"Delightful to God"
Date: 29 May, 2016
Text: Jeremiah 9:23
Title: Delightful to God
Introduction:
Things which delight us.
· Mark - salt water aquariums
· Laura - football - Celtic
· Alec - gardening and a new way of growing something
· myself - finding rocks
· children - a new game, toy, book, etc....
These are things which we can dedicate hours of thought to as they bring us special satisfaction.
Our home has recently had guests from the USA.
· I did my best as their host to give them opportunity daily to do things which delighted them.
· We saw places in which they were interested and pursued ministry goals which were important to them.
I believe they could truly say upon their arrival back in the USA that they had a DELIGHTFUL trip.
What I want us to consider this morning the the truth that WE CAN DELIGHT THE HEART OF GOD. The message title is "DELIGHTFUL TO GOD."
You may want to delight someone this morning. But, you ought not want to delight anyone more than you want to delight God. Did you know that we can delight God? God can find satisfaction in what we do?
Psalm 19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.
ill. My friend, Pastor Dillman, speaks of things in which he delights by saying, "That is totally acceptable."
exp. We can be totally acceptable to God. He can be delighted with our words and thoughts. We can please Him!
Proverbs 16:7 When a man’s ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.
note: We would be frustrated this morning if we served a God who was never satisfied or pleased by what we do - NO MATTER HOW HARD WE TRIED TO PLEASE AND OBEY HIM.
Our text this morning points out that we can be delightful to God. It says, " for in these things I delight, saith the LORD"
The message is simple this morning. Only two main points this morning from our two verses AS WE CONSIDER HOW TO DELIGHT THE HEART OF GOD.
I. God is not delighted by those who glory in themselves.
23 ¶ Thus saith the LORD,
exp. Jeremiah is the author. He is the prophet who cries out to the nation to repent as God brings judgment upon them through the nation of Babylon.
note: But Jeremiah does not say - "Thus saith Jeremiah or thus saith the prophet of the LORD!" He says, "Thus saith the Lord."
ill. As a child my brother could tell me to do something all day and it would never be done by me. But, if he said to me, "Dad said to...." it would get done quickly because DAD HAD AUTHORITY.
app. When you read God's Word you ought to read it with the Words, "Thus saith the Lord" in your minds. The message is from God AND GOD HAS AUTHORITY TO TELL YOU AND ME WHAT TO DO.
note: And so - what commands are coming from Jehovah to us this morning?
A. Don't glory in your wisdom.
Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
1. This man is wise.
exp. He has real wisdom. It's not a foolish man glorying in his wisdom. He is wise.
1Co 1:26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.
app. He is wise - but he ought to be aware possessing wisdom is not possessing the greatest THING! And so, God has a command for Him.
2. He is not to glory in his wisdom.
exp. Remember that Pharisee who believed himself to be so wise? NOTE HOW PROUD HE IS OF HIS KNOWLEDGE.
Luke 18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
app. Are you glorying in how wise you are this morning? Is your "knowledge" keeping you from simplicity of Christ? DON'T GLORY IN YOUR WISDOM. (God is not delighted in them which glory in their wisdom.)
B. Don't glory in your might.
neither let the mighty man glory in his might,
1. Again I point out that this man is strong.
exp. Like Goliath, this man has nothing he can not do. If he takes hold of a rock it moves. Who can stand against such a man?
note: Strength blinds us to our need for the Lord.
ill. Sampson: Judges 16:15 And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth.
16 And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death;
17 That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother’s womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.
18 ¶ And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand.
19 And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.
20 And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.
21 But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.
app. When Sampson became proud of His strength God departed from Him and showed him how weak he was by himself. God has a command for the man who glories in his strength - DON'T DO IT.
2. He is not to glory in His strength.
note: A man who has strenght WILL TRUST IN HIS STRENGTH RATHE THAN TRUSTING IN THE LORD!
2Co 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
song: "Before the Lord Almighty can in any great way use a man, He first must teach that man to seek the glory of God alone, for when the heart it's weakness knows, tis then to God the glory goes as bright the realization grows that God is Lord of all."
app. Praise the Lord if you feel week this morning. You won't be in danger of trusting in your strenght. Do you feel strong? Is your strength enough to get you through? God commands you not to glory in your strength.
C. Don't glory in your riches.
let not the rich man glory in his riches:
exp. Again - he is rich and again God commands him not to trust in his riches.
note: We are rich this morning. We have the best housing. We have the best health care. We have the best automobiles....
question: Does a rich man need to pray for his daily bread? Is he concerned about how he is going to get through life. If he something brakes he will just replace it.HE DOES NOT NEED GOD UNLESS HE DETERMINES NOT TO TRUST IN HIS RICHES.
Ps 62:10 if riches increase, set not your heart upon them.
Lu 18:25 For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
app. Perhaps this morning, you don't need God - because you have your bank account (oh, it may not be as much as other men but it is enough to keep you from crying out to God to meet your needs.) God commands you not to glory in your wealth.
transition: Is the God of Heaven delighted this morning by your wisdom, strength or wealth? What does delight the heart of God?
II. God is delighted by those who glory in HIM.
24 But let him that glorieth glory in this,
note: What "this" is - is God!
ill. The three men we considered would often boast of their - wisdom, strength, riches! God says, "BOAST IN ME."
A. Glory in Him mentally.
that he understandeth (me)
ill. My brother has the ability to diagnose car problems almost over the phone. He got the mechanics genes which I did not get. His father in law is a master tech at Ford. THESE GUYS UNDERSTAND CARS.
exp. God wants us to understand Him.
question: What do you know of God this morning?
· Do you know His love? Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
· Do you know His power? Ge 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
· Do you know he entered into his creation? Philippians 2:6-7 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
· Do you know that he is coming again? Re 3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Re 22:7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. Re 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
ill. Speaking with Mormon - we don't know everything about God because we are finite - but what we do know we accept by faith even if we can't reconcile it. BUT WE UNDERSTAND HIM THROUGH HIS REVELATION - HIS WORD.
question: How do you "understand" God this morning? You understand Him through His Word. (God delights to have His creation know about Him. Do you glory in your understanding of God?)
B. Glory in Him relationally.
and knoweth me,
def. "to be aquainted with"
exp. It's not enought to just know God mentally. We have to know him relationally.
ill. I know about the Prime Minister - but I don't know the prime minister. Some people do - but I don't.
exp. You may have a mental undertanding of Jesus this morning but you will never know Him until He is in your heart.
hymn. "I serve a risen Saviour, He's in the world today, I know that He is living whatever man may say.....You ask me how I know He lives, he lives within my heart."
1Jo 5:12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
app. Can you say this morning, "I know God" relationally? God delights when we glory in that! (THAT IS WHY WE SO OFTEN TELL PEOPLE ABOUT THAT SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP.)
C. Glory in Him experiencially.
ill. Speaking with a woman at the charity shop. She didn't want anything to do with God. I told her, "If I had an apple, she could say that it tastes bad. But, she doesn't really know because she hasn't tasted my apple."
app. There are a lot of people who hate Jesus - WHO HAVE NEVER TASTED OF HIS GOODNESS AND LOVE.
Ps 34:8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
exp. They have never experience his....
A. Experience the Lord of lovingkindness.
that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, (...in the earth)
ill. The Church of Scotland has recently voted to allow homosexual ministers to marry. I asked Pastor Dillman, "How can God keep from judging them." Don answered with the truth before us just now - "Because of His lovingkindness."
Lamentations 3: 22 It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
app. You have SO MUCH THAT YOU DO NOT DESERVE TODAY AND IT IS ONLY BECAUSE OF THE LOVINGKINDNESS OF GOD. Are you living with an awareness of that experience - BECAUSE YOU KNOW AND UNDERSTAND GOD?
NOTE: The world benefits from it as well - but God delights in THOSE WHO ACKNOWLEDGE IT!
B. Experience the LORD of judgment.
(that I am the Lord which exercise...) judgment, (...in the earth)
question: How is your fear of God this morning? Do you fear the judge of all the earth?
Mt 12:36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
Re 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
note: God doesn't delight in people who can go through their day living wicked lives who think nothing of His authority as judge. God delights in those whose experience a reverential awe of the Almighty Judge!
C. Experience the LORD of righteousness.
(that I am the Lord which exercise...) and righteousness, in the earth:
exp. Are you aware of His righteousness this morning? Do you have His righteousness this morning? YOU CAN NOT GO TO HEAVEN WITHOUT IT.
Ill. If someone broke into your garden and took fruit from your fruit tree - how serious a crime is it? No big deal - but God's fruit taken against God's command brought death/hell/sickness/sorrow to mankind.
note: We are unrighteous and sin has to be punished! If you have punishable sin AT ALL you can not go to Heaven.
Mt 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
question: Are you tithing off of the herbs which grow in your garden? Are you straining your tea so that you don't accidentally swallow a bug?
app. We have to have the righteousness of God to go to Heaven.
1. Not self righteousness.
Ro 10:3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
2. God's righteousness.
2Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
app. There is a wonderful experience with salvation when a person receives God's righteousness. Most people describe it as a weight taken off of them - it is the weight of the guilt of their sin. Do you have that experience? Have you experienced the righteousness of God? If so, YOU GLORY IN THAT EXPERIENCE AND SHARE IT WITH OTHERS.
Conclusion:
for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.
WHAT DOES OUR WORLD GLORY IN?
WISDOM - STRENGTH - RICHES.
that does not delight the heart of God this morning because that is empty and worthless.
God delights in someone who
understands him mentally.
knows him relationally.
And has and experiencial knowledge of His lovingkindness, judgment and righteousness
in these things I delight, saith the LORD.
