The Question for Today's Church, Part 5

Thank you, David. You know, every week I come, I really don't have in mind anybody in the audience that I'm going to talk to. I know some of you think I do, but I really don't. But I know that on this week, this particular Sunday, I'm going to speak particularly and specifically to every one of you. I know for a fact that what we're going to say today is going to affect every single one of you some way, somehow. Now, I know that the Word of God never returns void. I understand that. I get that. So whenever the Word of the Lord goes forth, it does its work according to the Word of the Lord.

But there are certain sermons, and this is one of them, that I know that when you come, this is going to be a great blessing to you. I love what Solomon said when he said, as he closed out Ecclesiastes in chapter 12, he said, in addition to being a wise man, the preacher also taught the people knowledge. And he pondered, he searched out and arranged many proverbs. The preacher sought to find delightful words, and to write words of truth correctly. For the words of wise men are like goads. Now, goads are long sticks with pointy ends.

And you stick them in the rear end of the animal to move them along, okay? By reference, I'm not saying that any of you are animals. I'm just saying that God's Word is like goads. It kind of sticks you. So when you come, you're kind of doing this all the time, because it kind of sticks you at a very, very important time. And then he says, and masters of these collections are like well-driven nails. They are given by one shepherd. In other words, goaded enough, the words of scripture are like well-driven nails that solidify and stable those who hear them.

And today, in particular, I know that what God is going to say through His Word is going to not only goad you, move you, prod you, but it's also going to be like a well-driven nail to solidify in your life God and His plan for you. We're looking at the question and quest for today's church. And it's all based off the seven churches in Asia Minor that we studied for seven weeks, looking at those seven churches and coming to grips with the fact that God told five of those seven churches to repent. So we asked the question, are we the kind of church that God would commend or condemn, affirm or accuse?

Would we be the kind of church that God would say, you better repent or I'm coming to you? Or are we the kind of church that God would truly commend because we live obediently to His Word? That's the question we're asking. And to answer that question, we've said, look, there needs to be in the lives of the people, the Word of God, paramount, supreme. And we talked to you about what that means, what that looks like. How do you know the Word of God is paramount in your life and in my life so that God's Word truly, as the Bible says, is the pillar and foundation, the church is the pillar and foundation of the truth.

So we are to uphold that truth. And God has magnified His Word, even as His very name, it is held in a high esteem. Therefore, the people of His church should hold it in highest esteem. So the Word of God is paramount in the church that God commends, not the one He condemns. Well, to follow that, the worship of God must be passionate. That is one thing I desire, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, that there is no, not even the remotest idea in my mind that I'm going to transfer my affection to any one thing or any one person above my God, because my worship is so driven toward Him.

I am such an adoration of His glory that I will worship passionately my God. So if the Word of God is paramount, then the worship of God becomes passionate in the lives of the people. And this is where Ephesus made a mistake. They lost their first love, and God commended them for some things, but He said, I have this one thing against you.

You have lost your first love. You've lost your passion for me. You've lost your adoration for me. And He condemned them for that. And so the Word of God must be paramount. The worship of God must be passionate. And then last week we talked about the fact that the will of God must be preeminent. The will of God must be preeminent. And when we talk about the will of God, we're not talking about His decrees, the decreed will. We are talking about His desired will. There are two different Greek words for that in the Scriptures.

We're talking about God's desire. So we are yearning to fulfill the desire of God. And we told you it begins with the fact that God desires that all men be saved, 1 Timothy 2.4. And we know that there was only a few that had not soiled their garments. Only a few were saved at Sardis. There was none saved at Laodicea. That's why God was outside the church knocking on the door to get in because no one there was saved. But God commends a church where it's filled with people that are saved. And then it's God's desire that we be spirit-filled, 1 Thessalonians 5.18.

And we know that the church of Pergamum was not spirit-filled because they had given in to the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, the fleshly appetite of the Nicolaitans. And so they didn't walk by the spirit, they walked by the flesh. And God condemned the church of Pergamum. So if we're going to be a church that God commends, then we must make sure the will of God is preeminent. Not only are we saved, but we're spirit-controlled, we're spirit-filled, we are dominated by the spirit of God. He moves in us and we walk in the spirit so we don't fulfill the lust of the flesh.

And then the will of God is that we be sexually pure. We talked about that last week, right? We know that Thyatira wasn't sexually pure because they had given themselves in to the doctrine of Jezebel who had led people into immorality and idolatry, right? And so God condemned the church at Thyatira. Well, God's desire for you and me is that we live sexually pure lives, that we say thanks on a regular basis in all things, for all things, 1 Thessalonians 5.18, Ephesians 5, verse number 16, that we are the people who give thanks to God on a regular basis because we praise him for who he is.

And if you go back and you look at the first church of Jerusalem, they were praising people. They were thankful people. And God blessed them immensely because when they gathered together and they were devoting themselves to the apostles' doctrine, to the breaking of bread, to fellowship and to prayer, they gathered together daily to praise God. And God added numbers to them daily because they were so praise-oriented. And so God's desire is that we give thanks to him. And when we go on to talk about how God's desire is that we be submissive to his will for our lives, that sometimes we even suffer for his sake, like the church of Samarna.

They suffered, but they gave praise to God and honored God. And God commend the church at Samarna because they were ones who were crushed under the suffering persecution, but yet they honored their God. We want to be a church that God commends. So we become the kind of church that's willing to serve. That's the will of God. Psalm 103, verse number 21, that we sacrifice, Romans 12, verse number 1 and 2, to prove the will of God. And so that the will of God must be preeminent in our lives. Paul said in Ephesians 6, verse number 6, we're to do the will of God from the heart.

The heart needs to be the motivating factor. Listen, the best motivator comes from the inside, not the outside. Okay? I can motivate you to do some things extrinsically from the outside, but you need to be motivated from the inside intrinsically so that you are committed to doing the will of the Lord. And so we are to do the will of the Lord from the heart. And I know that when you come, you hear things, and I'm reminded of Spurgeon's words when he talked to his people about coming and exhorting them to live a life of self-denial, to live a life of following God.

They hear it, but they don't put it into practice. And Tozer said these words, he said, here is what grieves me most. And I believe this also grieves the Holy Spirit. My hearers rise to this call emotionally, but they will not confirm it by a corresponding change in their life. Their goodness is like the morning clouds. By nine o'clock, the sun has burnt off the fog. This is what happens to many people's good intentions. They rise emotionally to an urgent message that we become a New Testament church, that we become a model church, that we have the order of the New Testament and the power of the Holy Spirit in order that we might worship, work, and witness.

Emotionally they rise to it, but they will not confirm their emotions by corresponding changes in their way of life. They want to be blessed by God, but they want God to bless them on their terms. They look pensively to God for victory, but they will not bring their giving into line. They will not practice family prayer rushing off without it. They will not take time for secret prayer and will not forgive those who have wronged them. They will not seek to be reconciled to those with whom they have quarreled.

They will not pick up their crosses and say, Jesus, I and my cross have taken all to leave and follow Thee. What grieves them the most is that people hear and emotionally they're moved, yes, that's what I want to do, but yet they don't put it into action. We need to put it into action. The Word of God must be paramount. The worship of God must be passionate. The will of God must be preeminent. And number four, that's today, the ways of God must be prominent. The ways of God must be prominent in your life and in mine.

The ways of God, the decreed ways of God must be prominent. In other words, we yield or we yearn for the, for the will of God, but we yield to the ways of God. We yearn for his desire, but we yield to his decrees and we yield with a willing heart. We yield to the ways of God, even though we might not understand them. I love what the psalmist said when he said he made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the children of Israel. Moses knew the ways of God. The children of Israel only saw after the fact the acts of God.

There was a big difference. Moses knew the ways because he knew the God of the ways. We need to know the ways of God. They must be prominent in our lives. And we know that Isaiah 55 says as high as the heavens are from the earth, so are my ways from your ways and my thoughts from your thoughts. And we know that God is so far above us and beyond us. And yet we yield to the ways of God. And that's the church that God commends. That's the church that God, that God honors because they've honored him in the way he goes about doing what he does.

So the question for you and me is this, are the ways of God, the decrees of God so prominent in your life and mine that we willingly yield to those decrees with an attitude of honor and glory to his name. Okay. So the ways of God are prominent in your life. Number one, when you realize them, number two, when you remember them, number three, when you relish them, and number four, when you rejoice in them, there's your outline for today, for simple words, are the ways of God, the ways of his decrees recognized by you?

Are they remembered by you? Are they relished by you? And do you rejoice in them? That's what we need to come to grips with today. Because every one of us is experiencing God's sovereign way in our lives today. And some of you are on easy street. Others of you are not. Some of you are in difficult situations, uneasy situations, troublesome ways. Are you one where the ways of God are so prominent that not only do you recognize them and remember them, but you really truly relish what is happening right now in your life so much that you're willing to rejoice over those things that are taking place.

That's the church that God commends. And I know it begins with the leadership of the church. And I know it begins with the fathers and the families. And I know it begins with those who lead and who nurture others that they in turn might be able to come to grips with that. But the psalmist said it this way in Psalm 25 verse number four, make me know your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths. Lord, I need to know your ways. And then over in Psalm 27, verse number 11, Psalm 27, verse number 11, teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me in a level path because of my foes.

Lord, I need to know your ways. So if that's the case, how do you recognize that? Turn with me in your Bible to the book of Ecclesiastes, the third chapter.

Okay. Ecclesiastes chapter three. And we're going to read two verses that will help you understand how to realize the ways of God. Ecclesiastes three, verse number 14. I know that everything God does will remain forever. There is nothing to add to it. And there is nothing to take from it for God has so worked that men should fear him. If you're going to realize the ways of God or recognize the ways of God, the first thing you recognize is that the ways of God are absolutely concrete.

They cannot be changed. They're fixed in stone. They will remain forever. There is nothing shallow or superficial about the ways of God. His work is solid. His work is permanent. His work has staying power. If God doesn't mark it down, it never changes. So Solomon says very simple, these words, I know that everything God does will remain forever. It's concrete. It's not moving. It's not changing. Psalm 33, 11 says the council of the Lord stands forever. The plans of his heart to all generations. That's the same verse that Ann Sparks quoted to me the last three weeks in a row.

When I went to see her, I would go in and see her and she'd say, oh my pastor, the plans of the Lord endure forever. The blessed council of the Lord endures forever. She said that every time I went to see her over the last three weeks. And she said to me, she says, she says, pastor, I want to, can you keep a secret? I said, sure, I can keep a secret. She says, do you know, and this is between you and me. Do you know, you are the most handsome pastor that there ever was. And I said, you know, I'd love to keep that secret, but that's not a secret.

Everybody knows that. And, and she just bursted out laughing and she would just laugh and, and, and it would be so fun to watch her laugh. And then she'd come right back and say, you know, pastor, the blessed council of the Lord remains forever. She goes, but I don't want to stay in this bed. I said, I don't blame you. Pray that I go home to be with the Lord. So we did. And she's home with the Lord. But you know, that one verse just kept coming back and back and back. Every time I walked into the room, bless the blessed council of the Lord remains forever.

And she knew that she was in that bed and she knew that that was God's council for her. And she says, but I want to go home to be with him. She understood that, that God's ways are concrete. Listen to what the Psalmist said in Psalm 119, your faithfulness endures to all generations. You establish the earth and it abides. They continue this day, according to your ordinances for all are your servants. Everything about the universe serves God. They remain to this day exactly as he has designed them.

That's why over in Ecclesiastes seven, verse number 13, it says, consider the work of God for who was able to straighten what he has spent in the day of prosperity, be happy. But in the day of adversity, consider God has made the one as well as the other so that man will not discover anything that will be after him. You can't straighten what God has bent. And God has designed the day of adversity as well as the day of prosperity. And he does that to confuse your mind. So you never know exactly what's going to happen next.

He does that so you know that you are not in control. That's a way of saying, look, God's in control. You are not. He's going to mess up your life when you start to think it's going to be this way, but it ends up that way. God's in charge. You're not. The ways of God are concrete. Over in Isaiah 46, verse number 10, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times, things that are not done saying my counsel, so stand and I will do all my good pleasure. God says God's going to accomplish all his good pleasure.

Turn me over to the book of Acts for a minute, Acts chapter four. I'm going to show you something about the early church. They were the ones who understood that the ways of God were to be prominent in their lives. They understood that the ways of God ruled and reigned in everything. The apostles were threatened because the lame man had been healed, and they were threatened never to speak of this man, Jesus again. Okay. And it says these words in verse number 23 of Acts four, when they had been released, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them.

And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God and said, oh no, what are we going to do now? We can't talk about Jesus. That's not what they said. They lifted their voices to God. And with one accord, they said, oh Lord, it is you who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. In other words, they begin their prayer by recognizing the ways of God, the decrees of God, the sovereignty of almighty God. Lord, you have created everything for by you, all things consist.

And then they said, who by the Holy spirit through the mouth of our father, David, your servant said, why did the Gentiles rage and the people's devised feudal things? The Kings of the earth took their stand and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ. That was all about the trials of Christ and the crucifixion of Christ for truly in the city. They were gathered together against your Holy servant, Jesus, whom you anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel to do whatever your hand and your purpose predestined to occur.

Now think about that prayer. They went to prayer and they appealed to the sovereign universe, sovereign controller of the universe, knowing that he had already appointed Herod and pilot and the Gentiles so that their Lord would be crucified. They recognize the decreed ways of God. And that's how they pray. That's how you got to pray. When you go to pray, we say, Lord, maker of heaven and earth, the seas and all of it is in there. Can you imagine if you went to prayer that way and your marriage has fallen apart and you said, Lord, I know that you anointed both Herod and pilot and the Gentiles to kill your son.

I know Lord, that you're in charge of everything because you are yielding to the decreed ways of God. And then this is this. And now Lord, take note of the threats and grant that your bond service may speak your word with all confidence while you extend your hand to heal and signs and wonders take place for the name of your holy servant, Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.

Listen, when they were done praying, everything was shaken. Why? Because they prayed according to the decreed ways of God. They knew that God had orchestrated everything, that God was behind the chief priest who made the threat that you cannot speak in the name of Jesus any longer. They just said, Lord, take note of his threats. Just take note of his threats, Lord, jot it down someplace in heaven. But in the meantime, give us the boldness to continue to do the things that you've called us to do. Wow.

What a, what a remarkable prayer. That's how our lives should be marked because God's ways they're concrete. They're not changing. You can't change them. You can't alter them. And that's what Solomon wants you to understand when it comes to recognizing the ways of God. They're not changing. You can kick and scream all you want. It's not changing. You can cry. You can leave town. You can go to the moon. It's not changing. It's concrete. And then he says, not only is it concrete, it's complete. It's complete.

Back to Ecclesiastes chapter three, and there is nothing to take from it. There is nothing to add to it, and there is nothing to take from it. In other words, it's complete. In other words, this concrete plan of God can't be added to, to make it better than it is. And there's nothing you can take away from that plan of God that will make it better than it is. Well, if I just took away that part of my life, if I just took away that relationship, if I just took away that accident, boy, my life would be great.

If I just took away that one aspect, no, there is nothing you can add to it. There's nothing you can take from it because it is complete. That's a hard thing for us to digest. Because in the back of our mind, we think, well, if I didn't say that, or I didn't do that, or I didn't go here, I didn't go there, things would have been different. Really? How do you know that? You don't know that. And so Solomon says, listen, there is nothing missing in God's concrete, decreed way. There is nothing too excessive or too superfluous in his ways.

There is nothing too little. There is nothing too late. There is nothing too early. Everything is complete because it is concrete. That's why Psalm 1830 says, as for God, his way is perfect. That's pretty good. As for God, his way is perfect. Galatians 4, 4, that in the fullness of time, God sent forth his son. You can imagine the Jewish people thinking, well, if God would send his son now, everything would be good. And they kept thinking, well, now's the time he's going to send his son. Well, now the time he's going to send his son.

But in the fullness of time, at the exact moment in the sovereign plan of God, he sent forth his son, born of a woman, born under the law, because it was at the right time for Christ to come. He didn't come too early in the history of the world, and he didn't come too late in the history of the world. He came at exact, precise time for the Jewish nation and for the world. That's why Peter says, back in 1 Peter chapter 5, verse number 6, these words, therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.

In other words, the phrase mighty hand of God, Peter takes from the old Testament. So you circle it in your Bible because it refers back to Israel's history. And the mighty hand of God is used throughout the book of Exodus in two prominent ways. The mighty hand of God is used in the deliverance of Israel and in the discipline of Israel. So Peter is saying, you need to submit yourselves under the mighty hand of God's deliverance, because he will deliver you in due time. For over 400 years, Israel was in slavery, and they kept crying out to God, kept crying out to God, kept crying out to God.

Finally, God sent his deliverer. He says, I'm coming down. I'm going to deliver my people. He sent Moses in, and they didn't like Moses, but he delivered them. And once they were delivered, they began to complain about their deliverance. Right? And so God says, look, Peter says, yield, humble yourself under the mighty hand of God's deliverance, and the mighty hand of God's discipline, because that's the other area in which the mighty hand of God is used in the life of Israel, not only in their deliverance, but in their discipline.

And so Peter says, listen, when God is disciplining you, subject yourself to the sovereign destiny of his will for your life. When God is delivering you, subject yourself to the ways of God. But if you live in submission to the mighty hand of God's destiny, listen, you can cast all your anxiety upon him because he cares for you. The reason you're not casting your anxiety upon him is because you are unwilling to submit to the mighty hand of God's discipline or God's deliverance. That's why you don't cast your anxiety upon God.

That's why you kick and scream when you are anxious. That's why you gripe and bellyache when you are anxious. That's why you get angry when you're anxious, because you are unwilling to submit yourself under the mighty hand of God's destiny. That's why Peter says, humble yourself. Why? Because the ways of God are concrete and the ways of God are absolutely complete. Can't change them. Can't add anything to them. And then the ways of God are captivating. He says, so for God has worked that man should fear him.

God does what he does so that his ways are so captivating that all you do is fear him. You fear him because the Bible says to this man, will I look to him who's broken of a contrite heart and trembles at my word, who fears my word.

God's ways are captivating. That's why the psalmist said over in Psalm 119.38, establish thy word to thy servant as that which produces reverence, all fear for thee. Establish thy, your word in my life so that I will do nothing but fear you, Lord. That's what the psalmist cried for. And that's what you need to recognize. Recognize God's ways are concrete. God's ways are complete and God's ways are absolutely captivating. You recognize that, you will remember the ways of God. You need to realize them, you need to remember them.

Back to Deuteronomy chapter eight, the Lord God says this to Israel, verse number one, all the commandments that I'm commanding you today, you should, shall be careful to do that you may live and multiply and go in and possess the land, which the Lord swore to give to your forefathers.

You shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these 40 years, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. He humbled you and let you be hungry and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know that he might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but by and lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord. Your clothing did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these 40 years.

Can you imagine walking in the desert for 40 years and your feet not swelling? Wow, that's amazing. Thus you are to know in your heart that the Lord, your God was disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son. Therefore, you shall keep the commandments of the Lord, your God to walk in his ways and fear him for the Lord. Your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs flowing forth in valleys and hills. Moses is saying to them, listen, God led you through the wilderness these 40 years so that you will remember what he did.

His ways were the ways of discipline. You need to submit yourself to that mighty hand of God's discipline because now his hand is going to deliver you into the promised land. And you need to remember, you can't afford to forget the decreed ways of God that brought you out of Egypt, that took you through the wilderness. And now finally you're going to enter the promised land.

He goes on to say verse 11, be aware that you do not forget the Lord, your God, by not keeping his commandments and his ordinances and his statutes, which I am commanding you to stay. Otherwise, when you have eaten and are satisfied and have built good houses and lived in them, and when your herds and your flocks multiply and your silver and good multiply and all that you have multiplies, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord, your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

Be careful. Prosperity has a built-in curse. Be careful. Abundance has a built-in curse. Be careful. Comfort has a built-in curse. It causes you to forget. And you cannot afford to forget. You must remember what God has done. That's why he says, verse 18, but you shall remember the Lord, your God, for it is he who has given you the power to make wealth, that he may confirm his covenant, which he swore to your fathers as it is this day. You need to remember.

Did they? Well, the Bible tells us in Psalm 106, we have sinned like our fathers. We have committed iniquity. We have behaved wickedly. Our fathers in Egypt did not understand your wonders. They did not remember your abundant kindnesses, but rebelled by the sea at the Red Sea. Nevertheless, he saved them for the sake of his name, that he might make his power known. They did not remember.

Thus he rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up, and he led them through the deeps as through the wilderness. So he saved them from the hand of the one who hated them and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy. And the waters covered their adversaries. Not one of them was left. Then they believed his words. They sang his praise, but then they quickly forgot his works. And they did not wait for his counsel, but craved intensely in the wilderness and tempted God in the desert. So he gave them the request, but sent a wasting disease among them.

Now that one verse right there, Psalm 106, verse number 15, was my mom's favorite verse that she quoted to me all while I was growing up. He gave them the desires of their hearts, but he sent leanness to their souls, a barrenness to the souls. My mom used to always say, you be careful what you ask for. Be careful what you ask for, because God can give you what you ask for, but send a wasting disease, a barrenness to your soul, a supreme emptiness to your soul. I don't know how many women I know that wanted to get married so bad, they married somebody despite counsel, and their souls are barren, empty, because they would not wait for the Lord.

They would not remember his ways, that God is sovereign, that God will always bring the right one at the right time, never too early, never too late. And you must begin to wait and to listen for God to do his work. You must remember the ways of God are prominent in the church that recognizes that God's ways are concrete, complete, and absolutely captivating. And then they don't forget, they remember those ways. They can go back in the recess of their mind, they can go back in the history of time, they can go back and say, yeah, God did this, he did this, he did that, God is so incredibly good.

God is perfect. His way is perfect. Over three decades ago, when my first wife died, I thought, what am I going to do now?

But God had a perfect plan. He had a perfect plan. I didn't know it then. I'm like, what am I going to do? And the Lord brought to me my bride today, Lori. And over the last 30 years, it has been the most incredible journey a man could ever, ever imagine. But God, his way is perfect. God knew what he was going to do. He was going to remove this one through death and bring in this one and give me life. And God knew exactly what he was doing. His way is perfect. And in the moment, you don't necessarily understand that, but that's where you submit your hand to God's mighty hand of destiny, so that you can begin to realize God is either disciplining an individual or going to deliver that individual in some unique and special way in the plan of God that's absolutely concrete and complete, so that I would stand back in awe of God.

And I stand in awe of God for what he has done for me and the children he has blessed me with, because he had a better plan than I did. See? Just like he does for you. So, the ways of God are prominent when, number one, the ways of God are recognized.

Number two, the ways of God are remembered. Number three, the ways of God are relished. Relished. That's a very familiar verse for us. That's Romans 8, 28. It says, and we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God and to those who are called according to his purpose. Wow. We know. We don't think. We know. Do you know? We know that God causes all things to work together for good. Not some things. Not sinless things. Even sinful things. God causes all things to work together for good, because God is bigger than your sin.

God is bigger than your rebellion. God causes all things to work together for good. So, I relish God's plan, God's decrees. Why? Because they created confidence in me. They created confidence in me. We know. We don't think. We know. I love to know. I love to be in the know. Don't you like to be in the know? Sure you do. Christians are more in the know than non-Christians are, because we know what God is doing. We understand what God is doing. We know God's in charge. We know that all things work together for good.

For instance, have you ever baked a cake? I've never baked one. But think about baking a cake. You put all the ingredients out on the tabletop, right? Or on the countertop. You got your flour, and you got your oil, and you got your sugar, and you got your, you know, whatever it is you got out there. I'm not sure all your salt, your vanilla extract, or your nutmeg. I'm sure you put it all out there. And if you taste each individual one, let's say you taste the sugar. So, you put your finger sugar.

Oh, that tastes really sweet. That's good. That's good. That's good. And you lick your finger. You're taping the flour. That's tasty. That tastes terrible. That's terrible. Or you have oil. So, you take a swig of the oil. Oh, that's nasty, right? Okay. Or you take a raw egg. You crack that baby. You open it up, and you swallow that raw egg. Some people like that. Others don't like that. Here's the point. When you put it all together, and you put it in the oven, in the fiery furnace, it comes out really tasting good.

Each individual ingredient might not taste good by itself. But put all together into one pan, it comes out of the oven tasting scrumptious, tasting unbelievable. Because God, your life is like a cake. And God uses all the different aspects of your life. And He's putting them all together to make a beautiful resemblance of Him. That's what God's doing. And so, on this day, when you're going through turmoil, and things are really bad, you're thinking, that doesn't taste very good. That just tastes terrible.

And then there are certain days you think, oh, that tastes so good, you know. And then they say, well, that's sort of good, sort of bad. But for the most part, they're like, oh, I don't like that. But God is taking all those different pieces, putting them all together, so that when it all comes out and it's complete, it looks like Him. It smells like Him. And therefore, He's well-pleased. And you taste good. See, that creates confidence in us. God is at work. We know that all things work together for good.

Not bad, for good. Because God ultimately has my good at stake. So important. So it creates confidence in me. It causes comfort in me. It causes comfort. If it creates confidence, it will cause comfort. This is why I relish the ways of God, the decrees of God, because there is a comfort that comes to my soul, because God is completely in charge. We know. We don't hope. We know that all things work together for good. That brings great comfort. Joseph's brothers, they meant it evil for him, but God meant it for good.

Judas' betrayal was evil, but it led to the salvation of the world through the crucifixion of the Christ. Israel's apostasy was horrible, but it led to the salvation of the Gentile nation. Paul's imprisonment produced the New Testament. And martyred saints, wow, they produce confidence in all who follow them. See, God's at work. There's great comfort in knowing that I know that all things work together for good. So not only do I relish it because it creates confidence in me, but it causes comfort in me.

And then thirdly, it cultivates courage in me. Listen, if I am confident, I'll be comforted. If I'm comforted, I'll be courageous. And it will cultivate courage in me. For we know that all things work together for good to those who love God and to those who are called according to his purposes. Proverbs chapter 20, verse number 24, a man's steps are directed by the Lord. Listen, if there is a sovereign God in charge of the universe, and you are a child of that God, there's nothing you should be afraid of because God's in charge.

I love that. I love John six, feeding the 5,000. When Christ asked Philip the question, where are we going to get something to eat? And it says, for he himself knew what he was about to do. Philip didn't know the disciples didn't know. The multitude on the side of the hill didn't know. No one knew, but God knew. Everybody was hungry, but God knew what he was going to do. Philip had no idea where food was going to come from, but God knew what he was going to do. He knew what he was about to do. And so when you sit in the loneliness of your home, when you sit in the loneliness of the nursing center, or the nursing home, or the waiting room, or the emergency room, when you're all alone, God knows what he's about to do.

You do not, but he does. And that creates or cultivates such great confidence in the life of the believer. Think about it. Pharaoh wanted to kill all the Hebrew boys. He was going to throw them in the river, the Nile River, drown them all. So what did the mother of Moses do? She hid them in the river where all the babies were going to die. And God, who is sovereign, has a concrete, complete plan that captivates every soul that grasps it, had Pharaoh's daughter find him, and then had a Hebrew woman come nurse him, which was Moses' mother.

Talk about God's sovereignty. Talk about God being in control. And if you read Hebrews 11, you understand that Amram and Jacob did not fear the king's edict. Why? Because they were confident. They didn't have Romans 828, okay? But they knew that somehow God would work all things together for good to those who love him and are called according to his purpose, even though they didn't know the verse. They lived the verse. They couldn't recite it, but they lived it. And God allowed Moses' mother to nurse him, and he was spared.

And of course, Moses' name means to draw from the river. His name was a testimony to the sovereignty of God throughout his living upon this earth. Do you relish the ways of God? If you recognize them, you remember them, you will relish them. I know my time is gone. Hold on a second.

And fourthly, you rejoice in them. You rejoice in them. And that's where Habakkuk comes in, because Habakkuk was a man who was told by God that his people were going to be defeated by the wicked Chaldeans, and he could not understand that. He could not grasp God's plan. He could not grasp the ways of God. So somehow God, a holy God, would use a wicked people upon his chosen people. That doesn't seem right. And Habakkuk had a hard time grasping that. So in chapter 2, God speaks to Habakkuk, and God answers Habakkuk, and God answers with these closing words, Habakkuk 2, verse number 20.

These words, he says, the Lord is in his holy temple. Let all the earth be silent. In other words, the Lord is in his holy temple. The Lord's in charge. Be quiet. Stop talking, Habakkuk. Listen.

You're too busy talking. You're too busy wondering. The Lord is in his holy temple. Be quiet. And he was. And this is how he concludes. Because you see, the circumstances for Habakkuk never changed, but his perspective on the circumstances did change. See, your circumstances are not going to change, my friend, but your perspective better change. And Habakkuk's did. I heard, and my inward parts trembled. Why? Because God spoke. I heard, and my inward parts trembled. To this man I will look. To him is broken of a contrite heart, who trembles at my word.

At the sound of my lips quivered, decay enters my bones, and in my place I trembled, because I must wait quietly for the day of distress. I gotta be quiet. I gotta stop questioning. I gotta rest in what God is doing. I gotta rest in the ways of God, his sovereign control, for the people to arise who will invade us. And though the fig tree should not blossom, and there be no fruit in the vines, though the yield of the olive should fail, and the fields produce no food, though the flock should be cut off from the fold, and there be no cattle in the stalls, even though everything around me just absolutely is obliterated, I will exult in the Lord.

I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. Why? The Lord God is my strength, and he has made my feet like hinds feet, and makes me walk on my high places. He says I'm gonna rest. I'm gonna rest in the fact that God is sovereign. He's in his holy temple, and I'm just gonna be quiet. I'm gonna wait for God to do his thing, and even though it's gonna be bad, I'm gonna rejoice. And he didn't have that verse. That's 1 Thessalonians 5, verse number 16, which says, in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God.

In Christ Jesus concerning you. Didn't have that verse, but I will exult in the Lord God of my salvation. I will exult in him. I will rest. I will rejoice. I will rejoice. And he says, because the Lord is my strength, I will completely rely on him. There's a man where the ways of God became prominent. That's the man that God commends. We want to be a church that God commends. We need to have a people that are a part of this church that truly recognize the ways of God. And once they recognize them, they never forget them.

They remember them. And not only do they remember them, they relish the fact that God causes all things to work together for good, because I know that it's gonna create in me confidence. It's gonna cause comfort in me, and it's gonna cultivate courage in me. And I will rejoice over all that God does, no matter what happens, because he's in this holy temple, and I just need to be quiet. Let me pray with you.

Lord, we thank you for today. Thank you for the word. Thank you for the truth. Move us, Lord, to action. May we be a church that would be commended by its God, because truly, Lord, we recognize your sovereignty. And we might not understand everything. He never asks us to, but he did ask us to trust you, to believe in you, knowing that the greater plan is for our good and your glory. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.