Sermon Tone Analysis

!!! “God's Call of the Righteous”

*(Part 6)*

*REST IN THE LORD*

*PSALM 37:7*

 

We are sharing the message “God’s Call of the Righteous” as brought forth in Psalm 37.

 

*If you recall, Psalm literally means “plucking the strings of a harp.”

They convey in words the inner most feelings of our hearts expression.

It is our heart “playing” to the Lord our prayers, our concerns, our faith, and our praise.*

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*Psalm 37 is an acrostic poem, the stanzas of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

(Aleph, Bet, Gimmel, etc.)*

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*We stated it is:  **The ABC’s of God’s promise to the righteous.*

That there are six elements that are found if followed give peace to the believer regarding God’s promises and they are;

 

Do not FRET.

TRUST in the LORD.

DELIGHT yourself in the LORD.

COMMIT our WAY to the LORD.

REST in the LORD.

And WAIT on the LORD.

We’ve shared the message “Do not Fret,” concluding that we have peace when we understand God is in control and we do not “fret.”

Then we shared knowing that God is in control our part is to “Trust in the Lord.”

And then God’s call to the righteous is for us to “Delight ourselves in the Lord.”

Last time we shared “Commit your way to the Lord.”

Today the fifth element of God’s ABC’s of His promise to the righteous, “Rest in the Lord.”

*Psalm 37:7 (NKJV) * 

A Psalm of David.

*/Daleth /*(Dalet)

7*Rest* in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.

Have people ever done you wrong?

Have they spoken against you and defamed your name and character?

David says to the righteous, Rest in the Lord.

But what does it mean to rest?

The Hebrew word damam “daw-man” comes from the root word dumb – to be unable to speak, to be astonished, stopped in your tracks, to be cut off, to hold your peace, to be quiet, silent, put to silence, to stand still, tarry, wait, rest.

I don’t know about you but this is one of the hardest things for me to do – to be quiet, silent, don’t say a word in your defense.

But if I’m going to have that perfect peace in my life that God has promised me then that is exactly what I must do!!!!

 

Our human nature wants to defend and justify itself.

Adam & Eve

                Cain and Able

                Job

                Saul

                Peter

 

It doesn’t matter what so and so does what are you going to do?

 

God has promised for us to enter into His rest –

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*Hebrews 4:1 (NKJV) * 

Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His *rest*, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it.

*Hebrews 4:3-5 (NKJV) * 

For we who have believed do enter that *rest*, as He has said:

/"So I swore in My wrath,'They shall not enter My *rest*,' " /although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

4For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh /day/ in this way: /"And God rested on the seventh day from all His works"; /5and again in this /place: "They shall not enter My *rest*."

/

 

*Hebrews 4:8-11 (NKJV) * 

For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day.

9There remains therefore a *rest* for the people of God.

10For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God /did/ from His.

11Let us therefore be diligent to enter that *rest*, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.

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God’s rest is a place of stillness, a confidence in God that He will bring peace to every area of our life.

A place free from turmoil.

It is a place of fulfillment where you are at total peace no matter what the surrounding circumstance may appear.

It all begins as taught in this Psalm:

 

How do we respond to what is taking place around us?

 

*The do’s and don’ts of God’s Call to the Righteous on how to have the peace that passes understanding is found in how we respond to evil and wicked individuals who misuse, mistreat, and abuse us.*

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* OUR RESPONSE:  Psalm 37:1-10*

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*                DON’T                                                   DO*

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*v. 1 -  Don’t FRET;                               v. 3 -  Do TRUST in the Lord.*

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*v. 1 - Don’t be ENVIOUS;   v. 3 - Do GOOD.*

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*v.

7 - Don’t FRET;                                v. 3 - Do ENJOY your BLESSINGS.*

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*v. 8 - Don’t be ANGRY;       v.

4 - Do DELIGHT in the Lord.*

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*v. 8 - Don’t FRET;                                v. 5 - Do COMMIT your way to God.*

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*v. 5 - Do TRUST in Him.*

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*v.

7 - Do be STILL before God.*

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* v.

7 - Do WAIT patiently for Him.*

 

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Listen to the teachings of Jesus

*Matthew 5:1-12 (NKJV) * 

And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:

3"Blessed /are/ the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4Blessed /are/ those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

5Blessed /are/ the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

6Blessed /are/ those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.

7Blessed /are/ the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

8Blessed /are/ the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

9Blessed /are/ the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

10Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11"Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.

12Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great /is/ your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

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*Matthew 5:38-48 (NKJV) * 

"You have heard that it was said, /'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' /39But I tell you not to resist an evil person.

But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.

40If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have /your/ cloak also.

41And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.

42Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.

43"You have heard that it was said, /'You shall love your neighbor/ and hate your enemy.' 44But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

46For if you love those who love you, what reward have you?

Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

47And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more /than others?/

Do not even the tax collectors do so?

48Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Rejoice and be glad – this kind of teaching was revolutionary.

It is what turned the world upside down.