Rejoice In The Lord

Rejoice In The Lord

Psalm 33

The 32nd Psalm was a Psalm of instruction and yet we know that "all" the scriptures are good for instruction.

2Ti 3:16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Ti 3:17  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

When we confess our sin to the Lord, it will lead to a time of rejoicing.

Psalm 33 is a Psalm of rejoicing.

This Psalm teaches us not to just rejoice but to express our emotions loudly.

After all we are the redeemed people of God.

Psa 107:2  Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;

Whatever others think of us, as the redeemed of the Lord we have many reasons to rejoice in the Lord.

To rejoice is to experience joy and gladness to a high degree!

To rejoice should be heard by the voice. To rejoice is the idea of singing out with immense joy.

Though we can rejoice alone, this Psalm is more about the gathering in an assembly to worship the Lord!

Heb 10:24  And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
Heb 10:25  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

When we gather together as the redeemed of the Lord, we need to worship but we also need to rejoice in that worship!

This Psalm teaches us how to rejoice and some of the reasons why we need to rejoice.

Let's begin:

*****Psa 33:1  Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.

Who are the righteous? All those that are justified by faith in our Holy God!

Rom 5:1  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

Music has always been a vital part of praising the Lord in our worship services.

This Psalm is more about congregational praise than the individual. It is "all the righteous" who are to praise the Lord!

All music in the Church is to be about praising the Lord and not for entertaining those that are sitting in the pews!

Many places of worship have become places of entertainment.

That building may be used for other things but that worship service should be exactly that, a worship service to the Lord!

To rejoice is to shout for joy, to sing joyfully, to cry out in joy exalting the Lord our God!

If God never did anything but save us from a burning hell, we have enough reason to praise Him!

Psa 5:11  But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.

It is dangerous to rejoice in the things of this world!

It is foolish to rejoice in our own accomplishments!

It is fatal to rejoice in sin! The wages of sin are death.

But it is heavenly to rejoice in the Lord!

It is a fact that even the righteous are not always glad, so we all have a need to stir up that rejoicing spirit within ourselves.

There is great joy in knowing the Lord!

When the Lord sees His church rejoicing and singing praises to Him they are beautiful in His sight!

The word "comely" means to offer rejoicing praise to the Lord is a beautiful and a most fitting thing to do!

Psa 147:1  Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.

God loves to see His people happy!

There may be many professionals who sing the songs of praise, who do not know the Lord as their Savior, but God sees no beauty in them.

Singing is wonderful but God says to bring your musical instruments.

The Psalms were never to be chanted, they were always to be accompanied by musical instrument!

There is nothing musical about chanting!

*****Psa 33:2  Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.

**The harp was the national instrument of the Hebrew people.

If you do not like the praising of the Lord with singing along with the harp, you will not like it in Heaven.

Rev 14:2  And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and "I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps":

The voice of the harp is beautiful!

**The psaltery is another version of the harp but normally had 12 strings.

It was played with the hand. Some say it resembled the guitar but had a much superior tone.

**The instrument of 10 strings was also another version of the harp.

In fact it is possible that this instrument more fits the picture of the modern day harp. The strings may have been plucked with a quill or with the hand.

There are many that say music is not important in the worship service but what do they do with these scriptures in the Bible?

God includes these things in the Bible for a reason!

Many will say that musical instruments are unnecessary to worship the Lord but most people will not sing at all without the assistance of musical instruments.

The pure fact is, that we are to praise the Lord with every fiber in our body and all the powers we possess.

Praise is never to be half-done but wholehearted!

*****Psa 33:3  Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise.

Nine times in the Bible we are told to sing a "new song" to the Lord.

When we are saved, we need to be singing a new song.

When our troubles are over we need to be singing a new song.

When God has answered  that prayer we have prayed for so long a time, we need to be singing a new song.

When God has been merciful toward us in anyway we need to be singing a new song!

When we live by the ways of the Lord it is a "new and living way"!

Heb 10:19  Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
Heb 10:20  By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;

Just singing for the sake of singing and not in praising God is not worth very much.

The Lord loves to see us excited about our salvation!

The Lord loves to see a freshness in our worship!

The Lord loves for us to put forth our new life, that "Born Again" feeling, from the heart and soul into our praises for Him.

To play skillfully is to praise God in everything with the very best that we have!

The sweetest tune, the sweetest voice with the sweetest words, the very best we can do are still much to little to offer our Lord for what He has done for us!

We can live a righteous life only because the Word of God is right!

*****Psa 33:4  For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth.

If this verse is not true then we can all go home because we can find better things to do but since it is true then we need to pay attention to what God has got to say!

What ever God says in His written Word are the truth!

What ever God says about His creation is the truth!

We may not understand why things happen as they do in our lives and the lives of those we love and care about but we must believe that all the works of the Lord were the right thing for Him to allow to happen!

There are no deviations from the Word of God that hold true!

There are no deviations in God's act of creation, God spoke and things happened!

We can praise God because of His truth.

We can praise God because of His faithfulness.

We can praise God because of His "Mercy" and His "Grace".

And we can praise God because of His truth in creation!

In fact there are no reasons why we should not be praising God!

The more we know about our God, the more we will learn of His excellence!

*****Psa 33:5  He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.

What does God love?

According to the Bible, true righteousness is a character of God that is rooted in the fulfillment of the covenants God makes with us when He saves us.

True righteousness can come to each of us only because of our relationship with Our Holy God!

Righteousness is always doing things right and we have no power of righteousness within ourselves!

Psa 14:2  The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.
Psa 14:3  They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

There are many who believe they know how to do the right things but God say no one can know without His wisdom.

Isa 64:6  But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

God 's righteousness is seen in what God does!

And because God is righteous in His "mercy" He will also be righteous in His "judgment"!

Psa 96:13  Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.

Just as God will keep His covenant of salvation through Jesus Christ, He will also keep His covenant of judgment also by Jesus Christ!

Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Salvation and condemnation must exist together as the truth of God's character!

It is only the saved that can understand these things of God.

Liberals cringe at the thought of God's judgment!

It is God who created His covenants and it is God who must remain faithful to His own covenants!

It is the righteousness of God that is the key to understanding the salvation of humanity!

God requires each of us to be righteous but our righteousness can only come by the Lord Jesus Christ!

It is the gift of "righteousness" that God gives so freely by His "Grace"!

Rom 5:17  For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

The Earth is truly full of the goodness of God and everyone on this Earth will get the opportunity to miss out on the judgment of God!

Before any one dies they will be offered that choice to believe. It is what we do with that choice that determines our outcome at the end of our physical days.

Things happen when God speaks.

*****Psa 33:6  By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.

We can understand the word heavens as the 3 heavens.

1) There is the atmospheric heaven:

This is the body of our earthly atmosphere and extends to about 6 miles above our planet.

No other planet has such an atmosphere as the one that surrounds our Earth!

Life on Earth can only exist because of our atmosphere!

Act 14:17  Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.

2) There is the celestial heaven:

This the place of our Sun and Moon and all the stars of the Milky Way and all other galaxies.

Gen 1:14  And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
Gen 1:15  And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.

3) And there is the dwelling place of God:

This is the specific place of God's dwelling.

Mat 6:9  After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Isa 66:1  Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?

This where we will find the Father's House and where Jesus returned to prepare for us a place.

Joh 14:2  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

Paul said this is the 3rd heaven.

2Co 12:2  I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.

This is what John saw in the Book of Revelation.

Rev 21:1  And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

And God made all the host of all 3 heavens just by His commands.

All the vast spaces of the heavens and the cosmos were called into existence by the Word of God, in fact by the Word of Christ Jesus.

Joh 1:3  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

It is on these things is where our faith must begin!

Heb 11:3  Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

If we cannot begin with the truth of God's creation we will never understand the truth of the righteousness of God!

*****Psa 33:7  He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses.

In the Book of Genesis we read that God gathered 2 great bodies of water. One above the atmosphere and one below the atmosphere.

Gen 1:7  And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.

God then gathered all the waters below the atmosphere into one place.

Gen 1:9  And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

Today all our oceans are still inter connected and separated by name only. The seas stay where God directs them.

Pro 8:29  When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth:

These seas have remained in place except for the one time that God flooded the entire planet at one time in the time of Noah.

Psa 104:9  Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth.

All the extra water that was used to flood the Earth is now laid up in the depth of God's storehouses.

It is from these sources that we get our wells and the many springs and many a river begin from these storehouses of water.

These waters that were once used in judgment are now used in mercy!

*****Psa 33:8  Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.

It was the Jews that sang these songs of praise but God says let all the Earth stand in awe of Him.

We cannot properly worship the Lord unless we can admit His boundless power!

We cannot get a single prayer answered unless we can admit God's boundless power!

We cannot even obtain salvation unless we can admit God boundless power!

How could we trust our salvation to a God that professed anything less than our Creator has already shown us!

Awe is fear intermingled with adoration. We must realize both these things when we come humbly before our righteous God!

Why?

Because when God speaks things happen!

*****Psa 33:9  For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.

Creation is the fruit of God's Word!

This is why Creation by the design of God remains constantly under attack.

If God did not create all things as He has said then we cannot be saved!

God did not take millions nor even billions of years to accomplish His works of creation. If creation could take place by these processes then we would not need God!

We have a Creator who strives to also be our Savior but it takes "faith"!

It takes more faith to believe in the lies of evolution that it does to get saved!

Each created act was an instantaneous event that cannot be explained by natural processes!

Out of nothing came God's creation and it is confirmed by it's existence!

There is only one means of true happiness in this world and it is to realize that we are a created being and not some accident that just happened!

There is not one human being on this Earth that can prove any other method of creation beyond what God says!

*****Psa 33:10  The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect.

Everything that happens on this Earth has some part in God's plan!

God does not adjust His plan according to the outcome of events. God's decrees govern human history!

Dan 4:35  And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?

God also has His way in the angelic realm! Even Satan does not make a move without the express permission of God!

Sinful acts do not frustrate the plan of God and God is not the cause of sinful acts!

Although all things are encompassed in the will of God, each of us are responsible for our own actions!

Although the death of Jesus Christ was the great plan of God for our salvation, it is still a fact that wicked men were responsible for His death!

God gave us the freedom to choose but God has only chose righteousness for Himself!

Even though Christian persecution is on the rise, God will bring good out of it because He always has!

The cause of Christ is never in danger of not succeeding!

Wickedness will always be overcome with godly wisdom!

Satan will always be held in check by the power of God!

Why?

*****Psa 33:11  The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.

We should ask ourselves, what is the greatest comfort we can have in this life before our death?

We should be able to answer this question with these words: That, I with my body and soul, both in life and in death, am not my own because I belong to the Lord Jesus Christ who is faithful enough to preserve me that without the will of my Father in Heaven not one hair can fall from my body and that all things that happen to me while I am alive must work to the good of my salvation!

Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

God did not send His Son to this Earth to die in payment for our sin just to abandon us in our time of trouble!

1Co 1:9  God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

God is faithful to keep His promises!

God will never change His purpose for us!

God's plan cannot fail!

**What is the view of the Atheist and the Evolutionist? All human history and of life are subject to fate.

**What is the view of the Muslim and others that believe in One God? That God created our world but has since allowed the world to run itself like some machine and men control their own destiny.

**What is the view of the pantheist and the environmentalist? That the universe is God and is only some impersonal force that permeate our universe and that God is the creation.

**What is the view of dualism? That two opposing forces, the forces of light and the forces of darkness are locked in a great battle and no one knows who will win in the end. In other words God is caught up in this battle that is out of His control.

What is the real truth of Jehovah God?

Psa 86:10  For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone.

Truly the Word of God will stand forever and God's eternal purposes are much firmer than His creations!

Men and women come and go and most of them follow their own desires to the grave!

But the undisturbed mind of God moves on producing results that are certain!

God's will and God's plan will be carried out from age to age and we know that the Church Age is fast drawing near it's end.

So how can our own nation of America and all other nations be blessed?

*****Psa 33:12  Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.

Blessed does not just mean just spiritual happiness but also to be prosperous in our physical lives.

Israel has been blessed from the time of Abraham but God's blessings are for any and every nation whose God is the Lord!

There are many religions but there can be only one Christianity!

If Christianity is to be considered a religion then in can only be the religion of Jesus Christ!

We have no religion beyond Jesus Christ!

There are many things that have happened and continue to happen in our world in the name of Christianity but are not of true Christians.

We see many Muslim who move forward to establish the Koran with cruelty and superstitions.

We know that many nations throughout history, such as in Europe that have felt the power of the sword in the name of Christianity but not by true Christianity.

It is not any of these things that can bless a nation!

It is only Christians who are filled with the fruit of the Holy Spirit that can bring God's blessing to any nation!

We already know that in America, those that do not know the Lord are using all their power to remove the Lord Jesus from any part of America.

God's may have already stopped blessing America!

We already know that those that bless Israel will also get a blessing but as our government condemns Israel then the blessings will stop!

So as we see our nation falling apart we do not have to look far for the reasons!

But God will never remove His blessings from those that He has chosen for His own inheritance!

Our home is not in America.

Our home is not even in this world.

There is nothing in this world that can cause our home in Heaven to be less than what God says it will be!

Joh 14:2  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

Since we are so blessed, we need to rejoice and shine brightly for the world to see and cling to Jesus who is our Savior!

The Lord has His eyes on us.

*****Psa 33:13  The LORD looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men.
Psa 33:14  From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth.

It should provide us a great comfort knowing that we are always under the watchful eye of the Lord.

But the eyes of the Lord are also on those that do not know Him.

God knows what the saints are doing and what those that are lost are doing to those saints!

There is nothing that can happen on this Earth that does not catch the eye of God.

There is also nothing that happens on this Earth that could not be stopped if the Lord chose to do so!

God can also see deep into the heart of every man and He says it is the foolish men that cause wars.

2Ch 16:9  For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.

*****Psa 33:15  He fashioneth their hearts alike; he considereth all their works.

God has fashioned every heart to seek after the Creator. The heart of the king as well as the heart of the beggar and all in between.

Consider what it means that God is examining each of us and He knows our intentions even before we act on them.

What did Jesus say?

Mat 5:28  But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her "hath committed adultery with her already in his heart".
Mat 5:29  And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Mat 5:30  And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

We must desperately fight against the desires of our heart when our desires go against the Word of God!

*****Psa 33:16  There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength.

God cannot be defeated in His plans for all mankind!

Our Lord is a sovereign God and has decreed all things according to His will.

Every human being is responsible for their own sinful acts!

For instance, Christ's death was a result of God's plan but wicked men were responsible for His death!

So man being a mortal, and subject to death, has no power to change God's plan.

All those that trust in mortal power are deceived!

There have been many an empire fall throughout history that have fallen even though they had the largest army and/or the best armaments.

There is no greater example of this than the nation of Israel!

America has never been great because of earthly resources. America has been great only because the founding fathers searched for a place to serve God, by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Why is America failing today? Because Christians are standing idle while wicked people are removing the Lord Jesus Christ from our nation!

America may be the most powerful nation on this Earth but nothing can ensure the safety of those that God leaves to their own destruction!

No man, no matter his strength is able to deliver himself from the hands of God!

When that day of death arrives there is no force on this Earth that save us from that death!

Our strength can only come from the Lord!

Jer 9:23  Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:
Jer 9:24  But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.

*****Psa 33:17  An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.

In the time of David, military strength was measured not only by the size of the army, but also in horses and chariots.

It is a fact that the well trained horse will rush into danger therefore taking his rider to his death or death can come if that horse falls upon it's rider.

The strongest defenses are nothing if they fail when they are needed the most.

Even today in Iraq, we have an army supposedly trained by America, supplied with the best weapons on this Earth yet they are failing miserably because they have no will to fight the enemy.

They do not have God on their side!

In fact they themselves allow the persecution of God's people!

We should realize God is not on either side of this conflict!

It is just evil and foolish men on both sides seeking to control the masses of people.

And it is only the Lord our God who can deliver us from such wars!

Sennacherib had a mighty army but it only took one angel of the Lord to end his day!

2Ki 19:35  And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.

Not one army nor even all the armies on this Earth can stand against the Lord!

Psa 20:7  Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.
Psa 20:8  They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.

*****Psa 33:18  Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;
Psa 33:19  To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.

That word "behold" means open your eyes and you will see who sits on the throne of our world!

Many laugh when they see the references to the physical features of the Lord.

God is Spirit for sure!

Joh 4:24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

But we know that the Lord Jesus went back to Heaven in a glorified body and in that same glorified body will He return!

Act 1:9  And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
Act 1:10  And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
Act 1:11  Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

The truth is that our God is omnipotent and He can certainly assume the attributes of the bodies of those He has created when He so wills!

What does God say to those that mock Him?

Psa 94:8  Understand, ye brutish among the people: and ye fools, when will ye be wise?
Psa 94:9  He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see?
Psa 94:10  He that chastiseth the heathen, shall not he correct? he that teacheth man knowledge, shall not he know?
Psa 94:11  The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.

Deliverance from evil cannot come by military power!

Deliverance form evil cannot come by manpower!

Deliverance from evil cannot come by all the horsepower in this world!

Deliverance from evil can only come by "Spiritual Power"!

Because the Lord's hand go everywhere His eyes go!

God can preserve all those He sees and death cannot touch them unless the Lord allows it!

Mortality means we are always subject to death at any time, God knows exactly when that day will come and it comes by the choices we make.

We should also remember, famines normally come by the judgment of God.

It may be said that famine comes from natural causes but they must be allowed.

Natural causes are just the agents and instruments God uses in His judgment of sin!

But the greatest famine of all is when sin separates us from the express will of God!

Amo 8:11  Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:
Amo 8:12  And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.

This famine may be in the early stages of it's beginning or even farther along than that!

There is not a day that goes by that we should not be calling upon the Lord.

*****Psa 33:20  Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield.

We can only rejoice when we are patiently waiting for the Lord and trust in His Word!

What are we waiting for?

Rom 8:23  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

That word "Our" means these things belong to those who wait on the Lord.

Our relationship with the Lord must be a very personal thing!

The Lord is the answer to all things to His people!

Isa 40:31  But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

What are we to rejoice in?

*****Psa 33:21  For our heart shall rejoice "in him", because we have trusted in his holy name.

We must not rejoice in sin.

We must not rejoice in ourselves.

We must rejoice in the Lord!

We must rejoice in His Word!

We must rejoice in His person!

We must rejoice in His righteousness!

We must rejoice in His salvation!

We must rejoice in His unspeakable joy!

1Pe 1:8  Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
1Pe 1:9  Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

And we must rejoice in our only hope!

*****Psa 33:22  Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.

Even when we can rejoice in the Lord, we still need His mercy!

Our joy can come only by our faith!

What did Jesus say?

Mat 9:29  Then touched he their eyes, saying, "According to your faith be it unto you".

We are saved by our hope in a very personal relationship with the Lord!

Rom 8:24  For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
Rom 8:25  But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

Even when our hope is weak, we can rejoice because we have been blessed far more than we deserve!

Questions?

Let's Pray!

The Decrees Of The King

THE DECREES OF THE KING

What is true worship?

Our Text: Matthew 6

Our Focus: Matthew6:1-18

The true righteousness of the coming Kingdom of God must be applied to our everyday lives of today. Christ had rejected the Pharisees and their interpretation of the Books of Moses. Christ would now show how they practiced, their worship of God.

This chapter can basically be broken down to two sections:

1.) The principles of relating our worship to Our God.(Matt 6:1-18

2.) Our relationship to material things.(Matt 6:19-34)

There were certain acts of worship, where by putting on an act, the Pharisees would make an outward appearance for the view of other lesser men. They took great pride in showing others how they worshipped. Jesus called them "hypocrites" and that's what they were.

Jesus warns us all of the danger of hypocrisy.

What is "hypocrisy"?

THE SIN OF USING RELIGION IN AN ATTEMPT TO COVER UP YOUR OWN SIN.

A hypocrite is "NOT" a person who falls short of high ideals or occasionally sins.

A hypocrite "IS" a person that deliberately uses religion to cover up their sin and to promote his or her own gains. A hypocrite is "Lost".

Hypocrite in the Greek meant an "actor"!

The Pharisees were insincere and dishonest men who practiced their religion for the applause of men.

Christ will teach here that true righteousness comes from within the person. Christ Jesus will apply these scriptures to several areas of our lives. As we study this chapter we need to grade our own selves to see how we match up to these Pharisee. Remember these words from the previous chapter:

Mat 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Christ Jesus was teaching His disciples and He begins by telling them to be careful. (take heed)

Our Text:

*****Our Giving

Mat 6:1 [Take heed] that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.

Mat 6:2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

Mat 6:3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:

Mat 6:4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

What are "alms"?

The Webster dictionary says of "alms": Any thing given gratuitously to relieve the poor, as money, food, or clothing, otherwise called charity.

The Strong's dictionary of Greek terms says: compassionateness, that is, (as exercised towards the poor) beneficence, or (concretely) a benefaction: - alms (-deeds).

Though the same rules could apply to your tithe, but this is not a tithe. In most cases the world will show a sense of admiration to those that give to the poor. This was the purpose of these Pharisees. They wanted the world to see how they helped take care of the poor of their communities.

Giving to the poor was one of three most important disciplines in the religion of the Pharisees. The other two being praying and fasting.

Jesus did not condemn these things at all but He cautioned us all to make sure our hearts are in the right place. If we do these things to gain the favor of men or to try to gain favor with God we have done them for the wrong reasons.

1.) No amount of giving can buy your salvation:

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

2.) To live for the praise of men is foolishness because the glory of man does not last:

1Pe 1:24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:

If we do as these Pharisee did we are perverting the act of "mercy". This approach to giving was so apparent that the entrances to the Temple were lined with beggars. These Pharisee would make a show of giving to these beggars.

These poor people were sincerely in need no doubt but they were caught up in the deception of these Pharisee.

Verse 2 states "they have received their reward" and are paid in full. There can be no further reward of God. God owes them nothing. These men were not "giving", they were "buying" praise. They wanted the praise of men so bad they were willing to pay for it. Sounds a whole lot like Satan doesn't it!

Our sinful nature can defile even the act of doing good. If we desire the praise of men we will call attention to what we are doing. If our motive is to serve God in love and to please Him, then we will give our gifts without calling attention to ourselves.

Three things will happen when this is done right:

1.) We will grow spiritually.

2.) Others will be helped.

3.) God will get the Glory as it should be.

It is not always wrong to give openly!

Act 4:34 Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,

Act 4:35 And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.

Act 4:36 And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus,

Act 4:37 Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet.

We can see that Barnabas did not give in secret but he had the right motive and did it in the right manner. This is the same Barnabas that travelled with Paul.

We can also see again how the act of giving is done wrong:

Act 5:1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,

Act 5:2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet.

Act 5:3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?

Act 5:4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.

Act 5:5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.

Act 5:6 And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.

Act 5:7 And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.

Act 5:8 And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.

Act 5:9 Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.

Act 5:10 Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.

Act 5:11 And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.

Here the act of giving was used to make people believe that these two people were more spiritual than they were.

To the New Testament Church God has these words:

Jas 3:13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.

Jas 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

We also have these words of true success in the eyes of God:

2Pe 1:5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

2Pe 1:6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

2Pe 1:7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

2Pe 1:8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2Pe 1:9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

2Pe 1:10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

*****Our Praying

Mat 6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

Mat 6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

Mat 6:7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

Mat 6:8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

Mat 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Mat 6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

Mat 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread.

Mat 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

Mat 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Mat 6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:

Mat 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

At the time of Jesus, the Jews were much in the habit of praying in public places. At certain times of the day they always offered their prayers. Wherever they were, they suspended their employment and paid their devotions. This is also practiced now everywhere by Muslim, and in many places by Roman Catholics. It seems, also, that they sought publicity, and regarded it as proof of great piety.

A true relationship to God will be made known by true heart devotion to God, backed by all charity to men, by absolute sincerity and humility in the prayer life, by laying up heavenly treasures and by absolute confidence in the Heavenly Father to supply all real needs and overcome all troubling circumstances. This is what we call "faith".

The Bible says:

Pro 15:8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: [but the prayer of the upright is his delight].

If you want to put a smile on the face of God, talk to Him. He loves to hear from His children!

Isa 55:6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

Isa 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

If you want to see God's mercy then pray to Him!

Jer 29:12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.

God will listen to you when you pray to Him!

Jas 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

Jas 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

There is nothing out of our reach when we pray! If we say we love our family and friends and we have not prayed for them then we show God that we have no love for them.

Christ Jesus gives us four main instructions to guide us in our prayer life.

***1.) We should have a consistent, personal, and private prayer life "before" we can have a public prayer life. (Vs 6)

It is not wrong to pray in public!

The Bible says:

1Ti 2:1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;

1Ti 2:2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

1Ti 2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

1Ti 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

Unless we are eating alone this prayer should most always be made in public:

Joh 6:11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.

Act 27:35 And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat.

When we are seeking God's help:

Joh 11:41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.

Joh 11:42 [And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.]

To be a hypocrite is one who will pray in public but will not pray in private(prayer closet) to our Father in Heaven. The observer could think you are practicing a prayer life that you do not have. You will be a hypocrite.

Our Lord prayed privately and He is our example:

Mar 1:35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.

Other great men of the Bible also prayed privately:

Elisha:

2Ki 4:32 And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed.

2Ki 4:33 He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the LORD.

Daniel:

Dan 6:10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.

Dan 6:11 Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.

We do not have to believe that these Pharisees went out in public to say all their prayers but we should believe that they were proud to be observed while they prayed and that they chose a more public place to pray. They were glad to be seen praying in public. It is the wish to be seen that is wrong here. Pretending to have a personal relationship with God is the worst of all hypocrisis. If praying in public is to gain you a reputation then you are wrong and are in sin.

Our Lord is not condemning these prayers but is trying to purify the act of praying!

***2.) We must pray sincerely! (Vs 7-8)

The fact that a request is repeated does not make it a "vain repetition".

Our example is a prayer of Our Lord:

Mat 26:36 Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.

Mat 26:37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.

Mat 26:38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.

Mat 26:39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

Mat 26:40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?

Mat 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Mat 26:42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.

Mat 26:43 And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy.

Mat 26:44 And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, [saying the same words].

We have also the prayer of the Apostle Paul:

2Co 12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

2Co 12:8 [For this thing I besought the Lord thrice], that it might depart from me.

For our words to be vain is when we pray without a sincere heart and not truly seeking God's Will.

Reciting memorized prayers could be an example of prayers just to be in the act of prayer not having the desire for fulfillment.

An example by pagan worshippers:

1Ki 18:26 And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made.

The vain and heathenish repetitions which we are here warned against, are most dangerous, and yet very common; which is a principal cause why so many, who still profess religion, are a disgrace to it.

A godly man once wrote: "All of us have one routine prayer in our system; and once we get rid of it, then we can really start to pray".

If we examine our selves we will find this to be true.

GOD ONLY ANSWERS PRAYERS THAT COME FROM THE HEART OF THE BELIEVER!

Therefore we should be extremely careful in all our prayers to mean what we say; and to say only what we mean from the bottom of our hearts.

***3.) We must pray in God's Will! (Vs 9-13)

God gives all His disciples a model of true prayer. Jesus did not gives this prayer to be memorized and to be recited a certain number of times. Jesus does tells us all the areas that should occupy our prayers. Jesus said "pray after this manner". This prayer is a pattern for us to learn by. This prayer is not a substitute for our own words and supplications. The purpose of prayer is to glorify God's name and to ask His help to accomplish "His Will" for us, while we are still on this earth.

A.) Prayer must magnify the Father's Name: "Our Father which art in heaven"

A prayer must begin with God's interest and not our own. We have no right to ask for anything that will dishonor God's Name, nor to delay His coming Kingdom, nor to disturb His Will on this earth.

If the Father is truly not your Father you have no right to ask anything of Him until you have accepted the Lord Jesus as your Saviour.

Joh 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

Joh 14:24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.

Joh 14:25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.

Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Joh 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Joh 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

When we pray we must realize that we are all part of God's family of believers. You have to be a believer!

Therefore a person's first prayer must be that personal sinner's prayer of forgiveness:

Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Rom 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Rom 10:11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

1.) Remember God is the Creator and thus the Parent of us all.

2.) Our Father is the Preserver of the family and the Provider of all needs.

3.) He is the Father of all those adopted into His family, true followers of Him.

Rom 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

Rom 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Rom 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

Rom 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

B.) True prayer will involve worship: "Hallowed be thy name"

We must worship Our God.

Joh 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

God ask this question in Ezekiel:

Eze 22:30 And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: [but I found none].

To be saved is to be this man. To be saved is to pray for the will of God in our own lives to fulfill this request of God. To start then, is to first worship Him.

1Pe 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

1Pe 2:10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

C.) Prayer must be about the work of God and His Word: "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven".

We must pray that the fulfillment of God's Will, will be realized on this earth. If we put God's Will first, then and only then can we bring our own needs to Him.

God will provide us with the means to do whatever it is that He would have us do but we should have that same desire in our own hearts, without doubt of His power to do so.

Mat 21:22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, [believing,] ye shall receive.

Our mistakes are these in most cases:

Jas 4:1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?

Jas 4:2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

Jas 4:3 [Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts].

Jas 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

D.) Our prayer can then concern itself with our daily needs: "Give us this day our daily bread".

This is more important than we first realize, for it shows that we are dependant on God for even our basic needs and we certainly are.

When the nation of Israel was escaping from Egypt. God set in motion a means for them to have food daily. They had no means to store food for a long period of time. They were sustained by a daily supply of "Manna".

Jesus said:

Joh 6:32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.

Joh 6:33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.

Joh 6:34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.

Joh 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

Not only do we need food daily to sustain our physical bodies we need the Word of God daily to sustain our spiritual lives. That Word comes to us through Jesus Christ!

Joh 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

That "Manna" had to be gathered every day reminding those Jews of God's "day by day" provision for all our lives.

God may not drop "manna" down from Heaven to us now but He does allow a means for us all to be fed daily. To the believer we should not forget the bountiful hand of God.

E.) Next our prayers must contain confession. "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil":

God expects people to be forgiving. Through the blood of Jesus, God has pardoned us from all our sin. How then can we not forgiving to those we come in contact with.

Mat 18:21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?

Mat 18:22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

We can see that God has tied forgiveness directly to temptation. If we cannot forgive then our hearts are not right with God and we can be sure the devil will try his best to take advantage of the situation.

"Lead us not in temptation" does not mean that God tempts His children.

Jas 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: [for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man]:

Jas 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

Jas 1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

We are asking God to guide us in all manner of our life in this flesh, to allow His will to be done in our lives. We must be forgiving as he is forgiving and we must avoid situations that will place in temptation.

1Jn 5:18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.

Our example:

Mat 4:5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,

Mat 4:6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

Mat 4:7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, [Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God].

****4.) We Must Have A Forgiving Spirit:

Jesus "does not" teach us that His forgiveness is based on whether we will forgive others. This would be salvation based on works and this would be contrary to the Doctrine of Grace. For if not for the "mercy" of God their could be no "Grace".

If we have truly been a recipient of God's "grace" then we will be in readiness to forgive others.

Eph 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Col 3:12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

Col 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

Col 3:14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

Christ was teaching His disciples true righteousness not the righteousness taught of these Pharisee.

A Good Example Matthew 18:21-35.

Praying is a family affair: "Our Father". When the family cannot get along with each other how can we claim to have the right relationship with Our Father Who Is In Heaven.

When we are saved we are born into the family of God. Our prayer life tells if we are truly a working part of this family. If I am not in fellowship with God, I cannot pray effectively.

Rom 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

Rom 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

If in salvation, I am indwelled with the Holy Spirit and I do not pray for my brother and sisters in Christ and yet I pray when called on in public, I am truly a hypocrite. God forgive me when I don't pray as I should.

If I am to be a witness to others I must be in fellowship with my brothers and sisters in Christ. We can see that this is a sign of being in fellowship with God and it is important to our prayer life.

If God answered the prayer of a hypocrite, He would dishonor His own name! By granting his request it would encourage that person to remain in sin. God will not answer the prayer of a sinner!

Psa 66:18 [If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me]:

Psa 66:19 But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.

Psa 66:20 Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.

When we see the lost desire to be heard of God, we owe it to them to pray for them, to intercede on their behalf, for we have one that does this for us, his name is Jesus.

*****Our Fasting:

Mat 6:16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

Mat 6:17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;

Mat 6:18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

The only fast God required of the Jewish people was the annual day of atonement:

Lev 23:27 Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

Lev 23:28 And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God.

Lev 23:29 For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.

These Pharisees fasted on each Monday and Thursday:

Luk 18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

Luk 18:12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

Because these were the same two days that the Synagogues met for service we can see that they had an opportunity to display themselves.

Their fasting was not just meat and drink but they also would not wash or anoint themselves, they went barefoot, and they sprinkled ashes on their heads. They would make their faces unsightly to show that were suffering in their fast. They displayed themselves in an ungodly manner just to win the praise of those that observed them. They were seeking admiration from the people of the synagogue.

To simply deprive ourselves of food, or drink or even sleep is not what fasting is all about. Unless there is a devotion of the heart to God there is no spiritual benefit.

True fasting is a secret thing between you and God. If we have to look miserable to be in the family of God then how can we be a witness to the love of God. If there is no joy in salvation then we are truly a miserable people.

No wonder Jesus gives us this example:

Mat 23:27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.

Mat 23:28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

To use the ways of the hypocrite will rob us of our character:

1.) We pray but we will never have an answer to that prayer or any prayer.

2.) We fast but we will show no improvement in our spiritual lives.

3.) Instead of the eternal approval of God we receive the shallow praise of men.

4.) We miss the blessings of God in this life and lose the rewards of God when Jesus returns and any that could be in store in the New Heaven.

5.) We will be a negative influence in this world we live in. This is a noticeable thing world wide and the world will point out every hypocrite in a way to the show darkness in the Church.

If we are to overcome the wickedness of hypocrisy we must first be honest with God in our secret life, giving, praying, fasting and all things from the heart. The most important part of the Christian life is that part that God only sees.

When our reputation becomes more important to us we have becomes hypocrites!

Let's Pray!