Building A Fence

Psalms 19 Psalms 19. I was reading this Psalm in my personal time of devotion and just found myself kind of just sitting in it for a little while. I've talked about that quite often. I just feel like sometimes God pushes the pause button. Like, you need to stop for just a minute. I want to talk to you. And often times, I'm a slow learner. I know I'm in a room full of fast learners, but I'm a slow learner. I'm from Wilson County, y'all. It takes me some time. So, sometimes I have to slow down. So, I had to slow down in this one. And as I begin to go through it verse by verse, I just felt like the Lord was really capturing my attention for something for us today.

So, I'm going to go through We're going to read in the entirety of Psalms 19, not in this moment, but over the course of this message today. But, I'm going to start in verse number seven. And I do this quite often. I'm going to read you from the New Living Translation just because it has a little bit of language that's more common today. Sometimes the King James language, I I'm a New King James fan. That's my study. That's where I'm at. That's where I live. That's where I'll die. But, sometimes the these and the thous get a little heavy. So, today I'm going to do a little bit of New Living Translation for us. It says this in verse number seven, "The instructions of the Lord."

Now, whose instructions are we getting? "The instructions of the Lord are perfect." As David writes this. "Reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy." Everybody say trustworthy. "Making wise the simple." "The commandments of the Lord are right." Everybody say right. "Bring joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear." Everybody say clear. "Giving insight for living. Reverence for the Lord is pure." Everybody say pure. "Lasting forever. The laws of the Lord are true." Everybody say true. "Each one is fair. They're the more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even the honey dripping from the comb. They are the warning to your servant and great reward for those who obey."

Everybody say obey. Obey them. When I was a young man, I was probably 11 or 12, somewhere right in there. Just, you know, really, really living in that undeveloped frontal lobe state of life. Anybody know what I'm talking about? Anybody Anybody have some memories of that age? And I was with my best friend at the time. His name was Brent. And uh he attended the uh the larger First Baptist Church that was in town there. And he invited me to this youth gathering that they were having. It was fall of the year. They were having like a fall festival kind of thing on a farm. And we were on a hay ride and we were having a great time.

And then we got off the hay ride. And the next event we wanted to go to is they had a big bonfire and they were promising the delivery of s'mores. Anybody like s'mores? I mean, yeah, you just feel the spirit move right there. I don't know if it was the spirit, but it was a spirit that moved right there. Something about warm marshmallow, chocolate, and graham cracker. Y'all, I'm preaching as good as I've ever preached right now. It just has a way of ministering to you in ways like nothing else can. So, even as a young man with an undeveloped front lobe, I knew how good a good s'mores was. So, we had made this deal that as soon as the hay ride stopped, we were going to be first in line because I obviously don't want to wait.

There was a big crowd. So, the hay ride came to a stop and we bailed off of the little uh trailer that we were on, and we could see where the fire was at. And we were watching as people were heading that direction, but it seemed like they were kind of going in a little misdirection. They were They were not taking what it would appear to me to be the shortest route. Now, again, it was it was kind of dark. So, I bump my friend Brent. I'm like, "Hey, man, if we just go this way, the fire's right there." I don't know why, but he's going, "Let's go this way." So, we we tore off across unknown territory.

And within just a few steps, we were greeted with a shock as we fell into the electric fence. I did not know it was there. And to be honest with you, I don't know if I had ever really experienced an electric fence fully the way I experienced it in that moment because I was committed to get to that fire. That s'mores was speaking to me. So, I was all in when I hit the fence, I fell into it and got wrapped up into it and I kept getting shocked over and over and over again. Relentlessly, mercilessly was I being shocked and he was trying to help me, but every time he touched me, he got shocked.

Quite the situation I was in. Have you noticed that fences are part of life? Every one of us has had a different relationships. May Maybe there's a story or two that are very similar in fashion as to what I just described to you. You have an electric fence moment. Anybody had an electric fence moment before? Yeah. Yeah, you probably it did core memory was was formed there. I remember that. Fences are part of life. When I was a kid, a fence usually meant one thing. Is that I usually wanted to know what was on the other side of the fence. Why is that? Anybody besides me ever have that desire like, why is the fence here?

What is the fence's purpose? There's something about it that makes me curious and could be surrounded an old barn, it could be around an old field, but there was something there that was constantly craving or calling me that that to find out what was what was the purpose of the desire of the fence. Whether it was a no trespassing sign. Those were the worst, right? You You automatically want to trespass when you see the sign. I don't know why that is, but I'm like, well, what what are you keeping on the other side of there? Why can't I know what's going on? That's something that would maybe maybe maybe I'm interested in. But something changes usually.

I say that because I got to put a little asterisk there because there's always outliers in life. Usually as an adult, you understand that fences can play an important part. We build fences in our life. We build them around our backyard so our children can play safe. We build them around a swimming pool to protect lives. We build them to protect livestock and valuable equipment and people establish them in their homes to protect their families. And here's what I've learned. This is a truth. The more valuable something is, the more likely it is to be surrounded by a fence. Nobody builds a fence around an empty field because they hate the field. Think about that for just a minute.

I know this isn't like super deep water right now, but at the same time there's some truth that is here. Nobody builds a fence around a field because they hate the field. They feel they build a fence because they value what's on the inside. They're trying to protect it. I wonder if perhaps maybe we've misunderstood God's commandments and instructions for our lives. What if there's not maybe maybe a chance that there are some of us in the room today that have spent our lives looking at God's word like a list of restrictions. We've misunderstood what he was desiring for us that they really all along has been a fence built by a loving father. So, I feel like that's what Psalms 19 is really all about and as I felt God causing me to pause for just a minute and to dive in deeper into this chapter, I felt like he was trying to show me something.

After all, it starts this way in chapter 19:1, "For the choir director, a psalm of David. The heavens proclaim the glory of the God of God. The skies display his craftsmanship." And what I found interesting is before this psalm is over, David isn't looking at the stars anymore. Instead, he's looking at scripture. And I feel like he teaches us something very profound in here. The same God who created the universe, the same God who overwhelms us with its beauty and trying to understand all of the cosmos that is there, is the same God who's desired for you and I to live inside his commandments and instructions for our life. Think about that for just a minute.

Not to keep joy out, but to keep destruction out because every good father protects what he loves. So, today I want to preach for a little while on this subject, building a fence. Building a fence. Jesus, God, I pray for the next few moments, Lord, that you would open our hearts and our minds that we can receive the word that you have for your church today, that we can live it out and apply it in our lives. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Verse 1 and 2 again, for the choir director, a psalm of David, the heavens proclaim the glory of God, the skies speak and display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak, night after night they make him known.

David looks up into the sky and he's realizing the creation is speaking. Have you ever had a moment where you went out on a clear night and just found yourself gazing at the stars? Yeah. Overwhelmed with how small we really are. When I begin to study that and there's been many, many uh speakers who have talked about the depth in the creation that is the heavens above us and and the universe and the and the Milky Way and and all these far away galaxies that are there and I'll be honest with you, it has a way of making me feel infinitely small. There's been moments in my life where I found myself, you know, with a little frustrated with life's circumstances and there was a particular night I remember wandering out into our front yard and I was allowing the dogs to do what dogs do when they go out in the yard and they were taking their time and I was looking up there and just really if I was if I'm being honest with you, I was having a little moment of had a little bit of a pity party.

Now, I know maybe you think less of me for saying that, but I believe in being honest in the house of God. There are sometimes pastor throws a pity party for himself. You know, Chassity don't let me do that in the house. I'm only allowed to do it outside. So, I'll go outside by myself and I'm looking up and I'm just like, you know, kicking things around and saying, "God, do you even care? Do you even know what I'm going through right now in my life? Are you even aware of what's going on?" Looking up and I'm like, "God, you were able to create all of these things. Set all of this in motion by simply speaking a word.

All these things that just honestly blow my mind that you have set this stuff in motion, but do you even care about me?" And about the time I uttered those words and I said them out loud, a shooting star went across. Now, you can say that was just a coincidence, but I want I want to tell you right now, I felt God say to me, yes. Even with all of this going on, I'm still concerned with you. What a good God we have. I don't know, I feel like I've been been going down this How was the old farmer say? I've been plowing this row for a while. Cuz I feel like we are being so inundated by so much distraction and noise in our world that we are tempted to forget that God still cares about us.

He still cares with our daily activities in our lives and our decisions we're making, and his desire is to engage with us on a regular basis. The problem is that you and I have to turn the noise down in order to hear him. Every morning the sun rises, and when it does, it announces this, God is still faithful. And God is still good. Every evening the darkness falls and the stars appear, reminds us that God is still in control. Whether or not I am, he is. God didn't wake up and was surprised by any of the thing that was in the news headlines. You and I may be surprised by what's going on, but God's not surprised.

He wasn't caught off guard. He's never one time said this. He's never ever ever said, I didn't see that coming. You and I say that a lot, don't we? Not God. Not God. You know, we have a we have this way of allowing God or allowing our lives to become to the point to where our problems it feel like they're enormous. Anybody ever feel like your problem's enormous? You know, a diagnosis can feel enormous. A financial burden can feel enormous. A strained relationship or a decision you got to make about the future seems enormous, but sometimes you need to stop and look up at the heavens and remind yourself, he's controlling all this. He's not lost control of that.

He's still on the throne alive and well. My God is able to handle whatever comes in my way. I just need to learn to be patient and trust the process. The God who created all this is not overwhelmed by what is overwhelming me. Sometimes you got to speak some truth to yourself because sometimes our thoughts are not in a places. Sometimes the things that are going on in our mind, they're not true. It's not reality. It's It's a It's a fake. It's a false narrative. Sometimes you got to stop for just a minute and open up the word of God and remind yourself that he created it all. He's still in control. He's still concerned about my everyday.

He's concerned about my comings and my goings. That he has my name written on the palm of his hand. That he loves me. Even when I make a mistakes and I fall down and I don't always do the things I'm supposed to do. It doesn't negate God's love for me. Sometimes you got to remind yourself that I am loved. I am beloved. I am desired. I am precious. I am his child. I've been blood blood bought. I've been purchased long ago at Calvary's hill. Sometimes you got to pull yourself up by the bootstraps and remind yourself WHAT THE WORD OF GOD DOES SAY ABOUT YOU BECAUSE THE ENEMY is never going to remind you the good.

It's only going to remind you of your failures and your shortcomings. But God is faithful. Creation's always speaking this. Every sunrise, you should just say to yourself, "God, you're faithful." Every sunset, "God, you are faithful." Every time you see the stars, "God, you are faithful." Every time you witness creation around you, know and understand that it is speaking. As David said, it's It's It's It's talking to you. It's a silent preacher of his goodness. Isaiah says this in Isaiah 40:12, "Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand?" He's talking about God. Now, think about this. The prophet has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand. Measured heaven with a span.

Do you know what a span is? A span is the distance between the pinky finger and the thumb. What takes us coming up with terms like light years, God measures with his hand. Let that settle in your spirit for just a minute. There is nothing that you will encounter in the sum total of your life that is bigger than our God. Nothing. Nothing that you will face that is bigger than our God. The entire universe as he spoke into existence is only bigger than the span of his hand. He holds all the waters in his hand. Think about how wonderfully big our God is compared to your problems. So then I would ask you the question, then why are you letting the problem overwhelm you?

When you have a God who's bigger than the problem. Genesis tells us the creation story. It's remarkable. Every time I read it, every time I go through the account that is there, I think to myself, God just spoke that into existence. It says this in Genesis 1:16, "Then God made the two great lights, the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also." Did you see how he just threw that in? Does that Does that find Anybody else find that funny that he talks about that and it just casually says, "Oh yeah, by the way, he he he he created the stars." Like we we we're still discovering the stars he created.

The universe is still expanding because he said, "Let there be." And there's continued to be every day since he said it. Feeling like I'm a little alone in the room today right now. I don't necessarily need you to preach good, but I'm preaching good, so you should get on board. He spoke it all into existence. Yet he knows your name. He knows your name. With all the billions and billions of things that have been created, he still knows you. Not only does he know you, he knows where you're at and what YOU'RE GOING THROUGH. HOW WONDERFULLY GOOD IS OUR GOD? You need to be encouraged today about how good God is. The God we serve.

He does not strain to create. He does not struggle to sustain. He speaks and creation obeys. The Bible makes the connection powerfully. The voice of God carries that kind of authority throughout creation, then his voice has more than enough authority to speak into your life. To speak into your life. If he set the sun and moon in order and they've continued to operate the same way ever since he said it. If he set the stars when the heavens were they are. If he created all the things that we know in the known universe, Do you think that he can't control your narrative, too? Do you think somehow you're beyond his grasp? That somehow you created a unique circumstance that he didn't see coming that is beyond that he looks at you and says, "I can't do anything with that."

Yeah, I can't I can't help that. I can't I can't go down the weeds. I can't get caught up in that because they somehow figured out a way around my mercy. I'm going to tell you, you can't get around God's mercy. You can't. Even when you're running from it, goodness and mercy is following you every day of your life. And if you'll just stop, it'll catch you. Quit running. Quit running FROM YOUR PROBLEMS. STOP AND allow God to do to work out only what only God can do in your life. You're making this way harder than it has to be. You're making life way harder than it has to be. Here was Here's what I know.

When when when God speaks, we ought to listen. Now, I want to know for the next few minutes I'm I'm going to do something that I I used to say and Wesley always loved it. He's not here right now. Wesley always loved it when I says, "I'm going to I'm going to plow a little deeper in now." Are y'all okay? Look at your neighbor and say, "Hang on." He's going to plow down my road right now. When God speaks, we ought to listen. When the one who designed life gives instructions about life, it would be foolish to ignore him. When the one who created marriage speaks about marriage, he knows what he's talking about. When the one who created our body speaks about purity, he understands what blessed is.

He also understands what will destroy us. When the one who created our heart speaks about forgiveness, bitterness, and anger, and love, he's not offering an opinion. He's revealing how you were designed. He understands what will destroy you. So, his instructions talk about how you get rid of those things. It's not optional for you. If you don't do what he says you should do, then those things will destroy you 10 out of 10 times. You would not purchase an expensive piece of equipment and throw away the instructions and get mad because it doesn't work or it's broken. Yet, humanity does exactly that with their life. We reject the instructions of our creator and then blame the creator when life stops working.

I don't know why God allowed this in my life. Really? Let's replay the last seven decisions you've made and then you're going to ask the question why God allowed this to happen? You're a You made stupid decisions in your life. Hey, I'm tired of being sugarcoated around here. You know, you do dumb things, you get dumb results. I'm sorry, sister Priest. I just I love you. I said stupid from the pulpit. I won't say it again. Today. Maybe. We say I don't understand why my relationships are broken or I don't understand why my heart is empty or I don't understand why a decision brought me so much pain and then God lovingly points you back to his word.

He's always trying to bring you back here. The very place where we have everything we need here. Here. Here are the words of life. Here are the words of life. In fact, I even think it says there, the word of God, right there. It's what he has given us. It is a gift that he's given us to face every situation that comes our way. There's an answer in the word of God. I know some people dismiss the word of God and say it's it's outdated and it's old-fashioned and no longer applies. I'm here to tell you that's a crazy way to view it. The very thing that has stood the test of time, the very thing that does not need me to defend it is the word of God.

I don't have to defend it. It's stood It's stood real good all by itself. Now, you can choose to ignore it, but I promise you if you choose to ignore it, you do so at your own peril. You're the one who pays the price, not God. You pay the price. Here's what I realized. I lovingly God puts us back to the word because God who created the universe understands how human life is supposed to function out of the word of God. It is a fence for us to put up in our life and the fence carries authority because of the one who built the fence. Think about this with me just a minute. God's commandments are not random rules invented to make life difficult.

They're not. They come from the wisdom of a creator. He sees what we cannot see. He knows every road and where it leads. He knows what waits behind the boundary. We oftentimes only see the fence, but God sees the cliff that's on the other side. You and I look at it and we oftentimes are tempted to review it or to view it as a restriction, but God sees the destruction from which he's trying to protect us. It's the same way as we're raising children. You know, a child doesn't understand why they can't touch a hot stove. Parents do their best job to say, "Hey, hey, hey, be careful right there." They don't They They don't have the process nor the experience yet to understand that if I touch that glowing red thing, it's going to hurt me.

A loving parent says, "Look, you may not understand, but I'm going to stop you from doing that because I would rather you be mad at me than for you to hurt yourself." See, there are moments when we will not understand every boundary of the word of God. There are moments. They are. There will be commands that will challenge our flesh. There will be principles that run against the current of culture. There will be moments when everybody around us seems to be climbing over the fence and we wonder why I'm still standing on this side. But before we question the fence, we need to ask ourselves who built it. Now, here I'm just going to say this right now.

I knew this is going to be a good message. I knew I was going to do a little digging, but I'm going to say this because I'm very comfortable with what God placed in my heart to preach today. I have been in the apostolic church my entire life. It's all I've ever known. It says it it's the world that I live in. It is all I've ever experienced, but I will say this. There have been men of God who have misused the word of God. The word of God is never meant to beat you into submission. Anybody who does that, they're out of order. They're out of line. Everything in that book is meant for you to fall more in love with Jesus or fall more in love with the person beside you.

To fall more in love with Jesus or fall more in love with the person beside. Anything else that that book's been used for is out of order. It's out of order. I'm to teach this to you. I'm to preach this to you to make you fall in love with him. And then hopefully that relationship with him causes you to have a desire to please him. Causes you to have a desire to be obedient to his request. It was Jesus who said, "If you love me, you'll keep my commandments." He didn't say, "If you love me, you'll keep my suggestions." Look, I've used this example many, many times, but I think it's the most powerful example I have.

There are things that I do in my life because I love that woman right over there. I'm crazy about her. And there are things that I don't fully understand, but I've learned to appreciate them because I love her. Like there's some things I'm not allowed to eat eat. There are some ways I have to behave inside the house. There's some things I'm not allowed to touch. There's some things I'm not allowed to wash. You see where I'm going with this. I'm being a little bit funny, but at the same time, I do it. Why do I do it? Why am I compliant? Why am I obedient to it? If I could say that word because it's important.

Because of the relationship. Because of the love I have for her. And it's the same way backwards with There's things that she does for me that I know that she doesn't understand, but she does them as well because she loves me. Because of the relationship that was there. What I feel like often times is we struggle in our relationship with God. And because we don't understand it, we decide not to obey it because it doesn't make sense to us. And in the process, we learn we often times mistake God's silence as consent. I'm just going to tell you right now, if his word says it, he still means it. He hasn't changed his mind about it.

I'm going slow for a reason. If he If he If he said it's an abomination, which means it's something that bothers him so bad he wants to vomit, he still doesn't like it. I don't care what culture says. I don't care what your neighbor says. I don't care. I'm going to say it in here and I got a few of these in the room right now. I don't care what your therapist says. I love them all. But what does the word of God say? This, ladies and gentlemen, will get you through this life. This This here is meant to be a a boundary and a fence, not to restrict, but to keep. Not to rob, but to protect.

God built a fence not because he's trying to control something worthless, but because he's trying to protect something valuable. You are valuable to God. Did you know that? You know what else is valuable? Your marriage is valuable to God. Your family is valuable to God. Your calling is valuable to God. Your testimony is valuable. Your future is valuable to God. He He wants to protect all those things and everything valuable deserves protection. And David begins Psalms 19 by looking at creation. He sees the universe that's being governed and guided by God's voice. And it deserves to be protected. All the wisdom that was there. But then he turns his attention from the heavens to the scriptures because the same word that governs creation must also govern our lives as well.

His chief creation. Now, here's Here's the deal, guys. You and I, out of all the things he created, humanity was the one thing he stopped and used his hands. He loved us enough. He didn't just speak us into existence, but he took the time to form us. And then he did something with us he didn't do with anything else. He breathed life into us and man became a living soul. There's life beyond just this world that we know. It was a gift that God gave us. It was also a gift that he gave us the freedom to choose because that choice is the only way that we can actually express and show our love is when we choose to love.

If it's forced, it's not love. If If have an option in it, then there's no I have to be compliant. What is my other option? But when I choose, and that's where it comes in and so many people and I and I feel like so many people even in the Apostolic Pentecostal Church misunderstand God's commands because the commands when we bring ourselves to be obedient and compliant to it is a way that we show ourselves that we love him. Oh, Pastor Kevin, you just preaching old-fashioned message. I don't think so. I don't know that I can preach a more relevant, culturally relevant relevant message than the one I'm preaching today. The God's desire has always been for you and I to live inside his commandments that are there.

To live inside the things that were he designed for our protection to keep us where where does he wants us to be. He knows best. I don't know best. God knows best. My my my track record, and if you're honest with yourself, your track record has proven that you don't know best. You don't be honest with yourself. How many times have you made a mistake? How many times have you made a failure? How many times have you messed up? How many times have you lived with regret because of a decision you made? But I will tell you this, there's not been one regret in my life from being obedient to God's commands. Not one. Even the ones I didn't understand.

Even there's times when I'm like, you know what? This doesn't make sense to me, but I'm still going to be obedient to it. God's blessings always followed me. Same word that God or word of God that governs creation must govern my life. Do Do you think the planets argue with God? You think the sun says, you know what? I don't want to rise today. Just you can't do that. I don't see that happening. No, you may say, well, Pastor Kevin, that's kind of silly. Is it though? It's a creation, too. Like if we're going to go down this path, do you see anything else in creation arguing with the creator? But here we are. Creation remains ordered because it remains submitted to the design of God, and our lives will find its greatest peace, stability, and blessing when we do the same.

David shifts almost seamlessly from admiring God's creation to admiring in word. It's almost as if he's saying the God who governs the universe also has to govern something inside of our lives as well. He says this in in in verse number seven, the law of the Lord is perfect. Perfect. Converting the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. The commandments of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. Notice something, David doesn't describe the word of God by what it prohibits. Did you catch that? He didn't describe it by all the things that you can do. Because the things that you can do pale in comparison to all the things that you can do.

To all the benefits that do come into your life. He describes it by what it produces. Did you catch that? He describes it by what it produces. The world says God's word tells you everything you Excuse me, the world says God's word tells you everything you can do, but David says, "No, it changes people, and it gives you wisdom, and it brings you joy, and it opens up blinded eyes." This original transcript emphasizes the very characteristics of scripture. It's perfect. I had you repeat those words, perfect and sure and right and pure and clean and true. Each of these things transform our lives. I don't know about you, but when I look at that, if I'm honest, and I think if you're honest, too, that doesn't sound like bondage.

That sounds like a blessing. Then why is it we fight it so many times in our life? Why we find it so restrictive? Maybe we've been looking at God's fence all wrong, because fences don't exist to punish people. They exist to protect. I heard this said many, many years ago, and I wish I knew who said it originally so I can give him a credit, but it wasn't me. This is not my statement, but I remember it. It's rules without relationships produce rebellion. I feel like often times why so many people struggle with the commandments of God is because they don't have a relationship with the God of the commandments. It's not a deep relationship.

It's not an abiding relationship. They have a Sunday-Wednesday relationship. They have an occasional relationship. They have a They have a mini devo relationship. They have a They have a relationship with with with God only when they're in need, only when they don't have things going their way. That's the only time they ever talk to God. And if that's the case, no wonder you feel bound by the things because if you were the opposite, if you had a relationship with God, you would embrace them. Rules without relationships will do produce rebellion. When we know the heart of the one making the rules, obedience becomes trust. Did you catch that? Obedience becomes trust. Looking back at my childhood, not once, more than once, I wondered why my dad did the things he did.

But when I look back on it now as a 50-year-old man, I realized my dad had rules that were there to help me be protected. There was a reason why he didn't allow me to be around some things in my life. He's seen better than I've seen. He knew It was wisdom that was there. Sometimes it was wisdom that only comes by experience. That's exactly how our heavenly Father works. He isn't trying to rob us of joy. He's protecting the joy He created us to experience. The enemy says if you climb over the fence, you'll experience the freedom that is there. But God says, "No, that's where the cliff is. You want to stay away from that."

That's why every command in scripture flows from God's love. If you think about this, be honest with yourself for just a minute. Think about just just the 10 Commandments. In the 10 Commandments, what you find there is God's protecting life, protecting marriage, protecting integrity, protecting trust, and protecting the family. God never gives a command because he's insecure. God's not operating out of insecurity. That's not who he is. He's always protecting what's most valuable to him. Can I tell you something that has become more real to me the older I've gotten? There are many many things that I didn't always understand in my life. Even being raised in the apostolic church, as as as a as a late teenager and early teen or early 20s, as I was beginning my ministry life, as I realized that I was I was moving forward towards full-time ministry, there was some things that I had to settle for myself.

I had to go back and dig into the word of God, especially as I was getting ready to transition to take over as being senior pastor of this church. This is what I knew. I love this place too much to not be able to stand behind the pulpit and embrace what the founders of this church had always intended to be preached and taught in this church. I wouldn't do it. So, I spent a year deep diving into everything that it is to be apostolic Pentecostal. Why? Because I had to settle some issues in my life. I needed to settle them because if I didn't I could never move past I couldn't move on. I couldn't build my life.

I couldn't move forward. So, I did. And I dove into the word of God. And there was some questions that God began to answer to me. But, he only answered them when I was truly hungry to have an answer not to prove my point. There's a difference. There's a difference when you go into the studying the word to try to argue the point, Terry Freeman, versus going and God, I want you to show me. Show me, God. Please let my heart be open. Lord, if I'm wrong then reveal it to me. Lord, I'm not trying to prove you wrong, God. I'm trying to prove you right. And when I did, God began to reveal these things to me and show me some things.

But, not only that, here's what I realized after 50 years of I've been I've been I'm telling you the first place that my dad went to after knowing that he had a little baby boy born is he went to the house of God. And I showed up not far long after that. I've been in church my whole life. It doesn't make me better than anybody else. I'm still a sinner saved by grace just like you. But, here's what I know from my entirety life of being spent in the church. This is what I've seen. I've watched marriages fall apart. I've watched addictions destroy lives. I've watched greed bankrupt families. I've watched bitterness consume people. I've watched unforgiveness imprison hearts.

And every single time I find myself saying that's exactly why God built the fence. Sometimes we don't always understand in the short term what the long term's going to look like by the decisions we make to just drift away or say that's just that that's really outdated. You know, I don't know why a pastor's being that way. I don't think that's necessary. I don't think that which is one of my favorite statements you guys heard me say is it a heaven or hell issue? Boy, I just get I just get worked up seven ways from Sunday when someone says that. Pastor Kevin, is that really a heaven or hell issue? Boy, it makes me frustrated.

I mean, I have to be ob- You don't know Pastor's being obedient to the word of God. If you say that to me and I don't respond, I'm being obedient. Cuz what I want to do is smack that off your face. God's got me here to try to get you to heaven and you want to ask what the minimum requirement is? That's what you're saying. Is that the minimum requirement? I was July 31st, 1999. I've said this before, standing over there in the chapel now, when I was telling my wife how much I loved her and I was saying I do, I didn't ask her before and hey, by the way, what's the minimum requirement for affection?

Like, how many times do I need to hold your hand? How many times do I need to tell you I love you? How many times do you need a kiss every day? I just need to make sure I get it wrote down because I want to make sure that I'm doing the minimum. Why do you want to live for God on the minimum? Why is that our position? Pastor Kevin, I never thought that way. Yeah, but you live that way. We have his word. We have his word. We see it's there. It's in black and white. Well, Pastor Kevin, not everything's black and white. You're right. You There's It doesn't say anything in the word of God about smoking crack cocaine.

So, I guess go ahead. I mean, just hammer that pipe. Wear it out. Just go for it, girl, because there's nothing in there. I can't show you chapter and verse that says crack cocaine is wrong for you. So, let's go. Is that really the mindset we have? I mean, at some point you got to get in here say, you know what? It maybe it doesn't say anything about crack cocaine, but it does have a whole lot about leaning about this being the temple and I'm responsible for it and that doesn't prove out to be very You're always trying to argue your way out of things. WHAT ABOUT YOU TRY TO ARGUE YOUR WAY INTO SOMETHING?

GOD, how can I be better for you? How can I LIVE MY LIFE this more pleasing FOR YOU? HOW CAN I NOT BE SO SELF-ABSORBED AND SELFISH ABOUT EVERYTHING, GOD? HOW CAN YOU LOOK AT CALVARY AND ASK A MINIMUM REQUIREMENT QUESTION? How can you do that? How can you look at what he did ON THE CROSS AND SAY, "IS IT A HEAVEN OR HELL ISSUE?" HEY, IF THERE'S anything that's even remotely bad, I WANT TO BACK AWAY FROM THAT, GOD. YOU'VE DONE TOO MUCH FOR ME IN MY LIFE. YOU'VE BEEN TOO GOOD AND TOO FAITHFUL and too merciful for ME TO GET CAUGHT UP IN SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T matter to a hill of beans. Why does it matter?

YOU GET SO HUNG UP ON ALL THESE things that you just can't do. Really? I'm going to tell you what, I've seen I've seen the lame walk. I've seen the deaf hear and stopped. I've seen relationships put back together and marriages restored. I've seen it. I've seen that. I've seen people who've been told you're never going to have a baby who have their baby in the room with them right now. I've seen these things in my own. You've come TOO LATE TO TELL ME living for God IS NOT THE BEST LIFE that you can live. Are there some things that I don't do? Yeah, there's some things I don't do, but it doesn't matter to me.

Those things are for nothing. THEY'RE FOR NAUGHT. ALL THE THINGS THAT I GAVE UP FOR GOD, THEY don't matter to nothing. All the things that I gained from THE RELATIONSHIP, OH MY GOODNESS, HE'S BEEN GOOD TO ME. HE'S MY FAMILY'S IN THE HOUSE OF GOD. DID WE DID WE SACRIFICE? YEAH, WE DID, BUT FOR WHAT PRICE? THEY'RE HERE. THEY'RE HERE. THEY'RE HERE. IT'S MORE VALUABLE than any ENTERTAINMENT OR ANY THAT'S WHY GOD BUILT FENCES. His commandments aren't outdated, they're protective. His word isn't restrictive, it's preventative. His boundaries don't exist because God wants less or else they exist because he desires more. More. I've noticed this about people who complain the loudest about God's boundaries. They're usually always standing outside of them.

They're on the other side. You know, the prodigal son in Luke 15. He thought the fence was the problem. Till he woke up in a pig pen. I love how it says and he came to himself. What about you? I think I'd have come to myself a lot a lot longer before or quicker than getting the pig pen. Have you ever been around pigs? I mean like you've ever been to a pig pen. I mean, I don't I'm nose blind, but I can tell you I can smell it before I get there. It's nasty the past them out on the road. Only then did he realize the father's house wasn't restrictive. That there was safety in his father's house.

Sometimes we don't appreciate the fence until we spend enough time outside the fence. That's why David closes the section by saying something remarkable verse number 10. More to be desired are they than gold. Yea, than much fine gold. Sweeter also than the honey and the honey comb. Can you imagine saying that about God's word? Do you feel that way about God's word? Do you feel that way? Do you live that way? God, this is necessary. Listen, I need Here's a reality guys, you need this like you need air. And I don't know about you, but I need air. I'm a I'm a big fan. You need this like you need food. Like you you cannot live without it.

And it's not restrictive, it's protective. David doesn't say he tolerates it. He doesn't say he endures it. He says he desires it. Do you desire the word of God? Because David had learned that everything God says is for his good. Ladies and gentlemen, that's when spiritual maturity starts. God has never once given me a command that wasn't for my benefit. Here's what we know. The wise man said this in Proverbs 14:12. There's a way that seems right in a man, but the end there will of that way is death. Boy, I have lived that verse of my own. And I dare say there's vast majority of you in the room who have lived it out as well.

Did you notice that word the end? See, God always sees the end. He stands at the end looking back at the beginning. You and I, we have this unfortunate reality that we are stuck inside of time. He is outside of time. It's why sometimes you're not always going to see what's around the corner, but he does. You may not want to know what your tomorrow holds, but he holds your tomorrow. God knows. The enemy always has the the the ability to advertise the other side of the fence is grand and glorious, doesn't he? Isn't that how temptation works? The devil never advertises the consequences. He only advertises the excitement. He advertised independence for Eve and pleasure for Samson and power for Judas and freedom for the prodigal son, but he never showed them the other side.

He didn't. He he didn't show Eve the curse. No, that never came up in the in the conversation. He He never showed Samson the blindness or Judas the rope or the prodigal son the pig pen. The enemy's always like, "If you could just get on the other side of the fence. If you only knew the things that were there. If you only knew what it was keeping you from. If you only knew the restrictions you were having to live under." And God says, "If you could only see what I would see, you would willingly stay there and you know that my love is protecting you and keeping you." There's a great reward. David finishes with one of the most hopeful promises in Psalms.

Verse number 11, "Moreover, by them your servant is warned and in keeping them there is a great reward." I want you to notice David didn't say, "There's a great reward for keeping them." He said, "In keeping them." In choosing choosing to keep them, there's a reward that is there. Sometimes the reward isn't waiting till the end of obedience. Sometimes the reward is found in the obedience itself. Finding the protection that is there. It's in the process of being formed or being created. Again, this process and I've I've talked about and I've preached about it over the years here at the church. We're in this process of sanctification. As as many of you know, this is one of my little candy stick things.

I'm not a fan of the word saved. E D, it denotes something's finished. And here's a clue. We're not in heaven yet. So, I'm not saved cuz I'm still here. I mean, last time I checked there ain't no gold around me on the ground. I didn't walk through gates of pearls to get here. But I'm in the process of being saved, and that process is called sanctification. And the sanctification process is an everyday walk. Every day, every day I'm making choices, every day I'm making decisions. As I've said many, many times, I'm either getting closer to God by a choice or I'm drifting further away. I'm never staying still. So, where are you going today?

Where are you headed? What was your decision when you woke up? Did you decide today I'm going to church because I want to get closer to God? I'm going to certain church because I feel obligated to? I'm going to church because I'm being forced? What's your What's your plan? Here's what I know. Freedom is is having no boundaries according to the world. But every area of life teaches us the opposite. A fish is real free in the water, but not on the beach. A train is free on the tracks, but not in the ditch. A plane is free in the air, but not in the ocean. So, everything, everywhere functions best in the environment in which it was designed to be kept.

That's where you flourish. God's fence doesn't limit your life. God's fence allows your life to flourish. So, where are you at? See, here's the reality. This is what I know. I've lived too long and come too far and seen too many things in my life. This is what happens. Either you look at God's word and you look at his commands and you say to yourself, I choose to be obedient because of the blessings and the goodness and the protection God affords me because of it, or you look at those things as a restriction that God's keeping you from. And how you view that makes all the difference in your outcome of your life. Here's what I know.

Here's what I've seen in my own life, and you can say you disagree with me, it's okay, you have a constitutional right to be wrong. I've seen too much. I've seen people in my lifetime who willingly walked away from the commands of God, who willingly walked away from our lifestyle convictions, who willingly said, "Those things are not necessary." And what I have seen is for a while everything is good. Everything is grand. The prodigal son, when he left dad's house, hey, he was having a good time. He was. He was partying, he was buying everybody's lunch, and he's hanging out, and I mean, he's got friends galore, and and things are going good, and he's saying to himself, "You know what?

I made a right choice. I have so much freedom." Well, I hear that all the time when people leave the church. I'm just so free. I'm just so free. So was the prodigal son, he was free. Oh, he was having a grand time, but eventually he ran out of daddy's money. And then when it got a little bit tight, he woke up and came to himself in a pigpen. And it was only then, only then after he had Listen listen to me, after he had lost it all. Why is it we have to go rock bottom? When he lost it all in the pigpen, then he says, "You know what? Maybe it wasn't half bad at dad's place."

When he made the statement to himself, "You know what? Even the servants eat better than I'm eating right now." You know what? I I will go back to my father's house, and I will tell him I have sinned against you, and I've sinned against heaven, and if you'll just allow me to be a servant." And of course, we know how that story goes. When his father seen him coming, he ran and embraced his son, and restored him back. The one of the most beautiful parts about that story, I don't have it in my notes today, but I encourage you to go back and read Luke 15. He said in his little ramp-up speech as he was going to head back to dad's office, you know, like, I'm I'll just be a servant.

He said, "I sinned against you, against heaven. And And if you'll just make me a servant." When he gets there to his dad, he says, "I've sinned against you, I've sinned against heaven." And his dad stopped him. And his daddy never let him say the words, "I'll be a servant" in front of the servants. Go look at it. Cuz you're not a servant. You're a child. You're precious. I don't care how you've messed up or what mistakes you've made. Just come back home. Look, I'm reaching for somebody today. You've been straddling the fence far too long. I'm here to tell you the word of God, the commands of God, the the the the the the protection that is there is beyond what you can what you can possibly imagine.

Stop fighting the process. Stop looking for holes in the fence. If you look for a hole, you'll find a hole. And you'll slide out. And you get on the other side, but I promise you I promise you I've seen Bishop, we were talking about in the office today. I've seen families. And it hurts me. It hurts me so much when I look at where they were at. I mean, I'm talking about people who were core memories of my life. These people were there. And then somewhere along the way they decided the fence wasn't necessary and they willingly jumped over. They walked away. And I look at their life and what I see is hurt and pain and bitterness and brokenness and divorce and kids no longer give any lip service to God.

It's just in a matter of one generation. One generation. So, let me say this to you moms and dads and grandmas and grandpas, you maybe you don't understand it all. But no one is an island. We don't live in a vacuum. Your choices and your decisions have impacts up and down the line. It matters. It matters. It matters. It matters. The word of God is meant to protect you and keep you. Verse 11, moreover by them your servant is warned and in keeping them there is a great reward. Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from the secret faults. Keep back your servant also from the presumptuous sins. Let them not have dominion over me.

Then I will be blameless and I shall be innocent of the great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, oh Lord, my strength and my redeemer. Notice why David he doesn't pray. He doesn't say, "Lord, build a taller fence." I'm closing. The musicians can come up. It's important to not only read what he says, but also to be comprehend what he doesn't say. He doesn't say, "Lord, give me more rules." Again, he started this process by looking at the heavens saying, "The heavens declare your works." They're speaking. Every day they're speaking. Every day they're they're they're they're backing up God what your word says.

And then he goes to the scriptures and says, "Oh, to be desired more than gold, more than fine gold, like like like sweeter than honey in the honeycomb." He's talking about how good the word is. And then he goes from the heavens to the scripture to reflection. to himself. David understands something every mature believer eventually learns. The greatest battle isn't outside the fence. The greatest battle, ladies and gentlemen, that you and I fight is in our heart. Jesus would later say it this way in Matthew 7, "From within out of the heart of man proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All of these evil things come from within and defile the man."

The problem has never been that God's fence isn't strong enough. The problem is that sometimes our hearts become attracted to what's on the other side. That's what David was saying. He was saying, "Keep me. Keep me from the presumptuous sins." What's presumptuous sins? Presumptuous sin is the sin that you tell yourself, "You know what? I can do this. God will forgive me." God, keep me from that attitude. That mindset "Well, he's a good God." You know, that that's our culture today. That's a that's that's the that's the modern Christian culture in North America. It's he's a God of love. He's good. He is. He is the God of love. He is good, but he's also given us his word.

Like you can't negate the other things that he said, "If you love me, you'll keep my commandments." Like what do you do with that? If he's a God of love and and you willingly ignore the commandments, at some point something doesn't add up. David prays, "Cleanse me and keep me. Let my heart be acceptable." He's asking God to do something far deeper than change his behavior. This is where it gets critical. Please don't miss this point. I'm getting ready to close. But again, I I I feel so strongly God's reaching for somebody today in this place. David understands and he says this. He says, "God, change my desire." Lord, my flesh wants to get on the other side of the fence.

My flesh tells me all this isn't necessary. My flesh says it's okay. My flesh says it's not such a big deal. My flesh says it's that's culturally relevant at that time. That that's what my flesh is. But God, I know I see you in your heavens. Lord, what you spoke into existence is still there. It's still preaching. It's still saying that you are faithful and you are just and you are true and that you are right. And God, when I read into your words, God, it is to be desired. It is it is it is precious. It is it is good for me. It is better than gold. It is better than than it is sweeter than honey in the honeycomb.

But God, I know me. So Lord, help me. Help me. Help me change my desires so that my heart aligns with your word. >> Amen. When your heart loves God, you don't spend your life looking for holes in the fence. You don't spend your life asking how close can I get to sin without actually sinning? Or how much of the world can I have and still make it to heaven? Or exactly where is the line? That's the wrong question to ask. The right question is, how close can I stay to the one who built the fence? How close can I be to you? Look, I'm not I'm not going to be that that guy. I'm not going to be that pastor who tells you that that there's not some things out there that are that aren't fun and entertaining.

They are. There are there's some good times you can have. But I promise you, there's a price to be paid. There's an addiction quality that comes around. Even in the entertainment, there's a quality, there's something that's always trying to grab you and try to capture you and try to try to shift you and mold you and make you and When you stay close to the shepherd, you don't have to worry nearly as much about wandering. As David said in another one of his Psalms that's so famous, "Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me." Thy rod and thy staff, the correction that is there, Lord, even when I receive it in my life, I'm happy I'm thankful for it because there's some comfort and some peace that is there.

I don't know about you. Maybe maybe the maybe this whole message was just for me. I'm so thankful that my conscience works. I'm so thankful that on a daily basis I ask God, "Lord, will you forgive me?" and I feel him. I live in that. I'm so thankful his mercy and his grace is new every morning because, guys, I'm just not that good. I need it. I need it in my life and he's so gracious and kind to give it. Maybe today you've been standing at the fence wondering what lies on the other side, if it's really better. Maybe you've already climbed over and discovered that the enemy always over-promises and under-delivers. Maybe you've been faithful walking with God and today this message has reminded you that every boundary in his word is another evidence of his love.

Whatever your story, David's prayer ought to become our prayer. Lord, search my heart. Keep me from secret faults. Keep me from presumptuous sins. Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer. Is that your prayer? Cuz one day we'll look back and realize something that we couldn't always see in the moment. It truly was every fence that he built as an expression of his love. And perhaps the greatest evidence that God loves you isn't that he lets you do whatever you want. Perhaps the greatest evidence of his love is that he loved you enough to tell you where the danger was.

And then he gave you his spirit to give you the capacity to stay within side the boundaries his word laid out. Jesus, in this moment, Lord, I feel you here. I know you're close. I knew today in our time of prayer and God that this message would be one that would be heavy to receive, but I also know that you gave it to me for a reason. So God, I've delivered my heart today to your church and I pray right now that you would do the thing that only you can do, that you would draw us into a place where we could realize, recognize, comprehend, and understand there's some changes we need to make in our life.

Lord, I pray today that that drawing power of your spirit will bring us in to be closer to you, that we could stand, Lord Jesus, close and not feel restricted, God, but empowered. God, I pray for there to be a boldness of truth in this room today. A boldness to be honest with ourselves about where we stand with you, Lord. For those who have been questioning or maybe dismissing or thinking, Lord, that all these things are not necessary, that they would take this as a moment God as you're reaching out for them. That you're slowly slowly working to reveal yourself to them in a new and a fresh way. God, as I always say take the brokenness of our life and make it beautiful today.

In Jesus' name.