart with this request. Regardless, and here's the key. Don't miss it. Regardless of how you choose to answer it. It's about what you have already decided. Show me. God hears our prayers. Don't ever, ever doubt that. God hears our prayers and he answers, and God's answers to our prayers, family, should embolden us and motivate us to do great things for him. In verses four and five, David transitions his thought. In verses four and five, David declares his wish that the kings of the nations would praise the Lord, and that the glory of the Lord is sufficient to turn even the most evil of hearts. Look at what he says. He says, All the kings of the earth shall give thanks to thee, O Jehovah, for they have heard the words of thy mouth, yea, they shall sing of the ways of Jehovah, for great is the glory of Jehovah. Look at what he says there. Church, verses four and five are at the center of this psalm. They're the heart of this psalm. And at the center of David's greatest desire is found right here in verses four and five, that the kings of the earth would praise Jehovah as he does. Now, church, that's remarkable. That is absolutely remarkable because the acceptance of the Gentiles as fellow worshipers before the Lord is hundreds of years in the future. It's an unheard of, unthinkable concept when he writes this. Church, we've seen David in his desperation and anger openly wish horrible things for his enemies out of his frustration. We've seen the humanity of David. But here in verses four and five, church, we see the true nature of David's heart. And it's a reflection of the heart of God. It's what made David a man after God's own heart. In verses six through eight, David shares his personal confidence in Jehovah, who will come to his aid and who will preserve him from his enemies. Verse six. And it's that pride of the proud church that distances themselves from God. And this reminds me of the prodigal son when you think about it. Whose pride and vanity separated him from his father. Though his father could see him from far off, if you're familiar with the story, his father never stopped looking for him to come home. When his father did see him, Him, he ran to meet him. Church, that is the greatness of our God. In spite of our perceived independence, in spite of our pride, in spite of our anger, in spite of our guilt, in spite of our embarrassment, in spite of our vanity, our Father's loving kindness, when we need him the most, still runs to us. Don't miss that. God still wants to run to you wherever you think you are right now. If you feel like you're too far gone for God to love you, to accept you, to reach you, God still runs to you. And he will meet you where you are because he loves you. Verse 7. David says, Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me. Thou wilt stretch forth thy hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand will save me. Family, can you imagine walking in times of trouble without the Lord? David says that in the midst of trouble the Lord will revive him. Church trouble is called trouble for a reason. And there's times when our troubles set us back. But you know what? There's also times when our troubles knock us out. They kick the ladder out from under us. And we hit the ground hard. What a blessing it is for us to know that the Lord will revive us. David goes on to say that the Lord will save him with his right hand. Now, the image that I have when I try to visualize that is that the Lord is sheltering us, embracing us with his left hand, and with his right hand, he is defending us from our enemies. And church, this is an equal image of God's tenderness and God's strength. You see, a lot of people view the God of our God of the Old Testament as a vengeful and strict and mean and harsh God. No, absolutely not. That right there proves it. God loves us, God will defend us, God will shelter us, He will protect us, but at the same time, He will defeat our enemies. He is a tender God of strength who loves us. This is what David is communicating. Verse 8. Jehovah will perfect that which concerneth me. Thy loving kindness, O Jehovah, endureth forever. Forsake not the works of thine own hands. Look at what he says. David says, Jehovah will perfect that which concerneth me. In other words, what David is saying is, he is able more than able to accomplish what concerns me right now. What concerns me today. Have you ever sung that song before? You know, a lot of times we we get into singing songs, we get familiar with the melody, but we miss the meaning of the words. That song fits perfectly into what David is saying right here. God is able to deal with that which is concerning you right now. Will you let him? Will you turn loose of it, whatever it is? And just hand it over to God. Because according to what David says right there, he will perfect, he will make right that which concerns you. God knows what your worries are. He says, Trust me. Trust me with your marriage. Trust me with your job. Trust me with your children. Trust me with your health. Trust me with your soul. God says, trust me with all that you love because I love you. And will accomplish for the best what concerns you. Why?

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Because I am able.

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I am more than able to do much more than you can even dream. That's our God. David also says, Thy loving kindness, O Jehovah, endureth forever. Church, God's love is as infinite and as eternal as his being. Because as the Bible tells us, God is love. Family, God's love is stronger than the world's hate. Church, God's love is stronger than our jealousy. God's love is stronger than our addictions. God's love is stronger than our unfaithfulness, not only to Him, but to one another. God's love is stronger than our sins. God's love lasts forever. David closes this psalm with this statement. Forsake not the works of thine own hands. Man, David almost made it. He almost made it without any doubt. He's been strong, he's been assertive, he's been, I mean, dead on point by point up to this point right here. He almost made it without any doubt. Help me with my unbelief. Church, there's not a soul in this room that can't relate to that. No matter how many times God has proven his faithfulness to us. And why is that? Church, is because we're human. We're flawed. And there will always be a twinge of doubt. Now that doesn't make us bad Christians, but it does remind us that we're flawed human beings in need of the grace of God. Family, if there were no doubts, then there would be no reason to trust. God realizes this, and he asks us to trust him. He asks us to obey him with all that we are and all that we have. This message is titled, My God and I. Because at the end of the day, at the end of this life, it's just you and Him. Are you good with God this morning? That's really what it comes down to. And if you are, God bless you. God bless you. Tell everybody that you can, that you're good with God and you want them to be good with God too. That's your commission. That's what your life's mission is as a believer. If you're good with the Lord, good for you, get other people good with the Lord too. But if you're honest with yourself this morning and you know good and well, you know what? I'm not as good as I'd like to be. I need to do better. And you may be able to make that decision and that realization from where you sit, and you're good to go. More power to you. Then go out and get other people good with God. That's your mission. But maybe, just maybe, there's somebody sitting in here this morning or joining us online. You know good and well, you ain't right. And it hurts. And you need to be right. That's why we have a church family. To love, encourage, and uplift one another, to pray with and to pray for one another. We're gonna sing a song in a second, and you'll have an opportunity. You'll have the opportunity to respond and let us pray with you, let your shepherds pray over you and pray for you, or to turn and walk out that door, the same one you came in this morning, with the same problem dragging out the door. It's your choice. Nobody's gonna make you do anything. God's not gonna make you do anything. But I sure hope that you have the good spiritual sense this morning to do something about it. If you need to respond to the Lord this morning, to put him on in baptism, confess him as the Lord of your life, everything's ready. Are you ready? Respond as the Spirit leads you, as we stand in.