October 20, 2013 "Life Lessons From Times of Trouble" Pastor Howard-John Wesley

you a man once you pray with me we acknowledge and admit that we don't know it all god we're grateful for the gift of your Holy Word which grants us to sermon and revelation of what you've called us to do and who you've called us to be is our sincere prayer that our life would prove to be fertile soil that the seed of your word would take deep root within us and bear fruit in due season lord I ask that you would take me now as unworthy as I am use my head in my heart my mind in my mouth to speak your words of truth in life in the name of Jesus our Christ we do pray amen if you've got your Bible would you turn with me to the Book of Psalms if you've got a good Bible you can open it right in the middle and it should be in Psalms I'm invite you this morning to wear maybe an unfamiliar Psalm and prayerfully will speak in a mighty and moving way in our lives today the 20th Psalms Psalm number 20 we invite those who are able to join in with us in our custom to stand as we reverence the authority of God's Holy Word as is read from the New King James version of the Bible Psalm 20 beginning in verse number one if you're there with me won't you just say Amen hear the words of the psalmist David may the Lord answer you in the day of trouble may the name of the God of Jacob defend you may he send you help from the sanctuary and strengthen you out of Zion may he remember all of your offerings and accept your burnt sacrifice may he grant you according to your heart's desire and fulfill all your purpose we will rejoice in your salvation and in the name of our God we will set up our banners may the Lord fulfill all your petitions now I know that the Lord saves his anointed he will answer him from his holy heaven with a saving strength of his right hand some trust in chariots and some in horses but we will remember the name of the Lord our God they have bow down and fallen but we have risen and stand upright save Lord may the King answer us when we call you may be seated I want to talk about life lessons from times of trouble life lessons from times of trouble it's very rare that I don't stand in this pulpit and at some time throughout the sermon encourage implore and impress upon you the need to read your Bible matter of fact some have accurately declared that the motto and mantra of my ministry can be summarized and that cliche I give you read your Bible because you'll be a better Christian before I believe that dusty Bibles are owned by dirty lives and a Bible that's fallen apart is owned by one who probably isn't that one of the most critical things you can develop as a disciple of Jesus Christ is the discipline of daily going to the Word of God embedding yourself in the words my Lord and our Savior and planting them deep within your heart you might learn not to sin against God for a million-in-one reasons your life will always be better when you know the Word of God because I always suggest that people ought to read their Bible I need to let you know that there's hardly a week that goes by that I'm not asked the same question but I'm telling people to read their Bible I'll either get an email a tweet somebody catching me at the grocery store asking me the same question where do I begin reading the Bible if I found that it's almost fruitless to tell someone to read their Bible and not tell them where to begin because what will never be happen is that someone will be in a time of crisis and trouble you tell them to read their Bible and they will go to Genesis chapter 1 and begin reading in Chapter 1 by the time they get halfway through chapter 3 they're going to ask the question what does this have to do with me if that's not how they do it then they'll do the Oh Pentecost away then wherever the Bible opens is where the Holy Spirit went to speak to them and they pray that they're in the right chapter in the right verse to hear the right word from the Lord don't gently tell folk read your Bible tell them where to begin and inevitably when people ask me where to begin reading the Bible especially those who are just beginning their journey in the Word of God I always instinctively direct them to the Book of Psalms Psalms is a good place to start your journey in God's Word why do you ask well one because it's an efficient way to read the Bible there are 150 of them you read one a day now I take you through about half the year they're not that long well one of them is 119 I I'd break that up into 22 sections if I were you and just read a little bit at a time but it's a very efficient way you start with Psalm 1 you move to Psalm 2 and you work your way progressively through the Psalter it's an efficient way to read not only it's an efficient way but the Psalms are easy to read let me tell you despite what Judy tells you you don't need Hebrew to understand the words and the songs you don't need a doctorate in doctrine you don't need a commentary of Christology it doesn't take much to understand weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning you you don't need a PhD to understand fret not thyself over evildoers neither be thou envious of the workers of iniquity you know you don't have to go to seminary to understand the Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear those are easy passages to read not only is it efficient not only is it easy but I found that the Psalms are very encouraging as you read through the Psalms you're going to be reading the words a folk who walked in your shoes real people who had some real problems and some real struggles you'll find that oftentimes the Psalms will resonate with the realities of the life that you live when you read through the Psalms you'll find some things that encourage you who among us hasn't been encouraged with the words the Lord is my shepherd and I shall not want who among us hasn't found some comfort in hearing the psalmist of clear the Lord is our refuge and Our Strength very present help in the time of trouble who of us has not been encouraged by the words of the psalmist that let everything that hath breath praise ye the Lord the Psalms are efficient the Psalms are easy the Psalms are encouraging and the Psalms edify when you read through the Psalter and read these songs you find that they instruct us on how to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord the Psalms don't just tickle your fancy and rub you the right way and soothe you know they are also instructional all you need to do is look at the different genres of the Psalms going to teach pastor Wesley the different types of Psalms that are in the Bible and those genres will teach you about your walk with God can I can I teach Bible this morning some of the Psalms are individual the expression of one heart to God reminding us that each and every one of us has a personal walk with the Lord that must be developed in our personal and our private times on the other hand some of the Psalms are communal they're not simply an individual expression they're expression of a people of God reminding us that your walk with God is not simply limited to your private prayer closet but that your growth in God also requires that you be connected to a community of faith because you cannot grow and develop in God simply staying at home all the time by yourself you must be in a community to grow with God if you look at the Psalms the most prevalent genre is a genre called lament let the church say lament you'll find that over a third of the Psalms are the word of folk who are mourning who are sorrowful who are complaining and who are disappointed with God and I need some of those because that's the reality of my life that there are some times when i'm sorrowful there's some times when i want to complain about the character of my life and there's some times when I am disappointed with what God is doing in my life I know you never get there because your Bible is bigger and you understand God more than I do but there's some times when I'm frustrated in my walk with God and I'm glad that there's room in Scripture for me to express to God that I ain't happy with where I am right now can I just tell you there's nothing wrong with being upset with God then there are some psalms of thanksgiving they remind us that we all God some things when you read the storms of Thanksgiving they're real simple the writer has paused to think about the ways God has made the doors God is opened the blessings God has provided the mountains God has moved the enemies God has silenced the provisions God has given and when that psalmist thinks about what the Lord has done his instinctive response is to thank God for all of his goodness it is a reminder to us that in the midst of present problems every now and then you need to rewind a little bit and think about the ways God has made the doors God is open the prayers God is answered the mountains God has moved the enemies God has silenced the provisions God has given and when you think about what the Lord has done you don't need a praise leader to tell you to thank God you ought to have enough good sense to at least wave your hand and thank the Lord for His goodness there are songs of thanksgiving watches and then there are psalms of praise and these songs of praise usually have a doxology in the maddox ology which declares the glory of God now you're asking me pastor what is the difference between a psalm of thanksgiving and a psalm of praise I'm glad you asked in a psalm of thanksgiving the psalmist thinks about what God has done and gives him things in the doxological praise song the psalmist thinks about who God is and says even if he ain't done nothing because I know he's God and he's sovereign and a militant and eternal and loving and gracious that I can blessed on just because he's God I don't need a reason I don't need a new car in the driveway I just need to know that he raves from that these songs remind us that we all praise God just because he's God then we ought to thank him for what he's done that we can express our lament to God then we belong to a community of God as well as develop our personal relationship with God and if you keep looking at the different genres of the Psalms the devil can't stop me there is there is a smaller genre it doesn't get a lot of attention but as equally as edifying and instructive to us and it's a little small subset of the Psalms called royal Psalms the church say royal Psalms royal Psalms typically are Psalms that deal with the entire nation of Israel their Psalms that talk about the holy city of Zion their Psalms that lift up the king of Israel particularly David in the prayers of the people want to make sure you catch this that in the midst of all this praise in the midst of Thanksgiving in the midst of lament in the midst of all the different types of Psalms they found it necessary to write some songs and lift up some prayers for the nation and lift up some prayers for the Capitol and lift up some prayers for their national leader because they understood that the welfare of the people is connected to the well-being of its leader don't pause press rewind and plead the welfare of the people was connected to the well-being of its leader they realize within themselves we may not have voted for them but we got to pray for them we may not stand on every issue on the same side but we've got to pray for our leader we may not agree with the spending in the health care but because he is our elected official we are under obligation of the Spirit of God to pray for our nation's leader they say we've got to pray that God sustained our leaders because the well-being of our leaders affects the welfare of the people that when our leaders aren't sustained by God when our leaders aren't searching for God when our leaders aren't calling on the name of God the end result is that the welfare of the people is affected by the shutdown of ineffective leaders who don't know how to call on the name of God I feel like preaching now that that is what the 20th psalm is if you read it you look at it in its overview in a macroscopic way you'll find that in verse 1 through 5 I want to make sure you understand what's happening verse 1 through 5 is David the King reciting for us the prayers that the people have lifted up for him verse 1 through 5 is not just a prayer it is the prayer of a people who are praying for its national leader and so in verse 1 through 5 David shares what the people have prayed on his behalf now we don't know what the context is that has led to the necessity of the prayer all we know is that verse 1 tells us it's a day of trouble there's some trouble in Israel don't know what the trouble is but there's trouble in Israel maybe maybe the trouble is the rising wars in the Middle East don't don't know maybe the trouble is the fear of North Korean or Iranian armament with nuclear weapon oh maybe maybe maybe the trouble is the rise in federal spending finding money for war but not being able to find money to raise the minimum wage for our school teachers and fund our schools our pro kleh I don't know may-maybe the trouble that there's a congress in place that hates a man so much that rather than vote to stand on a healthcare act that they already voted on they will shut the government down and affect nearly 1 million families because they hate one man don't know but david says it's a day of trouble somebody you don't have to sit in Congress to know what the day of trouble is can I tell you about your neighbor trouble has been on his agenda before I know you don't notice but that girl sitting next to you she been in some trouble all of us have walked through some days of trouble some sees the allenham time he talking about you baby you've been in some trouble and david declares in this song i learned some lessons in that trouble after i told him about what the people prayed in verse one through five comes down verse six and says now i know some stuff because this trouble has taught me some things and in this trouble in this shutdown in this lockdown there's some things we should have learned that i want to make certain you get correct and take with you because if i know trouble like i know trouble trouble got a brother named trouble trouble got some cousin's name trouble and just when you get rid of trouble trouble send some Oh trouble your way and trouble keeps on coming so you better learn some lessons to hold your heart and your faith on in the midst of your trouble this is what David says I learned some things in me love trouble right here in the psalm it's right here unless you got a bad Bible it's right here in verse six seven and eight he said that's what I've learned in trouble I've learned I've learned number one that God always answers prayer I mean I know the lights out but the mics still work I said God always answers prayer that we don't serve a deaf God we all serve a God who doesn't hear us we serve a God who hears our prayers and I'm here to tell you that in the day of trouble God always answers your prayer look at what the nation of Israel does they come together and in five verses they begin to pray for their political leaders they realize that the extent of their prayer life cannot be me myself and I it is a sad sight that can only pray over their own problems it is a sad somebody that don't know oh no other prayer other than Lord do this for me Lord fix this for me Lord give me this Lord bless me with that Lord move this out of my life God answer my prayer amen they realize that we are called and compelled by the Spirit of God to pray for our nation's leaders to pray President Barack Obama to pray for Mitch Reid and hair to pray for her Boehner and pray for Pelosi and pray for Cantor and pray for governor McDonald and pray for mayor bill Yulin to pray for our city counselors to pray for your pastor to pray for your ministry leader to pray for your Sunday school teacher to pray for your deacon to pray for your late group leader to pray for those that God uses in your life he says we ought to pray for them and my brother sisters I'm here to testify that during the days of shutdown that's what we did 100 of us every morning got up down in on the phone we began to pray for our nation and we prayed because we believe the Bible the Bible says in second chronicles chapter 7 that if the heavens be shut up if there be no rain on the earth if the government is shut down and Congress is crazy when God's people called by God's name humble themselves and pray and seek God's face and turn from their wicked ways that God will hear from heaven and God will heal our land we prayed Deacon Brooks because we just believe that the answer for America was not simply raising the debt ceiling the answer for America was not simply rising above party politics to answer for America has nothing to do with where you stand on the healthcare act the answer for America begins with God's people who called themselves by God's name and the Bible says that when church folk get together and start calling on the name of the Lord and praying that God will always answer the prayers of his people can I tell you why that's so important that's why you ought to belong to a church because there's gonna come a time when trouble is so much in your life and weighs so heavy on you that you find yourself utterly incapable of praying for yourself and in that moment you need some brothers and some sisters who don't mind holding on their knees and calling on your name in their prayer life and asking the Lord to sustain you when you can't even pray for yourself if don't nobody else say man I know sister Deanna can saying man that there's something about a praying church that will sustain you in the day of your trouble is a anybody here that knows that there was a day you couldn't pray like you needed to but there was somebody else who pray for you and I thank God mama knew how to say somebody prays for me had me on their mind took the time to pray for me and I'm so glad they did knock knock I know I know I know you uh your Tea Party you're liberal Democrat yeah you're right in the middle you conservative you're undecided so you find it hard hard hard to pray some of our nationally I know I watch seeing in to is hard how hard pray for some folks so can we just be honest and I enjoy my apologist I've done my church folk to this um it's um there's some folk hard to pray folk don't look at nobody don't look at nobody it is it is hard pray for some folk so I want you to make certain you read your Bible and you see what they prayed for a woman she says here's what they say watch was number one the prayer is that the Lord answer you in the day of trouble not now who's the you remember this is David sharing the prayers of the people the you is King David so here's what the people have gotten together to pray for they prayed that God would answer David in the day of trouble which implies that they were praying that David would pray so the Lord would answer him that my prayer is that you would pray because you did so simple you missed it I have to pray for your political position I have to pray for you to align yourself with mine my prayer is that you would pray so that the Lord would talk to your heart and you would follow what God has commanded and call for you that's the best thing you can pray for folk to get on your nerve I pray that you would pray so God would talk to you and they prayed that prayer so much that Oh David gets down to verse six this is what he says now I know that God answers prayer he says I've been praying and God has changed some things and when I look at the trouble I was in and I see where I am now I have to remove everything from the equation and it knows the only reason things changed is that I prayed and the Lord answered my prayer now this ain't for everybody but I need about five witnesses who can honestly testify on a Sunday that you were in some spots and predicaments that you get out of and you know the only thing that changed was that you pray and God must have answered your prayer is there anybody here that knows he answered my prayer he did what needed to be done he moved what needed to be moved he healed what needed to be healed I know I know God answers prayer oh boy I could I could preach you 10 more minutes I know the Lord answers prayer somebody this place you ought to have a diploma that says that on your wall I know that God answers my prayer he is a prayer answering God so our forefathers and foremothers took the words of Psalm 116 and gave him a remix I love the Lord cuz he heard my cry and he pitted every groan long as I live while trouble rise I hasten to his throne cuz I found out he always answers prayer he says leading I found out something else in middle of this trouble found out only does God always answer prayer why she said but I found out God is always in control girl you better tweet that right God is always don't let your trouble fool you God is always in control don't go don't get me started he's always ain't even got a priest nothing else right there he's always in control Hey the Lord can speak for himself the Lord can do what he needs to do the Lord can show up in the midst of darkness you've seen the lights come on before you've seen the Lord take over before you've seen the Lord do it before he's always I don't know about the god you serve but the god I serve is always in control god I serve is able to do what needs to be done somebody say go to point number three pass go important to me we got happily we got that one the Lord answers prayer he's always in control and this is what he says finally God always answers prayer God is always in control watch this one and you can always trust in the Lord David said listen in the day of trouble there's always a decision that must be made you've got to decide in whom or in what will I trust where am I going to go in times of trouble what will I count on in days of sorrow what will I cling to when life is unstable Dave said I found out that there are some who count up their horses and their chariots not that doesn't mean much 2013 from the day the David wrote that that was a sign of military prowess that was currency in that day if you look at children of Israel whenever they would fight an enemy the Bible gives us note of how many horses and chariots the enemy had kind of signify the might and strength that Israel had to face David says in the time of trouble there's some folk who count up the things they can see and they trust in things that have the appearance of power and prowess they count up what's in the bank account they look at the list on the speed dial they see the sadiddy' diplomas on the wall they look at the tax bracket that they're in they look at the power that they have on their job and they think that will sustain them in the day of trouble but you keep on reading David says but I found out that they who count up horses and chair bow down and have fallen which is a nice way of saying you can't put your trust in everything and everybody I wish I had grown folk here who live long enough to know you can't count on people people will let you down you can't count on power the same boat that voted you in can vote you out you can't trust in possessions moth and rust will take them away you can't trust in money recession can pull it out so David says we've learned not to trust in horses and chariots but we've learned to root our faith and put our trust in God tell somebody tell them you can trust the Lord nap-nap now now now now I got to close it the way David Rohde Judy this got me because he doesn't say we trust in God what watch watch verse 7 some trust in horses and chariots he doesn't say and we trust in God no so what your Bible says some trust in horses and chariots we remember the name of our God I'm just trying to get you ready for Sunday school some trust in that but we remember the name of our God that in the day of trouble all we've got to do is remember what the Lord has already done I feel some bible-preaching here what did they remember maybe they remembered when they stood against those who had horses and chariots and they didn't have a horse or chariot but they had God and God with them was greater than horses and chariots against them wish I had some Bible readers they're making their way out of and the Bible says that Pharaoh came against them with horses and chariots and the Lord drowned them in the Red Sea the Bible says they were in the wilderness in the plains of Moab and the Moabites came against them with horses and chariots and the Lord wiped them all out the Bible says that they stood at the gates of Jericho without a horse and without a chariot but they had a praise on Thanksgiving and they marched around the city and began to shout with no horse and no chariot but the Lord brought down the gates and destroyed the city I may not have a horse may not have a chariot may not have a dime to my name but if I trust in the Lord the Lord will yes he will take care of his own I've got to leave you Joe go get the car warmed up we got to go to Bethlehem they said we remember the name of our God that there's just something about knowing that name that's why you messed up not coming to Bible study on the names of God cuz every now and in you got to declare his name in your situation he is Jehovah Jireh the God who provides here's Jehovah Nissi who fights my battles here's Jehovah Rapha the God who heals my disease he is Jehovah Shalom who stands in a storm and says peace be still you got to know how to call on the name of God goodbye Alfred Street I'll see you at 11 o'clock but I came out of tell you there's a song out now that's been ministering to my spirit it's written by Hezekiah Walker and it's called every praise is to our God every word of worship on one Accord and when they get down to the vamp o Hezekiah says God my Savior God my healer God my deliverer and then the choir jumps in with the three words you need to know yes he is goodbye off its tree but you better learn to say that yes he is yes he is yes he is is he a healer is he a deliverer is your way maker yes he is yes he is yes he is I wish I had somebody who saw me yes he is whatever I need God can do it whatever the trouble God can move in he is my way maker he is my prayer answerer he is my god yes he is yes he is yes he is

Channel: Alfred Street Baptist Church

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Length: 40min 22sec (2422 seconds)

Published: Thu Oct 24 2013