SERMON LARRY MCDONALD JAN 11, 2015 EVENING SERMON TITLE: MEDITATION Psalm 1 1 Blessed 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. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. 4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish. There is much emphasis on reading the Bible. Too much thot is that there is something magical just by reading it. Read it but with understanding which then leads us to obeying. James says dont just be hearers, be doers. Sometimes we have lots of head knowledge but not a lot of doing it. Meditation combines this. I want to define meditation. I am not talking about Zen Buddism or Yoga or any of the other meditation means that are so popular in our society today. They are main streaming meditation. Harvard Law Review published a whole issue dedicated to meditation and its benefits. It all starts with empty your mind... That means that you are focusing exclusively on yourself as most Eastern religions use this term. But the meditation I am talking about is the Jewish Christian concept. Abraham would go into his fields and meditate. This meditation I am referring to is pondering deeply the things of God where it transforms us in our heart and mind and character and changes the way we live. I am not being flippant about the power of the Word of God. Paul says you can be transformed by the renewing of our minds. If you leave out one of the three ... heart, mind, character... then you will be out of balance. Jesus says you will love your God with all your heart, soul and mind. Thru the heart it can transform the life if we truly ponder the things of God. What takes place in church should transform us in the market. Pondering deeply the things of God ... There are four ways that the things of God should be pondered. I have studied from Genesis to Revelations, and although I am not going to make you sit here for Genesis to Revelations, I will tell you that from that I have discovered there are four ways we should study the things of God: - Gods Word - Gods Works - Gods Character or attributes - Gods Creation In college I was at a conference with a very charismatic speaker who I looked up to highly. After his program I asked him to sign my conference booklet and he signed it Psalm 1. I immediately took it upon myself and memorized it and tried to implement it in my life. Psalm 1 1 Blessed 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. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. 4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish. In verse 2 it says, But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. When Paul talked about meditating on the law of the Lord he talks about these Old Testament books. What do we delight in? In what do we find joy? He says in verse three, And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” Streams of water, rivers of water, the tree has multiple sources of nourishment. When we see storms they can blow a tree over and we can see that there is rot in the roots or the roots are not deep enough. This is contrasted by a tree that is firmly planted with deep roots, no storm could blow it over. It would stand firm, may lose a branch or two, but still be standing after the storm. Jeremiah uses the same picture of man. Joshua Chapter 1 God is giving Joshua his commission and he says be strong and courageous, and in verse 8 says this book of law shall we meditate on day and night.... for good success. The word meditate has its history or root as a continuous calm thought upon some subject almost like muttering to yourself, thinking things over. Think of a cow and the stomach of a cow and chewing cud. A cow eats grass by chewing it, then it swallow it, then it spits it back up to chew it some more and swallow it again. Meditation is like chewing on the Word of God. We try to digest it but sometimes dont understand it enough so cannot apply it. It is a continuous process where we have to incorporate our head, our hearts and our hands... live it out, take it into the entire body of your life. Many verses are challenging to understand. There is not a methodology for understanding Gods word like Step 1, 2, 3, 4. But I find these steps to be helpful. Take a passage, write it on a card, keep it with you in your pocket or where you can see it all day, of course be careful driving if you have it posted in your car. Then ponder it night and day. Perhaps memorize it. Many might say I cant memorize. But its like remembering how to get here to church. I used to could remember all kinds of phone numbers, but now my phone does that for me and I cant remember even one. We memorize what is important to us. It just needs to be a priority. Incorporate it into your mind and your thinking. We dont just use the Bible in church, we need to make it a daily part of our lives. I might take a chapter of the Bible and spend a whole week on it, or a month on it. Yall know several weeks (months??) ago when I spoke on Matthew 6, the Lords Prayer. It took a several month time of studying it to see the pattern, to know the prayer. It IS important enough. Slow down. Take smaller bites but go in greater depth. When I meditate on it and maybe I memorize it then it comes out in our life when we are sharing with other believers. Meditation on the Word of God is the key foundation to knowing the Word of God. I want to distinguish that as Biblical Meditation. We see that in Psalm 1. Secondly, meditate on Gods Works. Psalm 143, verse 5 5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands. Scripture emphasizes meditating on the Works of God. Knowing how God had worked in the Nation of Israel in the past. How he worked with Abraham... all these stories are the very works of God. Today we have so much more than just the Old Testament through Jesus life and the early church and the work of the apostles. It does not stop with the end of the New Testament either. It carries on for 2000 years after that. William Tindale lived in the 1500s and built his life largely around translating the Bible into a common language so that the Word could reach ordinary people. Much of the King James translation published in 1611 is based on his translation. A translation he gave his life for. Religions of his time opposed his work so much they killed him. What must it have been like for him? John Bunyan lived in the 1500s. If you did not have the official stamp of the church you were in trouble. He preached without the official stamp and spent many years in jail because of that. He wrote Pilgrims Progress and it is still in print, still being read today. Historically these are the works of God who gave them the strength to preserver. We can also look at Gods works in our lives. Everyone should be able to recall when they were saved, or learning and growing they received. All of us can share ways that God has worked in our lives, it is part of our testimony. Remember.. meditate on this and we will see how faithful God has been in the past in our lives. They you can know He will be faithful in the present and in the future. Some people journal their meditations and prayers and its interesting to see the progress or the result. We sometimes are not attentive on the works in our lives. Scripture emphasizes the works of God. Third is the Attributes of God. Psalm 4 and 104 emphasize the attributes and character of God. Psalm 4, Verse 1 through 5 4 Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer. 2 O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah. 3 But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him. 4 Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah. 5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD. Psalm 104:34 34 My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD. Have you thought what God is like? Have you thought about who God is? You might say, Oh, hey, where do I start? well this is not a bad place to start. The Bible lists His attributes. You can make a list and Hes small, where as if you meditate on Him, He becomes VAST. We understand He is beyond us. He is the one we can trust and depend on. If we dont understand how can we serve Him with what we dont know. Sometimes we get stumped in listing. We need to think on: His Holiness His Grace He is all present He is all powerful He is all Knowing He is the good shepherd He is the beginning and the end. He is the Alpha and the Omega. He is I Am. There is something powerful in how God describes Himself to Moses. If we have less than that we are worshiping a graven image. Our purpose is to know God and make Him known. Sometimes we have not been very good at getting to know God. Turn to Psalm 145 1 I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever. 2 Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. 3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable. 4 One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts. 5 I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works. 6 And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and I will declare thy greatness. 7 They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness. 8 The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. 9 The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. 10 All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee. 11 They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power; 12 To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom. 13 Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations. 14 The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down. 15 The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season. 16 Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing. 17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. 18 The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. 19 He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them. 20 The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy. 21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever. Verse 1 His character is listed as King. Verse 2 He is eternal, forever and ever Verse 3 His greatness, his greatness is unsearchable... to where we cannot end the search of getting to know Him. Verse 4 Thy mighty acts Verse 5 Thy majesty Verse 6 Thy greatness Verse 7 Thy righteousness. Verse 8 The Lord is gracious and full of compassion Verse 9 The Lord is good to all. This clearly tells us the attributes and character of God that we can meditate on. We can be overwhelmed by life because we are not overwhelmed by finding his character. Turn to Psalm 19 19 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. 2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. 4 Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, 5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. 6 His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof. 7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. 11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward. 12 Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. 13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. 14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. The fourth thing is to meditate on Gods Creation. Declaring that creation itself has a message. The message is the Glory of God. It is illogical to be an atheist because creation gives a witness that there is God. Its natural and right to believe in a higher being. The aspect of creation as well as how we are creating. Verses 7-9 moves then into the Law of the Lord and now it renews and revives us. Verse 14 ”Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. This is how we can meditate on Gods Creation. We heard that Andrae Crouch died. He wrote some amazing songs. (He read one but I was so interested in listening that I did not get the words.) The special revelation of the Bible is the Word of God and the Living God. General revelation is given in creation. When we meditate on the very creation of God it brings us to the special revelation of God which is the living word. Living in the mountains you may forget so much beauty that is all around you. I encourage you not to miss the message.... allow it to overwhelm you at times. We drive up from South Carolina and it is an awe inspiring sight to see new things each week. To summarize the world and Eastern religions consider meditation to be peace for you or your inner self. The center is you. Biblical meditation is done in four ways and God is in all of them. We are not the center of this universe. Ponder His things deeply, allow it to change your heart, mind and hands. I think thats enough for you to chew on. Can I tell you, if you go away and cant remember any of this you cant medicate on it.
Posted on: Tue, 13 Jan 2015 02:48:54 +0000
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