Kerwin Baptist Church Daily Broadcast

Welcome to the Kerwin Baptist Church Welcome to the Kerwin Baptist Church. Welcome to the Kerwin Baptist Church. Welcome to the Kerwin Baptist Church. Interesting verses here, and as we talk about the subject this morning, submitting to judgments that are right. I hope this will make a whole lot of sense to you when we're done.

Sure did. I know you probably think many of you cry at the drop of a hat. But I had something happen to me this week.

And I guess you'd have to be there. But it just, I've not gotten over it yet. Lord, we love you, and I pray that you would help us to understand that your judgments, your decisions, the way you do things are right. And Lord, I pray that you would help us to learn to submit to the judgments that are right. Lord, I love you, and I pray that you would help us to rightfully divide your word today. In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen. As this little eight verse mini book out of a very larger book, as it begins to unfold, I want you to notice really the system and the thinking. We do not know who this author is, by the way. Now you might think it's David.

It looks much like his style, but there is no guarantee. We'll have different books that'll say this person's the author. Some books have said Solomon's the author. Some books have said David's the author.

And different things. Some books even said that Asaph is the author. There are some books that'll tell you that David, Asaph, Moses, that there's different authors to this song.

We don't know for sure. But I want you to notice in verse 73, he says this, Thy hands have made me and fashioned me. Give me understanding that I may learn thy commandments.

Number one, I want you to see as the author here is taking us on a journey. Number one, he says this, I was designed by God. This very fact means that God has all the right in the world to do what he wants to do in our life.

You know why? He made us. Look if you would at verse 73. Thy hands have made me. We are his creation. I was designed by God. God made you the way he made you. We're all different. None of us have the same fingerprint, which still boggles my mind.

But I'm going to tell you something. God had a perfect design. God made us. And that means this, that God's the owner.

Does that make sense? God's the owner. Now the only way that somebody makes something, the only way they're not the owner is if they give it away.

Or sell it. And I'm going to tell you this, God's not giving us away and he's not selling us. He made us where his creation, he owns us.

Notice the second thing. He says this, not only am I designed by God, but he said I'm directed by God. Now notice verse 73.

This is all going somewhere. Thy hands have made me and fashioned me. That word fashioned is an interesting word. It means God doesn't just create me. He has literally made me into the personality, into the person I am. He has literally not just designed me, but he's directed me. He's fashioned me like literally a piece of pottery in clay. He has not only created a piece of pottery, but he made me specifically into a cup. Or into a bowl.

Or into a pitcher. God makes us, he doesn't just make us, but he makes us into specifically what he wants us to be. We weren't just literally designed by God. We are literally directed by God. He fashions us. That means he's in charge.

Are you listening to me? The fact that he made me means he owns me. The fact that he fashions me means he's in charge.

Notice this third thing, and I really like this. Look at verse 73. He says, Thy hands have made me and fashioned me.

Give me understanding. Notice our author here, third, says I'm developed by God. That means this, I'm not going to understand anything unless God gives me the understanding. Notice that you can read everything you want to read.

But I'm going to tell you something. The Holy Spirit, the Bible said, leads us to all truth. I am here to tell you that we are not only designed by God and directed by God, but we are literally developed by God. He gives us understanding for the things we need to know and the things we need to learn. When you come into God's house, I'll do the best I can to rightfully divide God's word, to make it understandable, to make it easy to follow, but I'm going to tell you something. Before you ever show up at church, you ought to be Holy Spirit. Please, guide me to truth today.

Help me to understand and learn what I need for my life. By the way, Sunday is not just a ritual. We depend on this. We can't go through a week without it.

But we do, don't we? Notice number four. I love this. He says, Thy hands have made me. I'm directed by God. Fashioned me. I'm developed by God. Give me understanding. I'm developed.

Notice this. That I may learn Thy commandments. They that fear Thee will be glad when they see me, because I have hoped in Thy word. Therefore, He said, I depend on God's word. He said, I'm directed by God. I'm designed by God. I'm developed by God, but I depend on God's word. That's my hope, is God's word.

That means this. Just from this one verse, we realize God made us. He controls us. He's the one that controls what understanding we have, what wisdom we have. I depend on Him for guidance. I depend on His word for everything in my life, He says.

Are you agreeing with me so far? Now I want you to notice verse 75. This brings us to this point. The author says, God, I know you made me, and I know literally that you fashioned me. You're not just the owner, but you are literally in control. You know what you're doing, God. I'm just, I'm literally, I'm just the clay, you're the potter, and I get that. And God, I certainly understand that I'm not going to understand a lot of things without your help.

Now do you realize what I'm getting this morning? He's saying this, that there might be a whole lot of things in my life that I don't understand why God is doing the way He's doing it, but it doesn't mean I'm going to understand it, because I only get understanding from God, and if God doesn't really care, or doesn't think that I need to understand this, He's not going to explain it to me. Do you understand that God doesn't have to explain anything to us? And he says this, so because God, I can only understand the things that you explained to me, therefore I depend solely on your word. Do you get that?

Please, don't lose me here, you've got to have a light bulb to get off, or none of this is going to make any sense. He said, God, you made me, and you're directing me, and I get that, and you're the one that has to give me understanding. I'm not going to understand anything that you don't explain to me, that you don't give me knowledge of, that you don't give me understanding of, and I get all that, so I am going to have to hope in your word, because I don't always get an explanation every day from God what He's doing.

Do you? I mean, do you wake up in the morning and God's just standing there at the foot of your bed? And He says, well, you know, now that you're awake, let me explain to you what I'm getting ready to do today.

And let me explain why, what happened yesterday, I know it was rough, but let me tell you why. God doesn't do that. He doesn't explain every little thing to us. Because we don't understand it doesn't mean that God doesn't have a plan, it just means that He didn't feel the need to explain it to us.

So we have to depend on His word. Do you realize that in our life as a Christian, this is our explanation. God has never explained anything to any of us. I don't care if a preacher said that Jesus was 600 feet tall, and told him whatever, I'm telling you, it didn't happen.

Are you looking at me? God revealed Himself in His word, this is His explanation. I don't have understanding of a lot of things, so I have to depend on God's word, because that's where He chose to explain things. You understand it so far? Wax on, wax off. For those in my generation.

Okay, you got it. Now notice where He goes in 75. I love this, and I hate it, I need it, and I don't like it. All the above, look at verse 75. Because of this God, you made it, you control it, I don't understand it, all I have is your word and I'm just going to trust it. But He said, I know that thy judgments are right.

God might not have given me understanding of why He's done what He's done, or why He's decided to do what He's decided to do. All I have to know, and the only thing I can depend on is this, whatever He does, whatever His judgments are, they're right. This means this, now hold on. That means when we disagree with God, He's right. That means when we have another way, His way is right.

It means that if I have a different opinion, His plan is right. Let me explain what happened to me this week. My wife and I, we took Kayden, we had to run a couple errands. I think it was, was it Friday, babe, or was it Thursday? Sorry, I don't want to call the wrong person babe, that's for sure.

Been down that road already here, we don't want to go there again. Was it Thursday or Friday when we were on New Garden Road? Okay, a lot of good, all right. I am your husband, right? Okay, I'm going to make sure that was you, right? All right, we were, Kayden was in the car, so that's all I remember. We were running some errands and we got done and we needed batteries.

And there was a dollar store, it's right off New Garden Road, and we were over there in Greensboro. I told my wife, put her and Kayden in the car and we needed batteries. I said, we're going to have to go into a Walmart or a Target just to get batteries. I don't want to go fight that crowd, let me just go in the dollar store. I know the batteries aren't as good, but I can get 10 of them for the price of one.

Let's just keep changing them out. I'm the last of the big spenders, I know, you know. So I got the car on, turned the air on, I said, let me just run over to the dollar store. And I was walking over and there was a lady that was getting out of her car and it was, you know, obviously she was parked in the handicap parking. And I was walking in almost to the dollar store and she was really a good ways away.

That was the closest handicap parking that was open. And as I was walking in, I watched her and she, and you would understand, I don't mean anything disrespectful, but she had those arm walkers, you know, where you put your hand in and it covers up the arms. And she had braces on both of her legs, she's probably in her mid to late 50s.

And she had braces all over her legs and her legs were extremely, I mean, at the knees just bowed out. And she was walking like this from, and you understand, I'm not making light at all, she was literally walking like this from the car. So I'm almost in the dollar store and she's a ways away. And immediately I thought, how is this woman even going to open the door? I want to help her out somehow. And then I thought, if I stand here and hold the door, she's way out there, she's going to feel like she's got to hurry. And it was hot and all that stuff in my heart.

And it's like, you know, one of those things, I don't know what to do and I want to help. So what I do was I went to the dollar store and I just stood in the window and watched her. And I thought, when she gets close, then I'll come out and get the door for her. Because if I stand out there, she's going to hurry. And then I think that probably looked really odd that, you know, this man comes in looking at the door, but she was walking.

And you know how you do certain things. She's had a smile. She's just smiling and she was kind of walking the thing. So she got kind of close there. So I opened up the door and I said, hey, how are you doing?

It's hot out here today. And she said, it sure is. And she said, well, thank you. And I said, let me get this door. I said, do you need a buggy? Do you need anything? I said, you take your time. And I said, do you need anything in there? Anybody bothers you? You need a buggy.

You need whatever. You let me know and I'll take care of business. You hear me? And she was laughing, you know. And so she came in, well, I appreciate that very much. And she was walking in that dollar store. And she just began and she'd see a person.

I was on the other aisle and you could just hear her talking. Hey, how are you today? Good to see you.

Kind of different things. I bought my batteries. I got to the car and my wife, what's wrong with you? Man, I just had tears. Let me tell you why. I thought, why her, not me?

Have you ever thought about that? Why her, not me? Probably the most precious member we have sitting right back there in that wheelchair. Laura Pace is the sweetest thing alive and you know I love you, Laura.

I've watched Laura struggle and get in and out of meals we'll have here at church and all these different things. And I'm going to tell you something. I just, why her and not me? Why do I get to walk out of this dollar store and go back to my car? Why did God do that? Why did she have to go through this?

And why didn't Daniel Haughtry have to go through this? Now you would think, well listen, you ought to just be thankful and praise the Lord or whatever. But I'm going to tell you something. My heart hurt for her. And I thought, why her? Why do I get health?

And why do I get to walk in and out? And I'm going to tell you something, before long you can think and think and think and it'll never make sense. And I got in that car and me tears just, they still come down. And I think about it. And just tears come. And all I know is that God's judgments are right.

I don't know why I have healthy legs and she doesn't. But I know God's judgments are right. Now you can sit here today and say, that's right preacher, I'm on the other end of that. Why do I get such and such and nobody, well why do they get all the wonderful things? Why do I have to go through this and they don't?

Dear friend, I don't know, but I do know this. God doesn't always give understanding for things. And He doesn't give us an explanation every day. But what I have to trust is, whatever He decides to do, His judgments are right. But I tell you what would be wrong, is that somehow in God's infinite will, I got healthy legs and she didn't. But I'm going to tell you what would be wrong is for me to take those healthy legs and spend it for my life and not be in God's house and not be faithful to God and not serve Him. Let me tell you something, you walked into this building, God's been good to you. You ought to walk right out of this building and start serving God.

There's no reason why all of us aren't in a wheelchair. But if you're not, in God's will somehow, He felt that was right. So you ought to honor Him with the help you've given. Notice what He says here. I know, O Lord, that Thy judgments are right.

Now this was the kicker. And that Thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me. Did you just hear that? Now I've read this verse numerous times, but all of a sudden something just clicked this week. And I'm being honest with you, I didn't read it anywhere, I didn't look up anything.

I mean, all of a sudden it was just like, you know, a big...slaps me across the face. Did you get that? Notice first the certainty of God's decisions. He said, whatever you do, it's right.

You can count on it. But notice secondly the credibility of God's faithfulness. Look at verse 75. He said, I know that Thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me. Did you get that?

Look at me. I want you to get this, please. Do you know the very fact that He was afflicted proved that God is faithful? Do you know when things happen in your life that you don't understand? That is proof that God is faithful to you. You say, preacher, I know...listen, I want you to get this.

People oftentimes, please, wake up and get this one. People often feel when affliction comes that maybe God has forgotten them. But you've got to understand the fact that there is an affliction there proves that God has not forgotten.

Listen to me. Some feel that when affliction comes, that means maybe that God hasn't been faithful. But the fact that you have an affliction in your life proves that God is faithful. Some believe that when difficulty arrives that maybe God is angry with them or doesn't love them anymore. But look at me, dear friend, the fact that affliction comes into your life proves that He does love you.

That means this. Why does affliction come and why do difficulties come? Because God's doing a work in our life. And if He never brought affliction, He wouldn't be doing a work. So the fact that you go through things means He's faithful.

I think I'm the only one getting this this morning. But I'm just going to have my own little revival if that's okay with you. The author here says, God, I don't understand it all and you haven't explained it. I'm just going to have to trust in your word. But I know this, that you afflicted me in your faithfulness. That means my affliction is part of your faithfulness to me. It reminds me that you're doing something in my life. It reminds me that you do still love me. It reminds me that you are trying to make something out of me. It reminds me that you're not done with me.

It reminds me that you've got a plan for my life. The very fact that you've allowed it and whatever you're doing, it proves you're faithful to me. Oh, dear friend, we look at things so wrong. When things happen, we think, well, God just forgot to be faithful to me.

The very fact that that happened should show us that he's still faithful. Or he wouldn't be doing something in our life. You say, well, preacher, I think I'd just rather him not do anything than to have to face affliction. I'm going to be honest with you. I understand that a little bit because I'm going to be honest with you. I would really rather not go through some of the things my wife and I go through.

I would really rather that not be the case. But I'm going to tell you something. You have a loved one, you have a child, you have whatever, and you're watching them suffer. Only thing you can depend on is, God, if you're doing this, it's right. I don't agree with it.

I don't like it. I've got a much better way, I think, to do this. But if I have a difference of opinion, you're right. And if I have a better plan, I'm wrong. And God, I'm just going to have to trust you that whatever you do, whatever your judgments are, you're right and I'm wrong. And the fact that you've even allowed affliction in my life proves that you're faithful. Wow. Babe, my middle one's not in here, is he?

He would have no reason to be here. I probably shouldn't share it, but please don't tell him anything. We always have one or two, whatever I say, run right to the person afterwards. This week, my middle son got in trouble at school. It's the second little incident. Most people would say, well, he's barely done anything, but we get any kind of a call or get any kind of a thing from a teacher.

This was his second offense. So my wife comes to me one day, brought him home, and she said, this is what's happened. This is what the teacher said. And I said, well, he needs a spanking then.

Walked away and she said, yeah, he does, big guy. Have at it. I was like, me? Of course, why not me?

But I don't like that stuff. And I said, well, give me a little bit. And I was praying. And I said, God, you said, provoke not the children of wrath, but you've also said that, Lord, that if a father, if he loves his son, he corrects them.

Not once of my youngest have I had to take a belt to. Now you can arrest me if you want to. Go ahead. This will be edited out. You go ahead and arrest me if you want to. Go ahead.

You'll look like the bad person. Trust me. So I prayed and I got my Bible out and I got the verses, you know. And then I finally walked out of the room. I said, Hudson, come here. So I went in and he sat down and I explained.

I read some verses to him. And I said, because I love you, I'm going to have to do this. I said, I don't want to do it.

I wouldn't hurt you for the world. But I said, I'll hurt you worse if I don't. Now, he's my hard one as far as my tougher one, I guess, in a sense, in a sense that he just won't cry.

He just kind of, you know, if he senses you're doing something, he'll just harden up on you, you know. But tears started coming out of his eyes. I said, we're going to pray. I got down on my knees next to him and I prayed and I said, God, I don't want to do this.

But because I love my son, I'm going to. So I got up and I told him, I said, now you bend over the bed. And I had my belt, of course, my belt's a big belt, so you know. I started, you know, giving him and I think I said, he needs to get 10. And I think I stopped at 7. Just couldn't do it anymore. And I said, you just stay in here and I love you. And I walked out. And I went outside and I said, boy, this is really hard.

But you know what the affliction came? Because I love him. A little bit, I was outside working on something, trying to get my mind off all that. Heard the screen door on the backboard. Hear Hudson came out with tears. Just started crying and hugged me. I said, I love you. Please don't make me do that again.

And he went back inside. Can't tell you how many times God has to do things. And we don't understand it and we don't realize it. But it is just part of his faithfulness. It's because he loves us. The author said, God, I know you're afflicting me, but I know it's part of your faithfulness.

Notice what he says and I'll let you go. Verse 76, he says, let I pray thee thy merciful kindness be for my comfort. God, if you're going to have to do it, he says, notice third, the comfort of God's merciful kindness. God, if you're going to have to afflict me and I know it's proving your faithfulness and it proves you love me, but Lord, if you'll just comfort me through it, I'm going to tell you something, God never brings affliction that he doesn't offer you comfort through it. He's merciful and he's kind. Even in the midst of affliction, he shows kindness to us.

Notice two things about this in verse 76. First, it was prayed for. He said, let I pray thee thy merciful kindness be for my comfort. My comfort is prayed for.

God, please, I'm praying. Would you comfort me through this? You know why it's important to ask? Because he's our father. When you come as a child and you say, God, this really hurts and I trust you, I know this is part of your faithfulness, but this really hurts.

Would you comfort me? And the Bible says he has given us the comforter. Notice secondly, not only is it prayed for, but it's been promised before.

I love this. Look if you would at verse 76, he says, let I pray thee thy merciful kindness be for my comfort according to thy word unto thy servant. He said, God, you promised you would. So I need it now. God, I'm praying for it because you have promised. You already said in your word to your servant before that you would offer comfort, that you would always be there.

And God, I need it right now. I trust you. I know you're afflicting me and I know you're allowing this to happen.

You haven't given me understanding about it. So I trust you and I know it's part of your faithfulness. But please, would you comfort me through this? Notice next the compassion of God's tender mercies. Verse 77, he said, let thy tender mercies. He says, merciful kindness and then tender mercies come unto me that I may live. The compassion of God's tender mercies.

You know what? God's merciful kindness means he's faithful. But his tender mercies means he's compassionate.

It's tender. He loves us. Notice this last thing. I want you to see the completion of God's affliction. Look at verse 80.

This is what it's all about. Let my heart be sound in thy statutes that I be not ashamed. Thank you for listening today. We hope you received a blessing from our broadcast. The Kerwin Baptist Church is located at 4520 Old Hollow Road in Kernersville, North Carolina. You may also contact us by phone at 336-993-5192 or via the web at KerwinBaptistChurch.com. Enjoy our services live and all our media on our website and church app. Thank you for listening to the Kerwin broadcast today. God bless you.