Sunday Morning Worship Service

you may move to your seats we greet you this Sunday morning in the wonderful precious lovely unmatched name of Jesus once again we follow the voices that have spoken before us by saying we're so honored to have you worshiping with us those who are here in the sanctuary those joining us on the multimedia platforms we're glad to have you in the house of the Lord I say once again thank you to First Apostolic Church this marvelous marvelous uh Congregation of saints uh for for your faithfulness for you being here this morning so many wonderful things going on all around this campus today this afternoon tonight uh Pia our Hispanic Outreach Ministry is celebrating I believe their fth anniversary today isn't that awesome uh six excuse me sixth anniversary I think that deserves a special clap offering of praise and Pia is grow every day ministering to our community and we're so thankful for the work that they are doing uh under the direction Brother Joseph Perez Lan Perez and all of their family and all those who are faithful supporters and we're thankful for what God is doing I want to get into the word of the Lord this morning with you if you would turn in your Bibles your devices as brother Whitley I heard say they had tablets in the Bible so you can turn in your tablet as well uh to the book of 2 Samuel the 22nd chapter 2 Samuel 22 never want to fail to give honor where honor is due I honor our Bishop and my mom uh thank you for your leadership to all of our ministers our pastoral staff our ministers our elders all of the leaders of First Apostolic Church thank you for your consistent worship support of the kingdom of God as well as the Saints second Samuel beginning with verse number one in chapter 22 2 Samuel 22 verse number one and David spake unto the Lord the words of this song in the day that the Lord had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies and out of the hand of Saul here's a little back background story on David's song and he said the Lord is my rock and my Fortress and my deliverer the god of my rock in him will I trust man I can feel that song already he's my shield the Horn of my salvation my high tower my refuge My Savior thou savest me from violence I've just got a pretty good feeling this didn't have a somber sad Melody going along with this song I will call on the Lord who is worthy to be praised so shall I be saved from mine enemies when the waves of death compassed me the floods of the ungodly me made me afraid the sorrow of Hell compassed me about the snares of death prevented me in my distress I called on the Lord and cried to my God and he did hear my voice out of his his Temple and My Cry did enter into his ears I'm not going to sing the whole song this is a good rock song David but you know he said the god of my rock in whom will I trust but verse 31 if we skip down said this ask for God his way is perfect the word of the Lord is tried he is a buckler or a shield to all them that trust in him ask for God his ways perfect for a few moments this morning I would speak to you on this subject second guessing Perfection second guessing Perfection let's pray savior I love you God I'm so grateful to have the opportunity to speak your word not of my ability not of my vocabulary but Lord of your anointed word let it go forth to every individual in this room and all that would hear Lord let it go down deep into our hearts let us hide it in our hearts that we might not sin against you let us be corrected by words of Correction your word would have let us be strengthened by words of strength and let us find direction in all your word has for us Lord for all this we're grateful and thankful in the name of Jesus we pray amen our text is a song of David composed after God has delivered him from his enemies and most of all from his own jealous Mentor Saul his song is filled with positive lyrics lating the greatness of God his deliverance and his salvation I can relate to having these type of songs in my heart I don't know about any of the rest of you but when you've had a great victory in life sometimes you'll you'll find yourself just humming a tune of Victory you you'll find yourself before you know it uh you know we all sound good in the shower in fact I don't know why they don't make recordings in the shower because all of us can sing in the shower you know uh it doesn't sound so good when you get out sometimes but you know to our ears everything we sing when when there's good things happening and and the sun shine it's been a great day you've had a lot of Victories you got to raise at work uh your spouse said you were the most handsome or the most beautiful person in the world and everything's going just great you just have a good song and so it was with David David was telling all the wonderful things of God because David had just experienced Mighty victories over his enemies in a most difficult relationship with Saul his mentor yet God had given him wisdom and Victory in that time but let me ask you how do we all react in our attitude and yes even in the songs that are in our hearts when it's been a less than perfect situation in our lives when you come home feeling like you've taken a pretty good beating for the day your enemies appear to be victorious your mentors seem to now dislike you and are being destructive to you what's your song sound like what lyrics are being uttered from your lips and from your heart no we should and would not ever question God's Divine will for David In this passage of song had said as for God his way is perfect however in one's human reasoning we sometimes examine situations looking for a plausible explanation for disappointment loss or defeat what song do I sing does it question does it second guess the Perfection of God's way well let let me tell you how David dealt because David being a songwriter a Lyricist a composer one who put many Psalms together as well and transcribe Psalms to others to write did not always sing songs quite as positive as our text for I found in Psalms 22 David was singing a different song Psalms 221 says my God my God why hast Thou forsaken me why art thou so far from helping me and from the words of my roaring oh my God I cry in the daytime and thou hurts me not and in the night season I'm not silent day and night I've been crying God you're not hearing me but Thou Art holy oh thou that inhabit us the praise of Israel our fathers trust in thee he he starts remembering his lineage his past our fathers trusted in the and they H they trusted and thou did deliver them they Cried unto thee and were delivered they trusted in thee and were not confounded but look at this verse that he composed he Saidi am a worm that don't sound like a great hit does it I am a worm and no man a reproach of men and despised of the people all they that see me laugh me to scorn they shoot out the lips they shake their heads saying he trusted on the Lord he would deliver him let him deliver him seeing he delighteth in him his tone is likely quite factious in his writings here his song probably is written in a minor key and quite sad to the heart to hear this is the same psalmist that composed the words as for God his way is perfect now he's writing something that second guessing the Perfection of God's work in his life and God's way in his life I find a similar Psalm in Psalms 73 verse 21 it says thus my heart was grieved as of's Friday and I was pricked in my Reigns the very thing that guides me my Reigns the things that give me direction my very core of Direction my Reigns he said I was pricked in my Reigns everything about me he said I am I am am I'm grieved so foolish was I and ignorant I was as a beast before thee notice these aren't positive lyrics but as for me if you go back to the beginning of the chapter verse number two it says but as for me my feet were on almost gone my steps had well now slipped and here's the situation he found his frame of mind in for I was envious of the foolish when I saw the prosperity of the wicked now let that sink in who are the foolish well the Bible tells us the fool have said in his heart there is no God those who would deny the deity of there being a one true God I a't got a lot of help for you you're foolish the fool has said in his heart there is no God but David and the psalmist ASF had found themselves in such a condition that they were questioning all about the Perfection and the perfect way of God he said I found myself envying those who do not believe in God what a state to be in when I saw the prosperity of the Wicked on the surface if we find ourselves in a moment of Despair if we aren't careful we will find oursel envying the shortterm successes of sin in our Humanity you better hear me every one of us are capable of finding ourselves envying the short-term success of sin and evil ways and wickedness will say look they're getting by with it look at all the fame they're getting and they don't even trust in God they don't believe in God we can find ourselves second guessing Perfection he goes on now that term Envy let's define it means a feeling of dis content or resentful longing aroused by someone else's possessions qualities or Good Fortune be careful when you get in a state of mind that you're envying the wicked verse number four he goes on to lament in this song for there are no bands in their death all the way to death it seems like they're so successful they even erect statues to these these sinful folks and all this he said but their strength is firm they they still appear to be so desirable they are not in trouble like other men they don't have the problems I have they're making so much money they're not worried about their KUB Bill and their their house payment they're not in trouble like other men neither are they plagued like other men don't buy into Satan's propaganda everybody has problems but if you aren't careful Satan's got his propaganda out there that you'll believe that if you're serving God you're the one beat down and the world is being successful and everything's as we say hunky dory don't buy into that propaganda therefore Pride Compass them about as a chain violence cover them as a garment their eyes stand out with fat Ness I know that doesn't sound good for all you folks that are on a diet and working out but the meaning here is they are so successful they have plenty of everything their eyes stand out with fatness they have more than a heart could wish they are corrupt and speak wickedly concerning oppression they speak loftily man they can talk talk trash they set their mouth against the heaven they're not afraid to speak evil of heaven and and of God the the doubtful the agnostic attitude they set their mouths against Heaven the heavens their tongue walketh through the Earth therefore his people return hither and Waters of a full cup are rung out of them and they say how does God know they're doubtful they doubt the existence of God how does God know is there any knowledge in the most high is there really a god behold these are the ungodly who prosper in the world they increase in riches now we're talking psalmist here we're talking about those who have experienced and in Samuel David had been singing the lofty praises and the Perfection of God's way verse 13 he even goes to the very core of what he's thinking in this song He said verely I've cleansed my heart in vain I've lived for God and it's been in vain the the world's being successful and and and everything I've done has been in vain if you're not careful you can find yourself in this frame of mind I wash my hands in innocency I've tried to do right I've tried to live right and look at the success of the world for all day long I've been plagued and chastened every morning I'm I'm dealing with these issues every day if I say I will speak thus behold I should offend against the generation of thy children he's in desperation but vers 16 he said this when I thought to know this it was too painful for me there may be someone under the sound of my voice today that you've been struggling with looking at the successes the temporary successes of the world looking at the fleshly things and you've been struggling and when you think on it long it just it it it's hurt it hurts it's just more than I can stand I you know I've lived right I've done right I've been doing things the right way and it just appears I'm plagued sad song but let me tell you that chapter does not finish there for verse 17 of Psalms or of Psalm 73 says this until until I went into the sanctuary of God then understood I therein there's something happens when I can get back in the house of God my perspective gets changed when I get in church my perspective my Outlook will change when I can get in the house of God the reason some folks are so down they don't go to church enough some of you folks under the sound of my voice look here I'm about to preach some of you you think you can show up every third Sunday of every month and it's going to satisfy you're not going to keep your mind right if you don't stay consistent in the house of God oh preacher you loveble to run somebody off how can you run somebody off and ain't here in the first place you need to be in the house of God you need to get your family in the church it'll change your way of thinking you'll get your mind right he said when I got back into the sanctuary I started understanding how this could be happening you see consistent Church attendance is important the frame of mind we can get in when we're constantly away from the house of God is spiritually destructive in my time of trouble I would second guess the Perfection of God God till I got back into the house of God the support that the church would give me the prayers the kinship the Friendship the camaraderie of being in God's house will change your perspective he said then I understood being in church helps you understand some things being out of church causes you to doubt some things you'll find yourself when you're inconsistent in being in God's house preacher oh you're just trying to pad the attendance of your local assembly you better know I want everybody here but that's not my motive I want you to be blessed and I want you to have your head right hear me when you're not consistent in being in the house of God and hearing the preach word and en joying the worship and the praise doubt will enter in Envy of the foolish suspicion discouragement coveting of others apparent and temporary successes a desire for ungodly riches and ultimately backsliding comes when you don't stay in the house of God you see the sanctuary helps us refocus you that that term sanctuary in the strict of definitions means a place of Refuge or safety let me tell you every one of us are going to face some rough weeks we're going to face some rough months we're going to face some rough days but there's a re-calibrating of my spiritual intuitiveness when I can get back in the house of God and I see folks and I hear folks worshiping and it feels good for me to clap my hands and for me to put my hands up and worship God suddenly some of that stuff that I've been dwelling on starts getting put back in perspective I'm saying I need to be in your house oh hear me everybody in the house you need to stay consistent and just being in God's house being in the sanctuary this is a place of Refuge this is a place of safety this is God's house oh it's not the bricks and the mortar this is just where the church assembles this is where we all get together Verse 18 he starts seeing what's going to happen there's another verse to this song He said surely thou did set them in Slippery places those folks that I thought was so successful they'll have their 15 minutes of fame but you put them in a slippery Place thou cast th cast them down into destruction how are they brought into desolation as in a moment they are utterly consumed with Terrors as a dream when one awaketh so Lord when thou awak Thou shalt despise their image ever experienced a bad dream crazi now I'm not talking about God's revealing some mighty thing I know God works and dreams and some folks think God gets all these real man I've had them super being dreams too just being honest ate the wrong thing there's goofy stuff going on in my mind what in the world's happening here man I you know I'll be running from something that's catching me I'll be falling off the cliffs and right before I hit the ground something else like you know goofy stuff maybe I'm the only one does that y'all can give me counseling after jur but you know what the good feeling is is to wake up and all of a sudden hey I'm back at my place Jamie you're still here right beside me baby things are going God still protecting there there's some stuff there's some stuff that we need to wake up about there's some direction we need to re-calibrate ourselves by being in the house of God being in this place where we can fellowship and worship and get new Direction and focus the psalmist would also pin these words for a day in thy courts is better than a thousand I'd rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tent of the wicked I'd rather be in the church than anywhere I'd rather be in the house of God than anywhere when the chips are down let me be with my brothers and sisters let me be with God's people let me be with the ones that care about me I don't care what I'm doing if I'm keeping the door I'm going to be the best doorkeeper that ever kept a door why because I'm in the sanctuary I'm in the house of God Hebrews 10:24 said and let us consider one another to BR provoke unto love and good works you see everybody in the house pointed me we have a responsibility when we're in the sanctuary we need to provoke be provoking each other to love and to Good Works the sanctuary the house of God should not be a place of envy and strife and suspicion shouldn't be a place of Gossip it shouldn't the house of God shouldn't be a place of envy and strife and cryptic social media posts about our brothers and sisters can I modernize the book a little bit it's elastic it covers all things the saints of God the church this corporate Gathering should be a place that cultivates provokes love and good works caring for one another looking out for one another giving words of encourage giving encouragement giving words of strength he went on to say verse 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is don't be part of that some don't let that become your manner that you forsake assembling with God's people but ex exhorting one another and so much the more as you see the day approaching oh oh brother M I don't think you got to be in the house of God I think that's just man's idea uh the sky is is My Sanctuary the trees and the field he said don't forsake assembling together that's what the word said for if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifices for sin why would David go ahead and say in Psalms 1221 I was glad you quoted it this morning brother Whitley when we started the service I was glad when they said unto me let us go into the house of the Lord our feet shall stand within the gates oh Jerusalem I'm glad to be in God's house I'm thankful I've got a place to go you better hear me there's people all over this world that would love to have the freedom to do what you're doing right now they're having to hide in secrecy to even praise God and if we aren't careful we will take for granted this wonderful opportunity that we have to live in a nation that we have freedom to worship man I've preached all over everybody I may as well make sure I covered all my basis keep your children consistently attending church oh but Pastor you know Church a lot of times my my kids don't really understand all that's going on I'm I'm afraid they're going to get bored or I might turn them against church if I make them go to church well if you're going to use that logic use the same logic with going to school with having a work ethic or hygiene what do you mean you mean you make your kids take a bath aren't you afraid you're going to turn them against water oh I'm just going to let them make their own decisions no they'll stink oh uh I'm going to let them make their own decisions about having a work ethic four word or letters l a z y you going teach your kids to work so when they get older whatever profession they go into they will have a work ethic man oh man I told you oh I'm going to let them decide if they need to go to school and get an education four more letters d MB there's some stuff that you as a parent have a responsibility that's why scripture said train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not not depart from it you need to be an example to them don't send them to church bring them to church don't tell them to worship be an example of a worshipper hear me I'm I'm doing a little pastoral work I hope that's all right let me tell you we need to have our kids in the house of the Lord Lord we need to be the example to them that whatever comes I'm going to church every time I get the opportunity there's going to be enough interference yes there's going to be jobs yes there's going to be emergencies but my kids know the difference in jobs and emergency and complacency and Orders of priority could I tell some of us I said us could I tell some of us parents we need to grow up preacher what do you mean 1 Corinthians 13:11 said this when I was a child I spake as a child I understood as a child I thought as a child but when I became a man I put away childish things some of us have never learned to get drama childish drama out of our Lives y'all can be seated settled down when we need to be examples of Being the adult in the room to our kids we're finding ourselves in drama and conflict with other people with Petty jealousies and Petty disagreements with other folks that are just as childish as you are some of us need to grow up and be the adult in the room and start being being a Christian example to our children in our attendance to church and our attitudes toward others listen the devil wants to make some calm down preacher he wants to make some of us mamas and daddies feel like we're still in high school and we're having our little conflicts with this one that one said this about me I've got my body lip stuck out and I'm pouting and I'm accusing and grow up husbands and wives you need to love each other I believe in having friends but your friends better not be closer to you than your spouse this ain't marriage retreat but I may as well keep going okay brother Whitley we don't need to be revealing things about our personal life to our friends and our relation relationship with our spouse to anybody else when the Bible talked about a virtuous woman one of the things that said is her heart Li safely with her husband there's some stuff that needs to be between husbands and wives alone you don't need to be seeking counsel or giving information about your personal life to anybody else male or female there's some child childish stuff that we as Christian Godly Holy Ghost F parents need to turn up and be examples to our children that includes in our attendance to church I know you're hoping I'll move on okay let's do it Psalm 7323 he said nevertheless he said in spite of that that's what nevertheless mean in spite of all of that I am continually with thee thou holdest me by my right hand sister filippia I'm yet holding on I'm still holding on let me tell you no matter what you faced let me tell you hold on to Jesus be in the house of God be in the the constant presence of God's people Charles Spurgeon said this about Psalm 732 3 nevertheless since I belong to Christ I am continually with God by this is meant continually upon his mind God hadn't forgot you he is always thinking of me for my good don't sing the songs that lament failure if if you haven't passed yet the quarter ain't over God's still with you continually before his eyes the eyes of the Lord never sleepeth but is perpetually watching over my way welfare continually in his hand so that None Shall be able to pluck me th continually on his heart warn there as a memorial even as the high priest bore the names of the 12 tribes upon the hearts forever thou always thinking thinketh of me oh God that's what Spurgeon said about that verse be in his house hear his word put it in your heart as God his way is perfect musicians praise team get ready I don't care what you decided to sing I want you to sing send up Judah for me in a minute okay you know what what you find in the house of God beside all of the camaraderie and all of the recalibrating man if I had to dwell in all the stuff that people's have to dwell in all the time and didn't get to go to church it messed my mind up too stuff people look at for entertainment the songs that they law as being hits it's more like a hit list all right it'll kill you see when you get in the house of the Lord that's where the word Goes Forth psalmist also said in Psalms 11911 Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee let me ask you what's hiding in your heart today ask yourself that question is the word hid in my heart or something else hiding in my heart for you see the word hiding in my heart helps prevent me and keep me from sinful actions and a sinful nature it gives me C rection when my flesh has urges to sin if the word man i' fly fly off the handle and lose my temper you don't really lose your temper you act on your temper I can remember verses it says be angry and sin not let not the sun go down on thy wrath when there's temp ations of the flesh that come along if I've got the word hid in my heart but if I've I've hidden the songs of the world I've hidden the philosophies of the world I will find encouragement In the Flesh to sin more and more for Psalm 73 went on to say this after he went to the sanctuary and started understanding here's the clarity he got he said whom have I in heaven but thee there's no other God rhetorical question and there is none upon the Earth that I desire beside thee My Flesh and my heart fa faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever for Lo they that are far from thee Shall Perish that's why I won't stay close thou has destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee but it is good for me to draw near to God where do you get near to God in the sanctuary I've put my trust in the Lord God that I may declare all thy Works finally I would tell you what's in the house of God the word's there the clarity is there and that's where praise and worship resides they're going to sing that song for us in a few minutes staying with me that says send up Judah now in case you don't understand the significance of that song the name Judah when Judah was named of the 12 after judah's mama had suffered the degradation of not producing child when Judah finally came forth the name Judah Define means now will I praise the Lord now will I praise the Lord when we talk about sending up Judah we're talking about now praise let me tell you I don't know what you've been going through I'm not being prophetic but I know there's folks in this house that's been taking a pretty good beating there's been trouble besieging you on every side and maybe you haven't been in the house of the Lord like you should let me tell you you're back today you're here today and I've got a promise for you for you see the sad song that the psalmist sang in Psalms 22 that said my God my God why has Thou forsaken me is not the last Psalm cuz let me tell you you can help me quote just one chapter later he said the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want he maketh me to lie down in Green Pastures he leadth me beside Still Waters he restoreth my soul man you talk about a song that makes me want to shout he leadth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake yay though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for thou art with me thy rod and thy step they comforteth me thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies let me tell you don't you stop with chapter 22 there's a 23rd psalm in your future thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies there's some of you folk you've been going through such battles you sit down to eat you hadn't been able to eat because trouble you've been facing let me tell you if you'll turnning over the Lord if you'll stay in the house of God and you'll become a worshipper that knows how to send up some praise man you can sit down in the same restaurant with them and eat some fine food together you let me tell you he said thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies thou anointest my head with oil there's a healing bomb in the house my cup runneth over you need a blessing today he wants to fill your cup deeper than your cup can hold God wants to provide for you if you'll send up some praise and send up some worship praise team get ready I want to hear a little bit of that song Melody being played for he said surely surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will where dwell in the house I'm going to be in the house I'm going to be in the sanctuary I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever would you come giving God some praise sing for me Hallelujah yeah yeah yeah sing it come on give Jesus some praise right now give him some praise no matter your situation give him some praise right now yeah [Applause] yeah God I Praise You savior I worship you hey every Victory s Judah y hey s [Music] Judah now will I praise now will I praise everything for everything he has done every victory sing the praise yeah yeah yeah yeah oh send it up send it up send it [Music] up come on give him your praise don't wait till the battle's over shout now he's got your Victory now hey every victory [Applause] praise yeah everything that can you breathe you ought to praise him here we go sing it now let everything W wo W [Applause] everything let everything come on send up your praise that's where your Victory lies crazy yeah yeah yeah yeah let everything he he he hey goodness oh his [Applause] goodness he's a kind God yeah yeah [Applause] yeah what a merciful god he's worthy praise him praise him praise Him wo wo wo wo [Applause] [Music] would you do that right now give Jesus High Praise in this [Music] house yeah yeah yeah Hallelujah yes Lord yes I Praise You Yes Lord I love you Lord I worship you Hallelujah y yay [Applause] yes [Applause] Hallelujah I wouldn't leave this place with one thing on my mind but I'm Victorious God's got victory in your situation God's got victory in your circumstance God's bringing Deliverance stay in the house of God stay in his Sanctuary stay with his people hallelujah be here tonight we have service prayer time at 6 Evangelistic service 6:30 man come expecting a great time in the Lord would you greet your brothers and sisters this is the church you're dismissed in Jesus name Hallelujah