It's Worth Fighting For

pray amen amen listen to what God's Word says in Psalm 40 verse 1 I waited patiently for the Lord and He inclined to me and heard my cry he also brought me up out of a horrible pit out of the miry clay and set my feet upon a rock and established my steps he has put a new song in my mouth praise to our God many will see it in fear and will trust in the Lord he says I waited patiently for the Lord and He inclined to me and he heard my cry some things are worth waiting for it's worth waiting for this is a psalm of King David of course all Scripture is god-breathed all Scripture is God given God's holy spirit-inspired King David to write Psalm 40 and King David wrote it as a song this is a hymn this is a song that's supposed to be sung in the context of worship so when they would come to the house of God this would be the song that they would sing with others and to God I waited patiently on the Lord and there are some theologians and scholars that suggests that when King David wrote this he wrote this during a time of a near-death experience or coming out of a near-death experience because when he mentions this horrible pit this this miry pit that he was in this slimy pit that is a reference to Sheol that's look that's a reference to the place of the dead so they suggest that David was in a near-death experience some say that he had he had gotten the sickness and he had gotten so sick that he was given up on and nobody thought he was going to come out of that and make it but yet he came out of that near-death experience from that sickness it could have been a sickness I'm not saying it wasn't but David had more near-death experiences than just that even when he was a youngster watching over his father lost sheep when one occasion a bear jumps out to attack the Sheep and he had to defend the sheep on another occasion a lion jumped out and he had to defend a sheep again against the lion and more than likely those are near-death experiences he had more than one near-death experience even when he was working for King Saul in the palace David loved saw but Saul had some psychological issues and at one time he threw a spear at David and and merely took David's life that was a near-death experience and then on another occasion David had to get out of he had to get out of Israel he was a refugee he was on the run and ended up in a cave called Adeline and he was down and depressed himself and then here comes 400 men who are discontent and down and in debt and they look to David for leadership and all those experiences that they had were some near-death experiences or maybe David up against Goliath and especially when Absalom David's son tried to kill him try to take David out so Absalom one to become King and that was a near-death experience but whatever the experience was this shield this horrible pit this grave situation David pinned this song saying I waited patiently on the Lord and and some suggest that when you really trying to understand Psalm 40 you got to look at the adjectives that are there the adjectives is a it's horrible it's miry it's muddy it's slimy you got to look at the adjectives that are there and and that's significant when you're trying to understand the situation you're in a crisis or calamity that you're in the confusion and chaos the description we don't want to put our head in the sand and act like things are not going on we have to be honest with our sales in the description as to what is taking place that there is a pandemic that there is sickness that there is disease that there is a global crisis there is an economical downturn that jobs are being lost that health is being lost their lives are being told it's we can't ignore the circumstances so that we look at the description here the adjectives but you don't want to just stop at the adjectives describing how bad it is but in Psalm 40 you also you need to look at the verb stupid the verbs yes he inclined to me he he turned to me he bowed to me he heard me brought out lift it out established sat on it so there's some verbs here to there's some action that is taking place in the midst of this messed up description as to what is going on well if we're gonna look at the attitudes we're gonna look at the verbs certainly we got to look at the subject but what are the subjects he brought me out he lifted me he set my feet on a rock he established my goings and who is this subject who is this he was the same one that David talked about in verse one I waited on the Lord Jehovah the promise making promise keeping God I wasn't just waiting on anyone and everyone and anything I waited on the Lord that's the he in the text he that's how I know we gonna be all right because he that that he that's that's Jehovah Jireh that's the God that provides that's Jehovah Shalom that's the Lord that brings peace he is Jehovah Rapha that's the God that heals he Elohim the God that makes a way out of no way he is wonderful counselor mighty God Prince of Peace everlasting father he is Christ he is Messiah he is the Anointed One he's away make a miracle-worker promise keeper light in darkness that's who he is no wonder David said I waited patiently because I'm waiting on the Lord and that's the thing all of us are waiting can't help but wait but some of us are just not waiting patiently we're waiting whether you you're waiting on this crisis to end are you waiting at the doctor's office or wait didn't the the dentist's office are waiting in the emergency room or waiting on the promotion or waiting on a raise I'm waiting on a man waiting on a woman are waiting on your marriage to get better I'm waiting on an educational opportunity all of us spend time waiting but all of us don't wait patiently some of us wait murmuring some of us wait complaining some of us wait but we got an attitude in our waiting but David said I waited patiently on the Lord people asked me in the middle of this pandemic when are we gonna return not having church just online but having Church on site and we are eventually we're going to do that I believe he's gonna bring us out he's gonna lift us out of this I know that's gonna happen and foot want to know when are we gonna when is that gonna take place well I I'm waiting patiently but understand I listen to health officials and I those who are members of our congregation those that I know I'm close to and and some that I respect who we see on the news and I listen to government officials they have the insight and the Intel and then I listen to them not all of them you got to be careful who you listen to and look to but there are those government officials and health officials I listen to other pastors and ministers that do gone through the same thing but to tell you the truth I'm not I'm not waiting on the doctors I'm not waiting on the researchers I'm not waiting on government officials I'm not waiting on health officials I'm waiting on the Lord you and I got to learn to do like Davis said I waited patiently not just waiting but you must learn how the wait patiently on the Lord patiently on him yeah I I don't understand why so many of us just we we're always in a hurry even when it comes to the Lord I looked those words up waited patiently because the Bible was written in Hebrew and translated into English and when I looked up waited and patiently it's the same word in Hebrew I waited patiently it's the same way so really what David is saying is I waited and waited and actually fundamentally out of the Hebrew it means gathered together so he says I gathered together and gathered together David talked about that horrible pit he talked about that slimy pit he talked about that that grave situation that near-death experience but he said I gathered together and gathered together that when things around me were falling apart I still held it together that's my word to you that why things are falling apart and I know it's doing that locally and it's doing that nationally and internationally but you gotta hold it together you gotta gather together and gather together you gotta wait and wait you gotta wait patiently on the Lord and and so many of us we we want our blessings from God and our benefits and benevolence from God the same way we do our grocery shopping when we go grocery shopping man we're not just looking for chicken and meat and sausage and no we we look at the packaging when we go grocery shopping because we don't want to do really real cooking and we want things that are ready to eat that are heat and serve already done ready in a minute that's not we want that's how we want our groceries and that's how we want our blessings we want it already done ready an immediate minute heat and heat we want God to do everything right now and we serve right now God somebody suggested that that God is a he's quicker than immediately and sooner than right now that's the kind of God we serve but there are times that God wants us to wait and to wait patiently to gather together and gather together why is it when we read scripture and we see the heroes and the she roles in the scripture that we celebrate these heroes and she rolls with their patience but we don't we celebrate them but we don't want to emulate them we celebrate Abraham and Sarah God made them a promise that they were going to have a son and through this one son all the nations of the world are going to be blessed because do that one son that's Jesus would be in that lineage and salvation comes in Jesus for the entire world but when God made him that promise it was 25 years later when they had the baby and we celebrate them for their waiting but we don't want to emulate them and then Joseph was 17 years old in the Old Testament Joseph was 17 years old he has a dream from God that he's going to be big and major in a big baller he's gonna live life large but it was more than 13 years later on all the issues that he went through then he got to the palace in Egypt and second-in-command and came up with a plan that was saved Egypt and the world and we celebrate Joseph and his patience but we don't want to emulate that Noah preached for a hundred years it's gonna rain you better get in his art and we celebrate the fact that he patiently waited but we don't want to emulate that and then Jesus was 30 years old before he started his earthly ministry and then when it's time for us to wait we're eight grudgingly and we wait murmuring and we wait complaining even though we celebrate these heroes and she rose and their ability to wait on God God told me to tell you you must wait patiently on the Lord and our songwriters well before I quote the songwriters let me quote Isaiah they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles and run and not be weary walk and not faint yo you got to learn how to wait on God the songwriter said you can't hurry God no you just gotta wait you gotta trust and give him time no matter how long it takes he's a God that you can't hurry you don't have to worry he may not come when you want him he'll be there right on time and then another songwriter said he's an old-time God and we always howl about yes he is we need to learn how to wait patiently on the land David waited prayerfully on the Lord he said I waited patiently on the Lord and he inclined his ear to me in Psalm 40 he'd find his ear one translation said and he turned towards me another says and he bowed his head towards me and he heard my cry that's how I know he's praying because he heard my cry yo how can God hear you if you won't talk to him it is in these difficulties in these hardships in these times that are so messed up that it's not time for us to get mad at God and sit on the sidelines no but to understand that God hears us when we pray it's time for us to start praying Jesus say it asks you shall receive seat you should find knock the door shall be opened unto you the Apostle James says you have not because you ask not your God is a God that hears us when we pray that when you cry unto the Lord he inclines his ear to you he turns towards you he bowels his head and he hears you I love that because to me hearing goes a lot further than listening hearing is about a favorable response to the listening there's always somebody somebody can listen and not do anything but when they hear you there's a favorable response on your behalf in that situation with my children with my sons all grown but when they when they were at the house as youngsters and I would tell them to do something take out the trash go clean your room go watch the did I tell them to do something and they don't move in a timely manner and then I'll say something like this did you hear me I don't ask him are you listening to me because you can listen and do nothing but if you hear me then you're going to respond to what you hear me say Davis says when you and I pray that God hears us that he responds favorably on our behalf well what does that look like well remember the adjective remember how it was described I'm in a slimy pit I'm in a horrible pit I'm in a miry pit I'm in a messed up situation I'm in a grave situation I'm in a near-death situation but I waited patiently on the Lord I prayed unto the Lord and then watch what happens when you pray on him and he brought me out he lifted me out and he set my feet on a rock watch this he lifted me out he brought me out of that pit and then he set me upon a rock hallelujah when you called on the Lord in prayer I'm letting you know that God hears and answers that prayer just a little talk with Jesus tell him all about your trouble he'll hear you're fainted cry he'll answer by-and-by just a little talk with Jesus makes everything all right he will lift you out he will bring you out and set you on a rock I love that it doesn't mean that we're not gonna go through issues in trouble but in the issues in trouble he's gonna set us on a rock I know that there are those that told you that when you put your faith in Jesus and you trust in him and you obey Jesus everything is gonna be smooth no problems are going to come that's the biggest light has ever been told Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount Matthew chapter five six and clothes in Chapter seven a Timbers in Chapter seven when Jesus preached it he closes the sermon by saying now you hear these words of mine and you do not obey them it's like a man that builds his house on sand saying the shifty Shanna's sand is shaky sand is insecure you said you hear what I'm saying my words and don't obey like building a house on sand then you said but you hear these words of mine and you obey them it's like a man that builds his house on a rock on a rock yeah secure sound stable building it on a rock and then jesus said and then the rain falls and the wind blows and the floods rise no here's what I'm trying to get across to you if you hear his words and you don't obey and you build on sand or if you hear his words and you do obey you build on the rock same storms come rains fall winds blow floods rise whether you hear and obey or hear and disobey we go through the same storms then what's the benefit you are on a rock something that is sound and should secure when you wait patiently on the Lord and prayerfully on the Lord he's going to take you and set you on a rock that's how I know everything is gonna be alright it doesn't mean you're not gonna deal with the crisis and the chaos and the confusion but you're gonna come out alright you're on a rock you're stable and secure jesus said upon this rock I build my church the Bible teaches us Jesus is that rejected stone that became the chief Cornerstone we're on that rock when I was a kid growing up in church we used to sing about that Rock Rock of Ages cleft for me let me hide myself in thee when I was a child they taught us about the rock through gospel songs on Christ the solid rock I stand all other ground is sinking saying where can I go when there's no one I can turn to who can I talk to when no one wants to listen who can I lean on when earth all around is unstable I go to the rock I know he's able I go to the I go to the rock of our salvation I'll go to the stone that the builders rejected I run to the mountain and the mountain stands by me when earth all around is sinking saying on Christ the solid rock I stand when I need a shelter when I need a friend I go to the rock and when I wait patiently and prayerfully on the Lord he pulls me out he lifts me out and he sets me on a rock y'all this is not a setback for us this is a set-up for us then pastor why but God allow us to go through this near-death experience this this horrible pit why would God do that anyway we'll also says that that the Lord he established my goings one translation says he established my steps so wait a minute I went through this near-death experience I waited on the Lord I pray and he established my goings yeah the places I go God established those evidently David before you went through this near-death experience evidently your priorities are off in your goings in your steps in your places that you were going places that were not really high priority there so God allows some things to take place in your life to change your priority in terms of your places he established your steps he established your goings young people and I praise God there young people that are trying to learn theology and shape their theology I praise God for that they don't ask me things like is it right to go here is it wrong to go there is it right to go to a dance or wrong to go to a dance is it right to go to a party or wrong well I guess it all depends on the party it all depends on the dance it all depends on what's happening in the place but here's what I try to get across to them it's not just right or wrong is it worth while you may be going to a place that the Scriptures doesn't say is wrong to go it might be right but is it worth while it's priority that I'm talking about and I believe every now and then in your life and in mind that our goings were off and then God sends something to redirect us to establish our goings our steps because the steps of a good person ordered by the Lord so he he sets my feet he sets me on a rock and he established my go help me to get my priorities straight and not this is the right place but it's a worthwhile place that I'm going and I love this he brings me out he pulls me out and I know that there's there's going to come a time in this crisis he's gonna pull us out that in this pandemic he's gonna pull us out that in this sickness and all this disease there's going to come a day that the Lord is going to pull us out we gotta wait patiently for that to happen we can't rush God God doesn't get in a hurry over things that upset uh there are no emergencies with God but I'm so glad that that day is coming he's gonna pull us out of this because we've already proven we can't pull ourselves out he was in 2007 in at the Milwaukee County Zoo that zero the polar bear was playing with some kind of toy had been lost his footing and and zero the polar bear failing this mote it was a it was it was a dry moat but it was a moat it was a pit that he fell into and zero to bear he couldn't get himself out he couldn't climb back up matter of fact there was a staircase that was there and the zookeepers were hoping that zero to bear would somehow notice that staircase at the bottom of that moat and climb back up and they waited two weeks for that to happen they was send down food and water but zero to bear at the losing his footing and having a misstep playing with that toy falls down but he can't get up himself finally they didn't want him stay there any longer think it may have a psychological impact on zero so they took a veterinarian and put him in what's called a man bath it and the vet gets in the man basket and they send this one man down to where zero is because zero can't get himself out so son they send one man down and he gives zero a sedative so the zero won't try to hurt the one that's seeking to rescue him and save him and after getting the sedative they put a harness around zero to bear and they're able now him to pull him out and when I was reading this story dawned on me but that's what happened with us that we were playing around in places we shouldn't have been and playing around with things we should have been playing around with and playing around with time that we should have been playing with and lost our footing and fell into sin and fell into unrighteousness and fell into ungodliness and could not save ourselves we could not pull ourselves out and God loved us so much that he sent one person down from heaven his name is Jesus and Jesus came down and put something in of someone in us his holy spirit hallelujah and and that sin we couldn't get out of on our own that ungodliness we couldn't find our way to climb back up that pit that horrible pit that she'll that place of death but Jesus came to where we are died on the cross God raised him from the dead he put his Holy Spirit in us and now he has pulled us out hallelujah and so I've learned to wait patiently on the Lord and prayerfully on the Lord then finally in verse three of Psalm 40 David said when the Lord brought me out pulled me out set me on a rock that's not a setback it's a setup Davis said that God put a new song in my mouth and I praised him hallelujah others would learn of him and fear Him and have off of him and trust in the Lord because of what I went through he put a new song in my mouth and I begin to praise him yo after you have waited patiently on the Lord and prayerfully the Lord that he pulls you out that's the time to worship and praise the Lord when David came out he didn't come out sad when the Lord brought him out he didn't come out sorrowful he came out singing God put a new song in his mouth every believer needs a song the very fact that God pulled matter of fact you only have to wait til God pulls you out just the fact you have enough faith in the Lord to know he's going to do it you don't have to wait to the battles over you can sing right now you can shout right now you can worship and praise him right now he put a song in my mouth at all I went through all the hell I was facing and God gave me a song y'all don't don't go through this coming out sad and sorrowful gotta give you joy even at a time I saw come out singing God gave me a picture of this because you don't have to wait til he brings you up you got enough faith to trust him God gave me a picture of this while I was driving to church this morning and as I was driving to church a young lady pulls up next to me at a stoplight and as I glanced over she was so animated she was so animated I was at first I thought she was upset about something and she was just going at it at going at it and I turned my radio down and I lowered my window and I could hear a song plane and she was shouting and praising to a song she's in a pandemic and still giving God praise I could hear Vicki Wyman's singing from that car I'd be lied on sheeted talked about mistreated up down almost leveled to the ground but as long as I got King Jesus I don't need nobody else in a pandemic in a crisis and chaos here is a young woman still giving God praise even in the midst of the problems and that's my word to you don't come out sad sorrowful gone is sing unto the Lord God said come before my presence with singing and you know I tell you this I'm singing even in the midst of the situations that we're here I'm still singing and I'm not singing because I got a good voice the truth is I don't have a good voice and I don't sing because I've had voice lessons truth is I've never had a voice lesson but I sing because I'm happy I sing because I'm free his eye is on the sparrow and I know he's watching me it's time for us to wait patiently don't rush into something when you know it's not God's timing and wait prayerfully God is listening God hears you he'll bring you out he'll lift you out he'll he'll set you on a rock keep you sound and secure and he'll establish your goings your steps seem get you to that destination and he's already given you a song do you have enough faith that in the situation you're in to sing praises and glory under God knowing that God is going to do everything he said he's going to do hallelujah to the lamb I want to give those of you who've never invited Christ into your life an opportunity to be saved to become a Christian the way that happens is you have to confess Jesus with your mouth and believe in your heart god raised Jesus from the dead and when you do that the Apostle Paul says in Romans that whosoever shall call upon the name of Lord shall be saved so here's what I'm gonna do I'm gonna lead you in this prayer and I want you to pray after me I want you to repeat it out loud after me and I'm gonna have you call on the Lord in prayer when you do that you'll become a Christian you'll be saying your sins will be forgiven God to become your father Jesus your big brother and the Holy Spirit God will put him inside of you to become your keeper repeat after me in prayer father I come right now I know I've sinned I know I've done wrong I'm sorry for my sins father please forgive me of my sins I believe Jesus died on the cross I believe you raised Jesus from the dead I receive Jesus by faith please fill me with your Holy Spirit in Jesus name Amen since you prayed that prayer let me be the first one to welcome you to the family of God hallelujah to the lamb I'm excited with you and for you please email us here at Eastern star church and let us know you made that decision of faith and you can email us at membership at Eastern star church membership at Eastern Star Church I want you to do that you don't have to do that to be saved you already say but we got so many people working behind the scene to make sure you get the gospel and an opportunity to meet Christ you encourage us when you let us know that that has taken place and those of you who are already Christians you already say but you stray from the church and now you're ready to reconnect you can do it right now membership at Eastern star church dot org and and when you do that we'll get you connected with the church and and help you to grow and develop as a child of God amen praise the Lord all right it's time for the offering that is an opportunity for us to invest in the kingdom of God through the eastern star church and when you invest it in the kingdom of God through the eastern star church you help bless the least the lonely in the left out we said so much aside especially in this crisis to come along there are so many people who are unemployed so many people who are suffering and sick and going through that because the needs have increased what we do for people has also increased so we want to give you an opportunity to help us with that whether it's the thousands of meals each week that we provide and of course we we had an opportunity to be one of the sites for kovat 19 and one of the hotspots here in Marion County and Indianapolis we still doing the rock initiative helping people with housing and with education and so many things that we do when you invest in the kingdom of God through Eastern Star Church it helps so many people who are hurting we still doing what we do in Haiti still building houses every time we build a new house in Indianapolis we built one in Haiti so a lot of thing and we provide we have provided millions and millions of meals and that's not an exaggeration in Haiti and that's because of your generosity so please continue to give and to help us the way you can do that you can you can give through technology you can text to give four five seven seven seven and then put ESC in the message field four five seven seven seven then ESC you can give to our website eastern star church dot org there's a tab there for you to give or you can mail it in as some people have continuously done and you can mail it to Eastern Star Church at fifty seven fifty each 30th Street in Indianapolis Indiana four six two one eight again thank you for your support thank you for demonstrating your love as God is poured into you now you get a chance to pour into others and be a blessing to them those of you who are going through and hurting please don't don't be isolated on your own and trying to handle it by yourself you can just email us here at Eastern Star Church at we care at Eastern Star Church we will come alongside you with prayer with counseling to help you through your crisis whatever is going on give us a chance to come alongside and help you email us at we care at Eastern Star Church or again I thank God for your streaming with us please tell your family and friends all the different ways that they can connect you know everybody's going through something so help them to get connected through the Eastern Star Church so that they can get the same word and blessing that you have been receiving alright let me offer the benediction and I pray that you have a wonderful wonderful glorious day even in the midst of the crisis that we're in may God bless you and keep you may God have his face to smell up on you and be gracious unto you may God turn his countenance towards you and grant you peace I pray God will do that today happy or more in Jesus name I love you all so much I bless you

Channel: Eastern Star Church

Views: 1,233

Rating: 4.8644066 out of 5

Keywords: eastern star church, pastor jeffrey a johnson sr, indianapolis, indy church, indianapolis church, gospel, god, sermon, faith, hope, inspiration, motivation, jesus, love, christianity, worth the wait, worth waiting for

Id: lhM49U_67Pw

Length: 35min 36sec (2136 seconds)

Published: Wed May 13 2020