Dr. John Goetsch: The Quickened Life

take your Bible tonight let's go to Psalm 143 Psalm 143 we'll stay here just for a minute and if you want to kind of page back if you pay just a psalm 119 we'll be going there for the bulk of the message tonight Psalm 143 and I call your attention to verse 11 the Bible says in verse 11 of Psalm 143 quicken me O Lord for thy name's sake for thy righteousness sake bring my soul out of trouble quicken me the word quicken is found 14 times in the Old Testament all of them appear in the Book of Psalms 11 of those 14 are in psalm 119 so I'd like you to turn back there because that's where we're going to find our instruction tonight with respect to this word quickened and this matter of a quickened life the Hebrew word quicken is the word cow yah and it means depending on the context to give life to preserve life or to revive life to give life to preserve life to guide to revive life now we saw Sunday morning the New Testament word quicken in Ephesians chapter 2 and obviously from Ephesians 2 and verse 1 you have a quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins it has the meaning there that this word has to give life when we are saved we are quickened by the Spirit of God we are saved we are born again we are converted instantaneous sley that change takes place as we saw Sunday morning when we put our faith in Jesus Christ we recognize that we're sinner we recognize that there's a there's a penalty for that sin we recognize that Jesus Christ has already paid that penalty when he died on that cross and we received the gift of eternal life that he is offering us at that moment of that instant we are born again we are saved we are quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins that's the idea of the Hebrew word here to give life okay but now here in this passage we find this Hebrew word speaking about this matter of preserving or reviving our life and that's the focus we want to place tonight on this word quickened me or the quickened life how do we live this quickened life how where do we go from here the meetings end tonight the week of awakening is coming to a close and when we say Amen tonight and walk out the door the week of awakening 2019 will be something that we talk about as in the past but God is desirous that we continue to live this life that's alive in Christ this preserved life this quickened life this revived life God has designed that this meeting would end tonight but he certainly does not want the revival of our life to end tonight you see he wants us to live a quickened life a preserved life a revived life so how do we do that what does that look like tomorrow well what does that look like next week what does that look like in February or March or April or or November how do we continue in this quickened life as we close last night with the challenge to be steadfast unmovable always abounding in the work of the Lord is that possible a week from now is that possible a month from now is it possible you know in the middle of the summer is it possible to still be living this revived life this this life that's alive in Christ quickened preserved revived well in psalm 119 the psalmist I believe through this word quicken that we find eleven times here in this song I believe he he gives us four catalyst to the quicken life first of all if you look at several verses with me we are quickened by his spirit by his precepts you see the quicken life is based upon the Word of God if we're going to continue if we're gonna live this life that's alive in Christ we must be quickened by his precepts look at the verses look at verse 25 of psalm 119 he says my soul cleaveth under the dust quicken thou me according to thy word look at verse number 50 this is my comfort in my affliction for thy word hath quickened me look at verse 93 I will never forget thy precepts for with them thou has quickened me look at verse 107 he says I am afflicted very much quicken me O Lord according unto thy word saw us a look at verse 154 plead my cause and deliver me quicken me according to thy word so if we're gonna live this life now going forward from the week of awakening if we're gonna live alive in Christ the catalyst for that is a quickening through God's precepts through God's Word listen the neglect of God's Word is the surest way to kill revival we saw it last night my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge because I was rejected knowledge I'll also reject thee and ye shall be no priest to me your prayers are going to go unanswered because I was forsaken the law of thy God I'll also forget thy children see we cannot go forward we cannot go on unless we're quick and in God's Word in God's precepts and we read in Matthew chapter 22 and verse 29 and Jesus said you do err not knowing the Scriptures see we're gonna fall off this this this track of being quickened being alive in Christ if we forget forget God's precepts now it should not be difficult for us to remain steadfast in God's Word because we know first of all God's Word is true God's Word is true we can trust it because we know it is true this is not fake news okay this is true psalm 119 verse 160 thy word is true from the beginning in saw in John chapter 17 and verse 17 in a recorded prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ he said sanctify them through thy truth thy Word is truth second samuel chapter seven verse 28 and now O Lord God thou art that God and thy words be true see God is not a man that he should lie no the son of man that he should repent hath he said shall he not do it hath he spoken shall not make it good in fact Hebrews 6:18 says it is impossible for God to lie so gods were these precepts first of all are true secondly God's Word is tested God made sure that he tested the Word of God you can you can live by it you can you can trust it why because it's tested the words of the Lord are pure words as silver tried in a furnace of Earth purified seven times as the rain comes down and the snow from heaven and returneth not the but water is the earth and maketh it bring forth and bud that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth it shall not return unto me void but it shall accomplish that which I please and prosper in the thing whereto I sent it you see these words these precepts come with a guarantee they're tested the Prophet that has the dream let him tell a dream he that has my word let him speak my word faithfully for what is the chaff to the wheat saith the Lord is not my word like as a fire and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces Shiki out of the Book of the Lord and read no one of these shall fail the Word of God is true the Word of God is tested and the Word of God is timeless sometimes people view the Word of God as something sort of archaic something sort of from history past hundreds thousands of years old I mean what relevance does it have to my life today but old your friend God who is eternal God who could see through the future God knew exactly what you and I needed in this book for 2019 God's Word is timeless forever O Lord thy word is settled in heaven concerning thy testimonies I have known of old now has founded them forever heaven and earth shall pass away but my words shall not pass away the grass withereth the flower falleth but the words of our God shall stand forever being born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the Word of God which liveth and abideth for ever all flashes is grass the glory of man as the flower of grass the grass withereth the flower falleth but the words of our God shall stand for ever and this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you now look a week of Awakening like this is exciting I mean you folks have come in every night and and basically you've had to kind of fix your whole day to revolve round get in here at 7 o'clock Monday night and Tuesday night and Wednesday night and the choir the choirs have done a fantastic job those young people last night the choir tonight what a tremendous blessing that's been just to come and hear the music and be around God's people little extra this week and and it's exciting and there's sort of a euphoria there's sort of an excitement about a week like this but let me tell you something there's no lasting revival without the convicting and the penetrating power of God's Word in your life every day the quicken life the preserve life the revive life this this this being alive in Christ it can be just as exciting tomorrow just as exciting a week from now but you've got to stay in God's precepts you've got to stay in the Word of God every day the hype the emotion the excitement all that kind of comes and goes with various events and circumstances of our life but this book is it is quick it's powerful it's sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart look there's a lot of people in this room right now and if we preach for five hours we couldn't possibly meet every need in this room through a sermon but I Got News for you tomorrow morning whether you've been saved for 50 years or five minutes God's got a message in this book just for you and he wants to quicken you through those precepts he wants to make you alive in Christ revived life preserved life oh the psalmist that's why I said oh how I love thy law it's my meditation all the day Jeremiah said thy words were found and I did eat them and thy words were the joy and rejoicing of my heart for I'm called by the name o Lord God of hosts joel said neither by gone back from the commandment of his lips I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food I word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path order my steps and thy word and let not any iniquity have dominion over me you see if this revival is going to continue if this theme of being alive in Christ being quick and being preserved being revived is going to go on into next week and the next week and next month and next year we've got to be quickened by his precepts you're gonna have to decide to do that if you're gonna rely solely upon Pastor Chapel feeding you your food on Sunday morning Sunday night Wednesday night you're not gonna live the life that's alive in Christ now it helps when we come and we hear the preaching of the pastor a three times a week but there's another 165 hours in the week and you've got to take time you've got to take some effort and get into the Word of God because we're quickened by his precepts but notice secondly we are quickened by his path look at verse 37 here in psalm 119 here's another usage of the word quickened in verse 37 he says turn away my eyes from beholding vanity and quickened thou me in thy way okay so this preserve life this revived life is one that is quickened by his precepts but it's quickened by his path or his way revival is determined by whether we're gonna walk in his way or our way now I am so very thankful and your pastor is as well that you've decided for these last three nights to be here in church the doors are open and you've not forsaken the Assembly of yourself together you've obeyed God's Word you you you you've seen a precept in the Word of God that you need to be in God's house and our pastor has designed some services this week for us to come and be helped and you decided you know what I could stay home and get to bed early so I could make my commute in the morning I could stay home and watch a ballgame I could stay home and and get some things done around the house I could stay home and just enjoy some things there with my family whatever but you decided not to no this week I'm gonna do what God wants me to do I'm gonna walk in his way rather than my own way all right thank you but now tomorrow there won't be a service tomorrow night but are you gonna walk in God's Way or your way see every day of our life now if we're gonna be alive in Christ we've got to choose to walk in his path not our own we have to decide am I gonna live of Philippians 1:21 Christian life or am I going to live of Philippians 2 21 Christian life you're either gonna live a god oriented life or you're gonna live a self oriented life you give they're gonna walk in God's path are you gonna walk in your path Philippians 1:21 says for to me to live is Christ and to die is gain I'm gonna decide I'm gonna walk God's path I'm gonna go God's Way for to me to live is Christ or you could choose Philippians 2 21 all seek their own and not the things of Jesus Christ and the quickened life the life that's alive in Christ will die in your own path we're quickened by his plan his will his way in our life and by the way it's a path of freedom now I understand what the critics say I understand what the other side says oh you've poor Christians I mean you can't do this you can't do that man you have all these requirements all these restrictions I mean all these rules that you have to live as a Christian oh poor you and people talk about that in that way but can I tell you something your way is a whole lot more restrictive in fact the Bible says your way is the way to slavery in John 8 verse 34 whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin see see we want to do our own thing we want to live how do we please and this this idea today in culture and even in religion is hey I just want to be free I just want to you know kind of do my thing I know nobody can tell me what to do I don't want any rules I don't want any authority I don't want any absolutes I just I just want to live however I feel I want to live whatever you know comes natural to me and I just want to do what I want to do you are in bondage you are enslaved who so commit a sin is the servant or the slave of that sin proverbs 5 verse 22 his his own iniquity shall take the wicked himself he shall be holden with the cords of his own sins if you want to be free the way to freedom is not to live however you want to live that's the way to in entanglement that's the way to bondage that's the way to slavery romans 6 and verse 16 says know ye not that to whom he yield yourselves servants to obey his servants ye are whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness you got to choose am I gonna be a servant to sin and thus be enslaved and and bound by that sin listen some of you in this room are addicted to your sin you'd like to free yourself of it you can't on your own you can't stop what you're doing because sin is a master and self is a master and your own way is a master over you and pretty soon oh you think I can decide to go different paths anytime I want to but the truth is you can't your path is a path of slavery God's path is a path of freedom what did Jesus say in John 8 verse 32 ye shall know the truth you know the precepts and the truth shall make you free and if the Son of God makes you free ye shall be free indeed what a blessing to know that when we are quickened by his precepts quickened by his path his will for our life we follow the guide that he's given us we follow the handbook that he's given us we are free it's the path of freedom listen the way of the transgressor is hard it's hard for thee to kick against the pricks but God's Way my yoke is easy my burden is light it's the path of freedom it's also a path of fulfillment when you are quickened in God's path can I tell you you're not going to miss anything you're not gonna miss out on something you're not gonna get gypped you're not gonna lose doing what God wants you to do the world likes to make us think that oh man you poor Christians you're sure missing out on all the fun and you you have to do all these things and you have to live a certain way and man you're really missing out listen God's path is a path of fulfillment the law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul the testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple the statutes of the Lord are right rejoicing the heart the fear of the Lord is clean enduring forever the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether more to be desired are they than gold even much fine gold sweeter also than honey in the honeycomb moreover by them as thy servant worn and in keeping of them there's great reward you want fulfillment you want peace you want contentment to life that's all found in God's precepts in God's path happy is the man that findeth wisdom and the man that getteth understanding for the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver and the gain thereof than fine gold she's more precious than rubies and all the things that thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her length of days is in her right hand in her left hand rich as an honor her ways of the ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace she is a tree of life to them that lay a hold upon her and happy is every man that retained a third blessing is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly nor standeth in the way of sinners nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful but his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night and he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth his fruit that his season his leaf also shall not wither and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper hey you're not missing a thing you're the winner here following God's path it's a path of freedom it's a path of fulfillment but now it is a path of faith you a path of faith God's path is not always known we walk by faith not by sight in other words we're not always going to know everything in the path as we begin to journey God shows us one step at a time the path is not always comfortable the path is not always convenient the path will be criticized by perhaps even family members or friends but it is a path that you must walk by faith and without faith it is impossible to please him because he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he's a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him the faith walk is a blessed walk it's a walk that that requires you to step out to take that risk and trust God but God never disappoints whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world and this is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith so we're quickened we are preserved we are revived in this this theme of alive in Christ through his precepts through his path notice thirdly were quickened by his purity look at verse 40 Psalm 1:19 behold I have longed after thy precepts quickened me in thy righteousness now there's a war on purity there's a war against doin right there's a war against godliness and we've got some enemies in this task of living this quicken life of purity and righteousness there's an invisible enemy that's warring against our purity we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities against powers against the rulers of darkness against spiritual wickedness in high places you see Satan is an enemy of the life of purity or the life of righteousness he's an invisible enemy you're not going to see him he's not going to show you the fiery darts he's going to shoot at you tomorrow you're not gonna know his tactics you got not gonna know when he's gonna attack it's an invisible enemy that's why Peter said be sober be vigilant because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour so this war on purity has an invisible enemy it also has an international enemy we live in a culture we live in an environment of the world and the world is attacking purity the culture is not in line with living a righteous peer life in fact just the opposite on the media in conversation in fashion in music I mean no matter where you look in this world the devil has built a system that is anti-god that's why God says love not the world neither the things that are in the world for all that is in the world the lust of the flesh lust the eyes the pride of life is not of the Father but it's of the world and the world passeth away in the lusts thereof but either do it the will of God abideth forever in James Ford verse 4 God says he adulterers and adulteresses now that's a pretty serious charge the adulterers and adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God who served there'll be a friend of the world is an enemy of God so we have this international enemy it's called the world so you've got an invisible enemy the devil you've got an international enemy of the world and then you've got an intrinsic enemy it's called your flesh remember Monday night Paul said I know that in me that is in my flesh it was no good thing so there's a war going on it's not going to be easily won this this this this quickening by purity there's a war against your purity but but listen up there's a wall around purity people say well I I just can't help it I know I'm not supposed to live this way I know I'm not supposed to to lust I I know I'm not supposed to fear I know I'm not supposed to worry I know I'm not supposed to be proud I know that but I just I cave the pressure comes the devil fires his darts the world around me draws me in at my own flesh is weak I don't have resistance and I I don't know I just I guess I'm not like you pastor I can't do it and we give up all the time blaming perhaps our past life or somebody else or you know well there are hypocrites in every church and and and I just I can't do it no wait a minute you're not talking according to the precepts here 1st Corinthians 10:13 says there hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man but God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able but will with the temptation make a way to escape that you may be able to bear it listen God is never going to ask us to do something we can't do God is never put us in a situation where he will not build a wall around us to help us and strengthen us and give us the grace to do what is right I think of what it says in Psalm 34 and verse 7 the angel of the lord encamps out them that fear him and deliver them you have a wall about you you have God in your life you're alive in Christ and while the war is against you the war from the devil the war from the world the war from within it's there it's real we don't deny that but God has built a wall around us of protection of strength of grace the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show himself strong on behalf of them that are perfect toward him you say why that's that's great theory but that's but you don't work where I work and you don't go to school where I go to school and I I'm the only one saved in my family and and and this this war against living this Christian life this this life that's alive in Christ this quicken life I I just I I don't think that applies to me because I I don't see it that way well notice we have a weapon for purity Paul said in Ephesians 6:17 take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God okay so as God lists the armor that we as Christians are to put on every day all of it is defensive except for one thing and that's the sword of the Spirit that is our offensive weapon and God tells us there it is the word of God so wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed thereto according to thy word with my whole heart of I saw Theo let me not wander from thy Commandments thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee had you got your weapon are you packin he's given you one you got it on you or do you have to wait till you come to church to get your weapon God says hide it in your heart so that when that that that war begins to come against you for your purity you're you're able to take the sword of the Spirit and use it as a weapon Jesus gives us the example in Matthew chapter 4 Matthew chapter 3 Jesus is fasting for forty days and forty nights the Bible says and afterward he wasn't hungered and here comes Satan Satan personally came and tempted the Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew chapter four and the Bible says he he said command these stones to be made bread in other words you can you can you can take care of your hunger Lord just just command these stones be made bread and he's tempting the Lord there and what does Jesus say now I don't feel like it now I've already done my quota of miracles this month I'm all out of miracles no Jesus looked right at the devil and he didn't use the reference cuz it weren't any references but if it were referenced as he would have said Satan Deuteronomy 8:3 man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God shall men live and by the way the devil left he had to come back another way and tempted with a completely different temptation why because the devil has no answer to the truth remember there's no truth in him and that's what you've got to do you've got to get this book in your heart so that when that temptation comes when that war comes against you for your purity you can give the devil the Word of God look you say well brother getcha I've only been saved a short time I don't know the Bible I mean where where do I find a verse about about pride or where do I find a verse about lust or where lie where do I where do I get that stuff well in the back of your Bible there's something called a concordance okay and the topics the subject of the Bible are listed alphabetically there and you can do a little study in your Bible in your concordance and look under the temptation that perhaps is most prominent in your life and you can find some some our artillery here you can find some ammunition here if you're still struggling talk to an older Christian they've gone through some of the same things there's no temptation that's not common to man come to the staff come to Pastor come to one of the staff come to your connection group leader I've got a list in my office of eighty-eight sins you want an answer for some sins it's probably on there you email me I'll email it to you 88 cents and how you can you can respond to that sin with a verse of scripture hide in your heart so the Lance sin comes let's say it's the sin of the sin of worry you're just a worrywart you worry about everything anxious about everything all right Philippians 4:6 be anxious for nothing be careful for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication let your requests be made known unto God you can memorize that maybe not first day put it on a card stick it in your pocket tape it on your steering wheel whatever you need to do but get to get it get some ammunition you say why I just then I see certain things I hear certain things I and I start lusting alright Galatians 5:23 they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts just tell the devil that you're struggling with pride all right proverbs 16 5 everyone there's proud and hard as an abomination of the Lord get some hem munition listen we're losing this war on purity because we're not using the weapon that God's given us by the way in that same list of 88 cents I'll give you 88 things to replace that sin with that's a good thing and a verse to go with that and you can not only get some stuff out but you get some stuff in but we've got to use the Word of God in this war against purity so we're quickened we're living this life of being alive in Christ how how do we do this tomorrow next week all right we've got the work we've got the precepts we've got his path we've got his purity and finally we are quickened by his pardon look again at verse 88 now in psalm 119 verse 88 there's two more usages of this word in this chapter verse 88 he says quick and me after thy loving-kindness soul shall I keep the testimony of thy mouth look down to verse 159 consider how I love thy precepts quicken me O Lord according to thy loving-kindness we are quickened by his pardon you see were drawn in the first place to Christ because of his love for us none of us would be in this room tonight if God hadn't loved us first he loved us before we even knew about him and this was manifested the love of God and that he sent His only Son here in his love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his son to be a propitiation for our sins Jeremiah put it this way in chapter 31 and verse 3 he says ye I have loved thee with an everlasting love and with loving-kindness have I draw they now listen when when when the euphoria of the week of awakening begins to kind of kind of die and maybe about Friday night or maybe Saturday morning boy just seems like that revival week is kind of a long way in the past you're starting to feel yourself drifting and and all of a sudden you know you got up but you forgot all about reading God's Word and and maybe now you're on a path that's kind of your own path and not really God's path and and and and the war starts against your purity hey go back to his loving kindness go back in your mind to his part and in your life he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and by His stripes we are healed all we like sheep have gone astray we've turned every one to his own way and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all go back and reflect on what he's done for you go back and reflect the fact that even when you didn't even know he have you didn't know anything about him he loved you and he was willing to go to a cross and die for you you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich yet for your sakes he became poor that you through his poverty might be rich oh listen I am The Good Shepherd Jesus said and I give my life for the Sheep we are drawn by his loving kindness and we are desirous then of his likeness when you pause to think about the pardon that you have from God you are drawn to that loving kindness and you have a desire to be in his likeness you see his love is what compels us to love his gift is what compels us to give his sacrifice is what propels us to serve you know it's not hard to give when you think about what he gave it's not hard to love when you think about what the fact that he loved you before you knew him it's not hard to serve when you think about him going to that cross and dying for you and that he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto Him which died for them and rose again his pardon will quicken you to be alive in Christ to live that preserve life that revived life the choir started with it tonight let's end with it when I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of glory died my richest gain I count the loss and pour contempt on all my pride all forbid it Lord that I should boast save in the death of Christ my God all the vain things that charm me most I sacrifice them to his blood see from his head his hands his feet sorrow and love flow mingled down did enter such love and sorrow meet or thorns composed so rich a crown we're the whole realm of nature mind that were present far too small love's so amazing so divine demands my soul my life my all all listen let the pardon of God keep you alive in Christ keep you quickened preserved revived stay grounded in his precepts stay governed in his path stay guarded in his purity and stay glorying in his pardon the quickened life that doesn't end tonight you can be just as quickened just as alive in Christ just as revived and preserved next week as you are this week he wants to quicken us make us alive in Christ

Channel: Lancaster Baptist Church

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Keywords: lancaster baptist church, lancaster baptist, baptist church, paul, chappell, paul chappell, pastor paul chappell, Psalm 143

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Length: 44min 47sec (2687 seconds)

Published: Thu Jan 31 2019