Delighting in the Lord

Psalm 37:4

November 5th 2011 AM

Pastor Craig Ledbetter

Bible Baptist Church, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland

www.biblebc.com

I. Introduction (Psalm 37:4)

A. Many people could tell you a lot about God.

1. Many know He is holy, He is everywhere, He is perfect, He is righteous

2. Christians especially know that He created this entire universe in 6 days, provided manna and quail in a desert for almost 40 years, split the Red Sea, and brought the walls of mighty Jericho City tumbling down with a shout!

3. Many people know ABOUT God

B. But then there are those who delight in God (Ps 37:4) – They talk about God in a strange way

1. Like they love Him intensely

2. Like they really ENJOY spending their time in His Book, or at church with His people

3. To the world, it looks like such a waste of time – a drudgery, but to them, it is a delight!

C. To “Delight” means:

1. To have great pleasure in doing something, or being with someone

2. It is like the word, Delicious – not just likeable, but amazingly wonderful!

3. Delight is a permanent pleasure – it is the attitude you have when you think of:

a. Chocolate

b. A warm, sunny beach

c. A hug from your grandchildren

d. You don’t even have to think about it – you just enjoy those things and you enjoy thinking about those things!

4. What a wonderful word!

D. Did you notice Psalm 37:4?

1. Everyone loves to focus on the second half of the Scripture, “and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart”

2. But there is NO second half without the first half of the verse!

3. The promise made to those who delight in God

4. 82 times, the Bible talks about delighting in God! Enjoying God!

5. To love God is the greatest commandment in the Bible, and the greatest privilege! The greatest privilege of any human being is to just know and understand God (Jer 9:23,24)

6. To delight in God means…

a. To just simply enjoy HIM

b. Enjoy the simplicity of Jesus Christ (2Cor 11:2)

c. Enjoy what He has already done for you

d. Not constantly withhold love and thrill because God is not doing

e. God shouldn’t have to do something spectacular for you every hour of every day in order to be your delight!!!

f. 31 years ago, I fell in love with the Almighty Being who loved me already, and I CANNOT fall out of that love!

E. This morning, I want to stir you to delight in the God who is there, who created you, knows you, loves you, gave Himself for you, and is coming again for you, soon!

F. So much so, that when you come out of a time in prayer or in the Bible, you come out a satisfied person – a man or women who has been blessed and made happy!

II. Message

A. What Does God Enjoy? What Does HE Delight In?

1. God Delights in Jesus (Isa 42:1; Mt 3:17) – says it over and over! Well pleased!

2. God Delights is Us (2Sam 22:20; Zeph 3:17)

a. Not excited about the stars, galaxies, planets, nebulae, comets

b. He doesn’t delight in sports, and politics

c. He does NOT delight in our sins, in secrets, in hypocrisy, in religious rituals – the things that modern movies are all about

d. But He DOES delight just in US (Dt 7:7,8)

e. Only because God Delights in Mercy (Micah 7:18) and forgiveness! He LOVES to forgive! Do you?

3. God Delights when we Obey (1Sam 15:22). In the simple things. It thrills Him just like it does any parent! It ought to scare us when our children have no interest in obeying us or God

4. God delights when we are REAL, and broken, and yielding to Him (Psalm 51:16)

5. So, God enjoys some things… some great things

6. So should we!

B. What Most People (even most Christians) Miss Everyday…

1. The delight of prayer with God – it thrills God when we talk with Him (Pr 15:8), and it thrills the believer – the entire Book of Psalms is written by men who delighted in prayer!

2. The delight of just reading and understanding the Bible (Psalm 1:2)

3. The delight of meditating on just who God is (Psalm 104:34) – falling in love with the infinite God who thinks about us!

4. The delight of doing God’s will (Psalm 40:8)

5. The delight of correction by God (Hebrews 12:5,6,11,12) – oh that is a hard one

6. The delight of being a part of a great church (Acts 4:32)

a. People try and find such delight at their pub, Or in their sport, Or in their hobby

b. But there is NOTHING like what is right here, amongst God’s people!

7. The delight of your inner man (Romans 7:22)

a. We live only to please the flesh, the belly, and the mind

b. But there is a part of you called the inner man – the soul

c. THAT is where the greatest and longest lasting delights are experienced!

8. The protective hand of God in your life (Psalm 37:24)

9. None of this will mean much to any of you until the Author of it all Himself is precious to you (1Peter 2:6-8)

C. We Ought to Delight in God

D. But, Only Good Men Will Delight in the Lord (Psalm 37:23)

1. Sinful men and women will never enjoy God. Will never enjoy the Bible, or soul-winning, or prayer, or even heaven!

2. Only a Good Man Delights in God - God speaks of a Good Man.

a. Not a sinless man, but a godly man – someone who has been forgiven and brought close to God by the blood of Jesus Christ (Eph 2:12,13)

b. Not a selfish, arrogant, egotistical, independent man

c. Not a self-absorbed female who is only interested in the power she wields in this modern world

d. Not anyone who loves secret sins

e. No, ungodly men and women will never delight in God

1) To them, God is a distraction

2) To them, God will hold them back

3) To them, God is boring, and foolish

f. But not to those of us who have been born again – who have fled for refuge (Ps 62:8)

3. Oh that we all realised how GOOD God is to people when He is drawing them to a brokenness, an awareness of their need to repent (Romans 2:4)

4. You will never know just how good God is, until you have let Him save your soul, and give you eternal life!

5. To delight in God means…

a. To just simply enjoy HIM – what He does, who HE is, what HE promises!

b. Start by enjoying what He has already done for you

6. We love Him (delight in Him) because He first loved US (1John 4:19)!

E. Only Yielded Men Will Delight in God (Psalm 37:23)

1. A Good Man Delights Enough in God to Enjoy the Journey!

2. You can’t say that you love God if you do not love His will for your life!

3. God’s will is perfect (Psalm 18:30)

4. Most people only love those who do things THEY want! But to love God means you are willing to do what HE wants!

5. David is an interesting example

a. Started off as a shepherd boy who was appointed to be the next king

b. But it turns out to be more than a decade before he ever takes the throne

c. And for 7 years of that time, he is running from a man king named Saul and hiding in caves for his life

d. But it when during those times of loneliness and seeming defeat that David learned to enjoy where God had him, and what God was teaching him

6. Joseph

a. Young Joseph was the same

b. He knew he would be great one day

c. But what he didn’t know was that to be great, he would have to go through some of the most awful trials and disasters

d. He was hated by his own brethren – the will of God – made him like Jesus

e. He was sold for 30 pieces of money – like Jesus

f. He was imprisoned, like Jesus

g. He was dead and gone to everybody that he loved – just like Jesus was

h. He then miraculously reappears to them – just like Jesus did

i. And when Joseph reappears, he is a Prince and ruler – just like Jesus

j. No wonder Joseph is the person most like Jesus in the entire Old Testament!

k. What IF, Joseph decided to NOT delight in the way that God had laid out for him to follow?

7. Why not decide today to say with David, I delight to do thy will O my God (Psalm 40:8)

F. Only Dependent Men Will Delight in Jesus (Psalm 37:24)

1. We will fall – mess up – sin

2. But He upholds us with His very own hand

3. There is a dependence that is missing in most people’s lives – a decision to be supported ONLY by the Lord Jesus Christ

a. Everyone today is deceived into thinking they don’t need God, and so would not ever find themselves thinking more than two thoughts about Him during a week

b. People who have every friend, and every way of getting their needs met will not delight in the Lord God

c. But those of us who know there is only ONE reason why we are alive today, and know there is only ONE power that is holding our lives together, have such a delight in who God is and what He is doing in our lives!

1) We may fall, but we do not fail

2) We may have remorse, but we have no regrets

3) We may sin, but at least we have a Saviour

4) We may have needs, but we know where to go to surely get those needs supplied!

4. Only dependent people – only needy people enjoy God (Psalm 113:5-9)

III. Conclusion (Psalm 37:4)

A. There is a promise made to those who delight in God

B. But the promise is directed at only Good men – Godly men – men who have been made right with God – born again!

C. We have looked at what it means to delight! What a wonderful word!

1. 82 times, the Bible talks about delighting in God! Loving God!

2. It is the greatest commandment in the Bible, and the greatest privilege! The greatest privilege of any human being is to just know and understand God (Jer 9:23,24)

3. To delight in God means…

a. To just simply enjoy HIM

b. Enjoy the simplicity of Jesus Christ (2Cor 11:2)

c. Enjoy what He has already done for you

d. Not constantly withhold love and thrill because God is not doing something spectacular for you every hour of every day!

e. 31 years ago, I fell in love with the Almighty Being who loved me already, and I CANNOT fall out of that love!

4. We love Him (delight in Him) because He first loved US (1John 4:19)!

D. We have Seen That a Good Man Enjoys God’s Will

1. God’s will may look scary, and uncertain, but they are THE most carefully laid out steps that are the safest and most rewarding!

2. God’s will is perfect

3. You can’t say that you love God if you do not love His will for your life!

4. We looked at two powerful examples in the Bible: David and Joseph! Both endured some very rough steps, but the path was perfect! Wasn’t it?

5. What IS God’s will for your life? Find out!

E. We have Seen that Only Yielded Men Will Delight in God (Psalm 37:23)

F. We have Seen that Only Dependent Men Will Delight in Jesus (Psalm 37:24)

G. Don’t Miss Out On…

1. The delight of prayer with God – it thrills God, and the believer

2. The delight of just reading and understanding the Bible

3. The delight of meditating on just who God is – falling in love

4. The delight of doing God’s will

5. The delight of correction by God

6. The delight of being a part of a great church

7. The delight of your inner man

8. The protective hand of God in your life

H. Don’t miss out on any of these great delights! Don’t finish your day without experiencing all of these great delights that are only available to believers in Jesus!

I. Maybe there is no joy in your day, because Jesus is not in your life!

J. Well, Jesus says He is not willing that any perish, but that all should come to repentance!

K. Are you tired of all the empty thrills of your life? I know I was 31 years ago!