Welcome to the Kerwin Baptist Church broadcast today. Our desire is for the Word of God to be spread throughout the world.
so that all may know Christ. Join us now for a portion of one of our services here at Kerwin Baptist Church. Located in Kernersville, North Carolina. Psalm 37 this morning. Psalm 37, we're going to continue in our series on the promises of God.
I don't know if you could do this series without coming to this passage or a series on the promises of God because this passage has a bunch of them. And I'm just going to deal with some of them today. But I'm going to kind of put them all in a grouping if it's okay with you. And I just want to talk to you from my heart today out of Psalm 37. If I had a title, and I do, I tried a title, didn't really have one for this one particularly because it moves around, there's some different things.
But from this particular passage, my title would be this: His seed. is blessed. And I want you to know something. If you are saved and part of the family of God, you are blessed. But I do want to let you know that if you are not part of that family.
If you're not his seed, just because he created you, he created you, you have life and breath. Because of what he's done for you. But that doesn't mean you're saved. And if you don't know that you're saved, Can't think of a better time of year than this time of year to get that settled. I want us to jump right into it.
Brother Frank has read our passage, and there's promise after promise here. And many of these promises are what I would call cause and effect. It's the if and the and. Many of you are familiar with the passage: If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face, turn from their wicked way, then will I hear from heaven. It's a promise given, but there's a cause and effect.
If you do this, then I do this. If you follow this, then I promise you I will do this. I want to show you a couple things in this passage, and let's just jump right into it. Number one, he deals with the subject of faith. And I want you to see this.
Look at verse 3: Trust in the Lord and do good.
So shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
Now, what started this whole thing?
Well, in verse 1 of Psalm 37, David here addresses the subject of when you see people that are doing wrong, and especially they've done wrong to you, they've done wrong to others, and they seem to be prospering, and yet people that are doing right seem to be struggling. He says, Fret not thyself because of evildoers. In verse 1, don't be envious of them. And so that's what he's dealing with.
So he deals with first with faith. Look at verse 3: Trust in the Lord and do good.
Here's the promise: So shalt thou dwell in the land. And verily thou shalt be. Mm.
Now, let's break this down. The word trust here, it literally means to be confident in, to be sure, to place your confidence, to have hope in.
So, we're talking about faith.
So, trust in the Lord means faith in the Lord. It means I have confidence. Confidence, despite what I see, despite the evildoers, despite what I see that they're prospering and I'm struggling, despite what it looks like. Trust in the Lord and do good. What does the Bible say?
Faith without works is dead.
So trust is faith, but faith always leads to an action. Trust in the Lord and do. If your faith means you trust and sit. then that's not real faith. Faith leads to action.
Faith leads to doing something. Trust in the Lord and do good, and here's your promise. Verily, this word verily means firm, secure, without a doubt in the Hebrew word here. Verily, thou shalt be fed.
So, what is our principle here? You exercise faith. God extends the feeding. You exercise faith. God extends the feeding.
Let me give you this statement. Unwavering faith. brings unwavering results. You and I, oftentimes in our life, we struggle because we see what's going on, we see what's around us. We notice the circumstances, we notice the conditions.
And that begins to shake our trust. And God says here, listen, I'm going to give you a promise. You trust in me. You keep doing right. You keep trusting me.
Keep your confidence in me. Keep your hope in me. Keep your faith in me. You keep trusting me. You keep doing right.
I'm going to take care of the rest.
Now, what does it mean you're going to dwell in the land? It means you're going to have somewhere to live. and you're going to have something to eat. You're going to dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. God says this literally.
You put me first, I'll take care of the rest. Boy, that sounds familiar, doesn't it, in the New Testament? Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.
So here we have this first promise about faith. You have faith in me. I'll take care of the feeding. I want you to notice number two, look at verse four. He says, Delight thyself also in the Lord, and he shall give thee.
The desires of thy heart. Here's our cause and effect: delight thyself in the Lord. What's the promise? And he'll give thee. The desires of thy heart.
What's interesting, this word delight in the Hebrew literally means. Pliable. It means bendable.
So you say, preacher, what are you saying? What we're saying is this: when you delight yourself in the Lord. It means you want what he wants. It means if there's something that I desire or something I want that doesn't line up with God, I'm the one that's going to change. I'm not going to spend my life trying to manipulate God to give me what I want.
I am going to learn to want what He wants me to have. I'm going to make sure my desires line up with Him.
So, what does it say? Delight thyself in the Lord. I find my delight. I find my desires. I find what I want in Him.
Now, I don't know about you, but oftentimes my prayer life turns into me trying to convince God to do what I want. Am I the only heathen here? Only the pastor of this church? The only one that ever does that? Wow, you are amazing people.
Now you know good and well you do that. And we don't even mean to. We're not trying to go against God. But our desires are so strong. And the Bible says, let everything through prayers, let your request be made known unto God.
And God does. But here's what we're saying: when you delight yourself in the Lord, it means there's nothing wrong with telling God the things you want and telling God your desires. But when God gives you a clear answer and when God makes it clear, you know what, this isn't what I want, quit trying to change him. It means I'm the one that's pliable. I'm the one that's bendable.
I am going to find my delight is going to change according to him. I am not gonna try to change him according to my delight, my desire. Everybody got that? Say amen.
So this is what he says, delight yourself in the Lord.
Okay, what? And he shall give thee. the desires of thine heart.
Now just think about this. Let me put it this way. Let me give you the principle here. You submit. He will supply.
You submit. He will supply. Here's what's interesting I have found in my life. That if you start wanting what God wants, you start getting what you want. If you start wanting what God wants.
Guess what God's going to do? He's going to give you what he wants. And if what you want is what he wants, you're going to get what you want.
Some of you are like, huh? Was that one of the ones that the kids made fun of me on there about home? When God first called me to evangelism. I was a youth pastor here at Kirwan. I grew up on the road in evangelism.
I had no desire. For evangelism. If you've been around it at all, why would you want it? All the pastors are the ones that want to be evangelists. All the evangelists want to be pastors.
They're always the ones wanting to find a church somewhere. And you know what's funny around here, Gospel. I just, their new pastor, but Justice Cooper was an evangelist. Kirwan, you got me. I was an evangelist.
Evangelists all want to come pastor somewhere. I'm telling you. And all the pastors that are pastoring churches, they always ask the question: So, what's it like on the road? You know, what all does it look like? Because you can tell why they're asking.
They're wanting to find some way they could go into evangelism. When I was here at Kerwin, I was more than content, more than happy. I felt like I was a youth pastor at the greatest church in the world, had the greatest teens in the world. Everything was fine. I had the greatest pastor in the world.
Everything was fine. But God began to change my desires. And what happened was, I found why was God changing my desires?
Well, because deep in my heart, I just wanted what God wanted, and God wanted to move me away. Why?
Well so that he could move me back.
So God began to change my desires where I desired to be on the road. I desired that. There's just something in my heart. And God put me on the road for nine, ten years.
Well, guess what God started doing in my heart after I was on the road? Started making me want to come off the road. And I'm like, why, God, did you change my desires to put me here? Why are you changing my desires again? Woo!
Phone rings, Brother Joe. Daniel, could we meet? at Midtown Cafe there in Winston. And yeah, Brother Joe, like, what did I do wrong now? I didn't hear from Brother Joe much in those days, and what did I do?
And we sat down and he said, I really, our deacons, we've talked, we just really feel that God wants you to be our next pastor.
Well, what was God doing? Listen, when you... Quit trying to figure out what you want. Just delight yourself in the Lord. He will start making you want the things you need to have.
Everybody got that? Say amen.
That's the promise. God says: if you'll just find your delight in me. I will start putting in you the desires you need to have. And that's the promise, because the promise is you're going to get what your heart desires. But only if your heart desires.
What God wants. You submit. He will supply. Principle number three, I want you to look at this promise. Look at verse 5.
Commit thy way unto the Lord. Trust also in him. Here's our promise. And he shall bring it to pass. Promise isn't done.
And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light. and thy judgment as the noonday.
Now, let's remember the context. Verse 1 of this chapter. What is it talking about? Fret not thyself because of evildoers.
Now there's there's things going on that don't seem fair Here's a person trying to serve God, but other people seem to profit.
Okay, just remember that context.
So we get to verse 5, and what does God say? He talks about number 3, this subject of. Obedience. Commit thy way unto the Lord. Now this is different than just trusting.
This is trust in action. This is obedience. Faith should always lead to obedience. Notice what he says, commit thy way unto the Lord. trust also in him, he shall bring it to pass.
Now let me give you... Um a couple of things here. When you trust What have we dealt with so far? When you trust, when you delight in God, when you commit your way to Him, when you do His will and not your will, remember this whole thing: you trust me, you have faith in me, I'll feed you. You find your delight in me, you submit to me, you go with what I say, you follow what I say, and I'll supply.
Remember all these things.
So, when you trust, when you delight, when you commit, notice what happens here. I want you to see this first. When you, this thing of obedience, you obey, God says, I'll make things happen. I'll make the things happen. What does he say?
Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in him, and he shall be. Bring it. to pass. Listen to me, here's our principle here: you commit. He will complete.
You commit. He will complete. Look at me. Half the things God ever asks you to do, you'll never be able to do it. But all God wants you to do is you take the step of obedience, commit your way to the Lord.
And God says, I'll bring it to pass. God never asked you to bring it to pass. God never asked you to complete it. God never asked you to accomplish it. God never asked you to win anything.
He's already won it. He's already done it. God says, you commit to me. You just step out by faith and obey. I'll make it happen.
You commit. He will complete. I um When I was in college, I went to Pensacola Christian College two years. And I felt God moving me. I got very different pieces of advice about that.
But I knew what the Lord wanted me to do, but I didn't know how it was all going to work out. Um Something had happened different this time. My mom and dad had helped me my first two years of college, and I've told you that story, how years ago preachers could sign off of Social Security. and not have to pay Social Security. But they wouldn't get Social Security when they're older.
But a lot of preachers did that. And my mom and dad signed off of it. But right about the time after my sophomore year of college there at Pensacola, the government came back and they demanded that you produce your copy of that transaction. And my mom and dad didn't know where that paper was. And so literally overnight, the government made them pay back 10 years of tax.
10 years of Social Security.
Now, God was in that because they had been off of it for 30 years at that point, but they had to pay back 10 years. But that meant my mom and dad got Social Security when they were older, and that was a great blessing.
So, God was in that whole thing. But my mom and dad had helped me two years of college, and now they couldn't help me.
So now I'm thinking about changing colleges. And now I'm thinking about how, Lord, am I going to pay for this? What am I going to do? Where am I, you know, what cost, you know, I just didn't know.
So I'll never forget one day my dad said, Well, listen, you're really considering this. And I was thinking about Trinity Baptist in Jacksonville. And my dad said, Well, let's just go down for the day. I said, Yeah, but dad, I don't, you know, we don't even know if I can go to college now. If I need to take a year off and work or whatever the case may be, we just didn't know.
I said, Well, let's just go down and we'll go. And I didn't know what God wanted, and I was struggling, and all these different things. And, you know, college semesters were getting ready to start probably in about three or four weeks at that point. And so I'll never forget that day. We went down.
I had absolutely nothing when we went down to that campus. And let me tell you how God worked. I'm going to spare you the long story. We got to that campus an hour and a half later, an hour. And a half later, we left that campus.
I had a job. I had the first semester paid for. Every one of my credits had transferred plus some. In an hour and a half, God made every. What was God saying?
Listen, you commit your way. You commit. Ah complete. I'll do it. You see, half the time you and I never get past, get to the point where we take that step.
God will complete it. God will do it. You commit your way to the Lord, trust in Him, He'll bring it to pass.
Some of you right now are in a conundrum right now because you just don't want to step out by faith because you don't know how this is going to happen. But God's not going to complete it until you commit. You say, well, God, before I do anything, you got to do all this, and then, no, that's not how God works. God says, you trust me enough. enough faith to commit and then I'll complete.
If you understand that, say amen.
So, in obedience, first thing I want you to, and I love this, notice this: God says, I will make things happen. You commit, he will complete. But now look at verse 6. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light and thy judgment. as the noonday.
Wait a minute, what This is part of the promise for committing your way to God.
Well, what was the context of the chapter? Fret not because of evildoers. What was going on here is that here's a person trying to do right, and other people were prospering, and this person was looking wrong, and they were probably lying about them, evildoers. They were lying, they were attacking, they were abusing, and it didn't seem like the right person. What did God promise?
Listen, you commit your way. You step out by faith to me. Not only will I make things happen. Number two, he said, I'll make things right.
Now look at this. He says, And he shall bring forth thy righteousness. as the light. God says, I'm going to turn a light on this situation. And people are going to see.
The truth.
Now you look at me in my God-given eyeballs. I had a pastor years ago used to say that you look at me in my God-given eyeballs. I know what I'm talking about here. You just have to get up. and you just have to keep doing right.
And you just have to commit your way to the Lord. There might be a whole lot of stuff going on you don't understand, but you've got to get up every day and you've got to do right. And God says, wait a minute, I'll bring forth thy righteousness as the light. And thy judgment, God says, when I judge, everybody's going to see it. Everybody's going to see what's right.
Everybody's going to see. What's really happened? And that's what we need. Hey, if you all hand, if we can get some, let's all bow our heads and pray, if you would. If we can get some medical attention, please.
That would help us. Let's all bow our heads. Let's not look around. Everybody, bow your heads. Let's pray right now.
This is our priority here. Let's all pray if we can. Lord, we love you. God, I pray you help in this situation. Bless Emily, Lord.
I pray you'd touch her. God give our staff some help. Help uh Lord, we just pray, we we plead the blood of Christ. And God, I pray that you would help us. I pray you would help her, bless Clay, bless the family.
And Lord, I pray that you would get this situated and that God you would take care of this, Lord. And we ask you to do this right now. Lord, we plead. The blood of Christ. over this situation.
Please, Lord, in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. If you can just keep your heads bowed and eyes closed, I think this would be a good time to be in prayer. Um right now, please. That would be good.
See him in the mange relay, glorious love and hope displayed. Mary and Joseph, so wrapped in this moment, feeling a love never known. Angel voices cease their cry, shepherds go into the night. Mary is holding her precious new baby and whispers to him this prayer. Lord, help me keep my eyes on you.
Holding your hand in all I do. You have my mind, my soul, my heart. Jesus, you're the center of my all. Jesus, you're the center of my all. You escape when troubles come.
When your strength is of God, just give him your heart's pride, trusting with those might through your prayers. Lord, help me keep my eyes on you. Holding your hand in all I do. You have my mind, my soul, my heart. Jesus, you're the center of my all.
Jesus, you're the center of my all. Lord, help me keep my eyes on you, holding your hand in all I do. My mind, my soul, my heart. Jesus, you're the center of my all. Jesus, you're the center of my all.
Jesus, you're the center. Center of my own. Wasn't there great? Thank you ladies. You did good the first time you uh sang and I said, man, but they got to sing again and I think they've even gotten better.
That was fantastic. And thank you guys for that song tonight. Thank you, Miss Sarah, for the wonderful. Violin special. And Miss Innabrad, she's growing up, I better call her Miss Innabrad.
And it did such a good job. And thank you for being here tonight. Go ahead and turn to Romans chapter 12. And um Couple things I want to go over before we jump into that. First, I think Clay is here.
Is he not? Is he here? Where are you at, Clay? Clay's in the back there, and we're glad Emily is doing much better. And they did get her to the hospital, just get her checked out, but blood pressure was low and some different things.
And so they got a little bit of a plan moving forward. But being pregnant, it's very, very important. And I'm glad that she's doing better. I got to text her. She is at home, and Clay has come here to church tonight.
I appreciate that and get their Precious baby, as they get prepared for another one.
So, you pray for this precious couple. I'm glad she's okay. And that is a huge praise. Thank you for praying for her. I wanted to thank all of our team and people that jumped in to help.
And we're blessed at this church that we have capable medical people. We're very blessed. And not just capable, but they're good people. And they're compassionate and thoughtful. And I appreciate all the help today from security team to medical people that jumped in to help.
Thank you so much. That's what church should be, by the way. And I appreciate all your effort. To do that, a little bit of a praise tonight, too. We asked you to pray for Miss Jane this morning, and Miss Jane was able to leave intensive care to a regular room, so at least she's making some progress.
You keep praying for her. I know it's always tough when this happens over holidays, but keep them in your prayers. I was going to mention at the end of the service this morning, obviously, just didn't get to do a couple things that I was going to do, but I wanted to ask you to pray. Many of you here are faithful to pray, and you don't mind praying for people you might not know. But if you have a piece of paper and a pen and you're willing to pray for these folks, I want you to pray for Maria Klein and Jeff Klein.
Jeff, They live in the, I would just call it the DC area, that's the easiest way to put it. Um yeah in Virginia, I believe, but they're in the DC area. Um They are very good friends. When I was in college, I spent a summer as an intern in Stafford, Virginia. And Jeff and Maria were there in that church.
Their kids were just tiny at that point, and I worked with children that summer, and so became friends with them. And then when the Van Dusens Visited our church, joined our church. I found out that they went to the church in Stafford where I was an intern at different times. And Jeff Klein is one of Ryan's closest friends. Jeff, I believe, is maybe late fifties, not much older, but Uh anyway, he um just horribly passed away on Thanksgiving Day.
And if you would just remember his wife Maria and uh they're gonna be pro The greatest news that anyone can receive is the news of the free gift of salvation found in Jesus Christ. It is our desire for you to know him personally. Would you take a moment to hear this today? Every man is born with the sin nature. Romans 3.23 says, For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
No matter how hard we try, We're not good enough to obtain God's glory. or to get to heaven. Because of that, sin carries the penalty of death. Romans 6.23 says, For the wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The wages of our sin, or the payment of our sin, only equals death and separation from God. But it's only through God's Gift. salvation through Jesus Christ that we can accept him as our Saviour. Jesus Christ paid for your sin debt. The Bible says in Romans 5:8, But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
All you have to do is receive Christ. by faith as your Saviour. Romans ten nine says That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Verse 13 continues, For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. It's as simple as admitting that you're a sinner believing that Jesus is the only way.
and calling upon his name. Bible says whosoever, that's any one. can call upon the name of the Lord to be saved. Have you accepted Christ as your personal Savior? There is no greater day than today to take care of this.
Would you accept Christ as your Savior? If you have any questions, please give us a call at 336-993-5192 or visit our website at Curlin Baptist Church. Dot com. or visits that person at one of our three service times. We hope you have a great rest of your day.
God bless you. Mm-hmm.
