The LORD's Day, March 18, 2007

The Result of Refusing to Listen To God

Psalm 81.8-16

There is a great need of grace today and a long with it an understanding of God’s Sovereignty when it comes to obeying His voice. Many think they will be like the thief on the cross- at the end there will be an opportunity for peace with God, ignoring the call to come to Jesus now. Others foolishly think everyone is going to heaven or I’m not as bad as a lot of people, surely I’ll get in. Lots of people believe in some sort of heaven, few believe in hell.

When Jesus comes, and I say this with tears, there will be many people who are shocked. When He comes He will set everything straight. He will judge all the people.


1. God is warning everyone today v.8

Few are listening.

Many stubbornly refuse to obey.

This is not new. It is recorded here in this lament Asaph wrote down.

Jesus was in Jerusalem during His final week before the cross and He gave out this painful statement (Matthew23.37-38):
37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. 38 Look, your house is left to you desolate.

Asaph is speaking of the past and present. Jesus is speaking of the present and the future. We see here the results of refusing to listen to God even when He is standing right among us.

2. God gave them over to their stubborn hearts. v.11-12
We see the heart of God in Jesus’ statement. When the LORD arrives at this place He isn’t like us when we give up on something. He is doing with grief and sorrow in His heart. He sees what is ahead.

If you go back to verse 9 you see the issue over which they stumbled and fell. They put other gods before Him. He is the true and living God. He is the LORD God Almighty. Israel is His witness. Billy Graham said he could give an argument for the existence of God in one word, “Israel.”

Jesus said all the law and the prophets hang on two commandments: Love the LORD your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and love your neighbor as yourself. You can’t do the second until you do the first.
Israel had failed at the first part. When there is spiritual failure among God’s people, He comes and seeks to restore. Like a Shepherd He leads us and if we stray, the LORD goes out after us. He seeks us.

I have a friend who is the accountant of a faith mission organization. Before he fully surrendered his life to the LORD, he was falling away. One Saturday night he was in a bar. It was late. He had been drinking. This man came up to him, called him by name and asked him what he was doing. He had never met him before. The man told him he was going to be at such and such a church tomorrow. My friend said, “Hey That’s my church ” Then this angel (unaware to my friend at the time) said again, “What are you doing here? ” He went on to say, “I want to get out of here This place disgusts me.” That was it. David realized that the LORD had sent an angel, went home and repented and surrendered to Jesus Christ. He listened to the LORD.

Israel had the prophets. God had spoken to them over and over again. He didn’t just send one prophet. There were times when the LORD had two speaking during the same time frame. They didn’t listen. They were judged and the inhabitants of the Jerusalem were carried off to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar’s army.

God didn’t give up on them. After 70 years He allowed them to return and build the temple. They did and the second temple was finished. Once again things came between them and their LORD. When Jesus came they were down to the last generation. The temple would be destroyed and the people scattered because they were not willing to submit to and obey Jesus. On Palm Sunday (Luke 19.41) As He approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it 42and said, If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you.

God warns before He acts in judgement . When He is not listened to, when there is stubborn refusal to listen and obey, He gives the people over to their own ways. He sends them away, lets them go, lets them loose. He dismisses them from His blessings and His presence that they once knew. Like Samson they don’t know it until the enemy comes and they have no strength to fight. Then they are free to follow their own plans and counsel which is not freedom at all

It is frightening today for me to hear what people believe and espouse It reminds of Paul’s words to Timothy about false teachers: I Timothy1.7 They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm. So many things flying around today about God which have no biblical basis whatsoever and so many being taken in by this nonsense.

The LORD wants all men to come to repentance. He is not willing that anyone perish so...
3. There is Grace Offered Today v.13

Asaph is speaking of hope that would come if Israel would just listen and follow the LORD. God is still calling His people through the Psalmist.

Thank God for the Ifs in His Word

If My people...
If we confess our sins...
If anyone hears My voice and opens the door...

All of these are addressed to the people of God when they have fallen short of His Glory.

Here in Psalm 81 Grace is offered to the fallen


4. There are great promises in Grace v.14-16

God promises the protection from the enemies and that He will fight the battle for them. Jerusalem rejected God’s Grace and their enemies overtook them.

Our enemy today is the devil. People who are lost are not the enemy- they are victims of the enemy. He is out to destroy God’s men and women. He is attempting to sneak into the church. He seeks to gain a foothold in our lives. If we listen to the LORD and follow Him we will be safe from the fiery darts of the evil one. We will be in a battle but when we are on the LORD’s side the battle belongs the LORD

v.16 Contains two wonderful promises. He will feed us with the finest of wheat. He will satisfy us with honey from the rock.

Wheat refers to the righteous in the Word of God. The wicked are referred to as chaff and weeds or tares. Wheat is also the good seed. It is the Word of God. God will fill our souls with His wonderful Word if we listen and obey Him. He will make us strong. He will nourish us.

Honey From the Rock is promised. There is something about the character of a believer who is growing in grace. They are getting sweeter and they have the fragrance of Christ. It is pleasant to be around them They sweeten up our lives.

5. These promises are conditional. v.16

The word is “would” or as some have it “should”. The idea is this is what God’s intention is and what happens if the conditions are met. Otherwise they are abandoned to do their own thing, to follow their own desires, to do as they please. While this sounds like freedom it is anything but that It is misery. It is emptiness. It is loneliness. It is heart ache.
I have never warned someone according to God’s Word or seen them warned, and watched them refuse to listen and obey without seeing that poor soul in bitter heartache and distress in the days ahead.

The simplicity of this message is seen in the Song Trust and Obey:

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

Refrain
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.Refrain

Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
But is blessed if we trust and obey.Refrain

But we never can prove the delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey. Refrain

Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet.
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way.
What He says we will do, where He sends we will go
Never fear only Trust and Obey Refrain

Do this and you will be blessed. Failure to listen and follow Jesus will result in destruction and devastation in your life. There is a day of accounting coming when God will open the books. On this side of eternity He calls us to be prepared to meet Him.

Our posture as believers should be to eagerly listen and follow. There should be an increasing measure of the fruit of God’s Spirit in our lives. Spiritual Growth is a safeguard against spiritual failure. Pride comes before a fall. Humble yourselves today. Daily confess your own need of Jesus’s cleansing and help in this journey to heaven.

II Peter 1
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The LORD’s Day
March 18, 2007
We Worship In Singing
We Worship In Prayer
We Worship In Hearing the Word of God
The Result of Refusing to Listen to God Psalm 81.8-16
*Tithes and Offerings can be placed in the box at the rear of the sanctuary*
Please join us for coffee and bagels downstairs if you are visiting today.

V
This Week
Bible Reading Psalm 84-86
Monday- Men’s Prayer Meeting- 6:30am
Wednesday- Bible Study- 7:30pm at the parsonage Psalm 84-86
Thursday- Bible Study- 10:30am at the church Psalm 84-86
Next Lord’s Day-
Morning Prayer- 10am in the church basement
Morning Worship- 10:30am(Sunday School for Children)
Spanish Service- 4pm

In Your Prayers For All of God’s People
Remember the men serving in the armed forces: Bradley, Julia Bujold’s grandson with Special Forces in Afghanistan, home on leave right now, Ken Brown, Pastor’s friend’s son on his third tour of Iraq. His mother has been diagnosed with congestive heart failure and is going on disability. Billy Knapp, Jr. leaves for Iraq next month (neighbor of the church and Pastor- Billy’s sister graduated from Good Shepherd). Matthew Klaus, brother of Good Shepherd parent in Iraq as a firefighter for Haliburton... Pray for them and the others away from their families. Praise God for keeping David Louis, Jake Morgan and Tom Hindelang safe during their times in Iraq. Christine Frankland, Katharina’s daughter doing better, facing surgery March 30th. Please pray for Monica’s (Katrina’s granddaughter) mother-in-law, Rosemary, with breast cancer. Sonya, Albert and Anka’s niece in Canada results on the biopsy were negative Praise the LORD Kathy, Ziggy and Margot’s daughter-in-law, under the doctor’s care for fibromyalgia. Praise God for a good report on Judy Mucci. She continues on Chemotherapy. Helen Pawson’s family in their loss of Helen’s brother this past week. Pastor’s friend Kim Richardson recovering from a heart attack last Sunday.
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*A number of nursery school families are going through difficult times. If you would like to sponsor a child presently at Good Shepherd, see Alice or call the school at 666-7503
*If you would like to help with the Sunday Morning Bagel ministry see Alice Gordon.

*Bay Shore Barnes and Noble Book Fair Voucher Supporting Good Shepherd Nursery School, tomorrow March 19th - simply present a voucher at time of purchase on that day. Vouchers available downstairs.

Notes on Our Time in the Word of God This Morning:
The Results of Refusing to Listen to God
Psalm 81.8-16

Pastor’s messages are now available online:
http://thesundaymorningmessage.blogspot.com/
Church e-mail: bayshorenaz@rock.com
Church Phone: 631-969-1730
1314 Pine Acres Boulevard, Bay Shore, Long Island, NY 11706-5436
Whatever you do, in word or deed, do all for the glory of God