WEBVTT 00:00:00.260 --> 00:00:04.050 I want to invite you to Psalm chapter 3, or chapter 4, excuse me, is where we're going to be this morning. 00:00:04.140 --> 00:00:05.400 Psalm chapter 4. 00:00:05.440 --> 00:00:10.290 As we conclude our series on the book of Psalms, we're taking a look at the Psalms. 00:00:10.440 --> 00:00:17.440 We've called this The Greatest Hits Series, because the Psalms were 150 chapters in 00:00:17.440 --> 00:00:23.800 the book, all songs for Israel, prayers and songs for Israel in which they worshiped the Lord through these psalms. 00:00:23.920 --> 00:00:31.100 We're taking a look at their greatest hits, the songs they would use to sing and rejoice before the Lord when they would gather 00:00:31.100 --> 00:00:31.650 together. 00:00:32.560 --> 00:00:37.460 Different moments required different psalms being read in Israel's day and history. 00:00:37.600 --> 00:00:41.040 There was psalms for anointing kings we've looked at. 00:00:41.040 --> 00:00:42.860 There are psalms for holidays. 00:00:42.860 --> 00:00:44.120 There are psalms for lament. 00:00:44.160 --> 00:00:49.060 There are psalms with wisdom, all sorts of psalms intended to inspire our hearts to worship. 00:00:49.620 --> 00:00:50.160 Love the Psalms. 00:00:52.440 --> 00:00:58.560 It shows us really how to worship God in the mess, that our lives God knows are not pristine. 00:00:58.560 --> 00:00:59.120 They are not perfect. 00:00:59.880 --> 00:01:01.300 But what God wants is our hearts. 00:01:02.340 --> 00:01:09.480 And in that there are times of rejoicing, there are times of struggle and the Psalms show your heart how to connect to God, which 00:01:09.480 --> 00:01:12.370 is why I think this book becomes so important for us as a body of believers. 00:01:12.480 --> 00:01:15.340 Can I tell you guys this morning, man I love this church. 00:01:15.400 --> 00:01:17.440 I love, not the building, but the people. 00:01:17.440 --> 00:01:17.880 I love you guys. 00:01:19.080 --> 00:01:22.350 And I want to run life with you for the glory of God in this valley. 00:01:22.780 --> 00:01:24.740 "Love you too pastor." Oh, thank you Kara. 00:01:24.990 --> 00:01:26.840 Kara gets a special treat at some point today. 00:01:30.160 --> 00:01:37.300 I love what Jesus is doing here and I love to think of the possibilities what God can continue to do in us as we give our lives to 00:01:37.300 --> 00:01:37.700 him. 00:01:38.660 --> 00:01:45.800 But I want you to know the sometimes it's not always easy, even between us it's not always easy, but how we choose to respond in that is so 00:01:45.800 --> 00:01:45.920 important. 00:01:47.400 --> 00:01:54.420 The first two Psalms, what we've seen in that and the beauty of that, the first couple of Psalms God shares with us the truth of who he 00:01:54.420 --> 00:01:54.800 is. 00:01:54.860 --> 00:01:55.720 He lays the foundation. 00:01:56.020 --> 00:02:00.170 I hope in looking at this together you have come to love the first couple of the Psalms that we've examined. 00:02:00.280 --> 00:02:01.520 I love these first two Psalms. 00:02:02.580 --> 00:02:06.020 It lays for us a foundation of a life of a believer being fruitful in the Lord. 00:02:06.820 --> 00:02:11.120 And he describes you as a tree that your leaves never fade, always bearing fruit. 00:02:11.280 --> 00:02:13.300 It is incredible portion of Scripture. 00:02:14.080 --> 00:02:20.140 And then he gets into Psalm chapter two and he talks about the kingship of God over our lives, what it means to give your heart to the Lord. 00:02:20.200 --> 00:02:24.300 If you really want to be used by God it requires you to die to self to live to him. 00:02:24.900 --> 00:02:29.900 There comes a place in your heart where you trust that what God wants to do in you and through you is better that what you can fabricate in your own life. 00:02:30.560 --> 00:02:32.720 In fact, it's an impossibility out of your own life. 00:02:33.440 --> 00:02:36.380 You have got to die to yourself, and that's exactly what Jesus said in the Psalms. 00:02:36.780 --> 00:02:39.920 He came to give his life so that you could die to yourself and live to him. 00:02:40.560 --> 00:02:44.440 And what God has for your life is far greater than anything that you can fabricate for yourself. 00:02:44.680 --> 00:02:47.180 Those first couple of psalms give us that truth. 00:02:48.700 --> 00:02:50.520 But then there comes the part where you live it out. 00:02:52.080 --> 00:02:53.480 And that's not always easy. 00:02:54.500 --> 00:03:00.720 In fact Psalm chapter three we looked at last week, Psalm chapter four, there are psalms that address the same topic, relational conflict. 00:03:02.380 --> 00:03:04.600 And you may ask the question, why do we need to do two psalms to do that? 00:03:04.620 --> 00:03:06.920 Why can't we just have one psalm to talk about relational conflict? 00:03:07.480 --> 00:03:09.120 Well it's simply for this reason. 00:03:09.360 --> 00:03:14.160 To know the truth is one thing, but to live it out is a whole different ballgame. 00:03:15.480 --> 00:03:20.080 It's not also easy to let your mind connect to why your heart wants to do. 00:03:20.120 --> 00:03:20.620 Does that make sense? 00:03:20.780 --> 00:03:25.120 You can understand things intellectually in your mind but sometimes your heart wanes. 00:03:26.600 --> 00:03:31.080 And living that out in the midst of opposition is not an easy... 00:03:31.140 --> 00:03:32.100 It's not a walk in the park. 00:03:34.700 --> 00:03:35.960 It's not an easy thing to do. 00:03:37.640 --> 00:03:39.000 Relational conflict happens. 00:03:40.860 --> 00:03:45.480 And God calls you to be a light for him in this world, but the place he calls you to be a light is before people. 00:03:46.700 --> 00:03:53.800 And when you encounter people sometimes they're a great blessing in ministering to people, and sometimes there's adversity, and what you do there matters. 00:03:55.460 --> 00:04:01.880 And so David writes Psalm chapter three and chapter four to really encouraging us, like we look in Psalm chapter two, Jesus is king. 00:04:02.240 --> 00:04:05.080 Then you get to three and four and it's like, now this is how you live it out in chapter three. 00:04:05.400 --> 00:04:12.280 And this is how you live it out again in chapter four, because our heart needs reminded and encouraged daily to what it looks like to live that out in our lives. 00:04:13.180 --> 00:04:14.480 Every soul matters to God. 00:04:16.079 --> 00:04:21.779 And he calls us to make a difference in the lives of others by being a light used for his glory. 00:04:22.940 --> 00:04:26.990 God calls us to be a people not to live selfishly but to live selflessly. 00:04:28.680 --> 00:04:35.850 And sometimes we say as a church, we don't measure our success by our seating capacity, though we're glad you're here, but by our sending capacity. 00:04:37.440 --> 00:04:44.440 It's what God does in us and surrendering to him it's what God then continues to do through us, to be a light 00:04:44.440 --> 00:04:45.240 in this world. 00:04:47.440 --> 00:04:53.840 Blessing others is a great joy in ministry, but unfortunately relationships can also bring challenges. 00:04:56.120 --> 00:04:57.560 Relationships bring hurt. 00:04:59.360 --> 00:05:07.260 Ever found that relationship that turned sour and you just walk away feeling defeated, maybe 00:05:07.280 --> 00:05:08.580 even like a failure. 00:05:10.820 --> 00:05:14.470 If I were to encourage you, think for a moment of Jesus' own ministry. 00:05:15.080 --> 00:05:19.100 I read this even this more morning in my devotions in John chapter 6, Jesus was even saying this. 00:05:19.500 --> 00:05:22.520 He identifies for the disciples, how many disciples that he picked. 00:05:22.540 --> 00:05:23.680 How many disciples Jesus have? 00:05:24.680 --> 00:05:25.200 Twelve, right? 00:05:27.020 --> 00:05:29.120 But then Jesus goes on to say, one of them betrays him. 00:05:29.180 --> 00:05:31.220 And how many disciples did Jesus end his ministry with? 00:05:32.640 --> 00:05:32.900 Eleven. 00:05:36.520 --> 00:05:37.820 Even Jesus faced hardship. 00:05:37.820 --> 00:05:40.730 Jesus' ministry decreased while he was on the earth. 00:05:43.240 --> 00:05:44.850 You think about the apostle Paul. 00:05:46.960 --> 00:05:53.920 In his life he travels with many people but in reading the book of II Timothy at the very end, the last letter Paul writes, II Timothy. 00:05:55.460 --> 00:05:57.120 And the last chapter he starts to talk about people. 00:05:57.700 --> 00:05:59.070 And you know what he says at the end of II Timothy? 00:06:00.280 --> 00:06:02.640 He's alone. 00:06:03.080 --> 00:06:04.800 Gave his life for the Lord and he feels alone. 00:06:06.840 --> 00:06:09.840 He writes II Timothy telling Timothy to come visit him because he's alone. 00:06:09.900 --> 00:06:12.600 This is the last letter he writes before his head's cut off for the Lord. 00:06:14.220 --> 00:06:21.340 And he even talks about in verse ten of chapter four, a guy named Demas who abandoned him because he loves the world rather than the Lord and he went 00:06:21.340 --> 00:06:23.790 off to Thessalonica leaving Paul all alone. 00:06:25.950 --> 00:06:28.210 And can I tell you, ask you, let me ask you, not tell you. 00:06:30.680 --> 00:06:32.180 Did Jesus and Paul fail? 00:06:37.400 --> 00:06:39.050 Guys sometimes we have to be careful in how we measure success. 00:06:42.240 --> 00:06:45.020 Success in ministry isn't about avoiding conflict. 00:06:47.320 --> 00:06:51.050 Success in ministry is determined by what you choose to do when conflict arises. 00:06:52.480 --> 00:06:58.860 In fact I would say it's in those moments that God could be most glorified in your life because anybody can love when it's easy to love. 00:07:00.280 --> 00:07:04.220 But it's God's people that learn to love through the adversity, because people matter. 00:07:05.460 --> 00:07:12.920 And because Jesus matters to us and people matter to Jesus, we care about the people that Jesus cares about, which God cares about every soul. 00:07:15.340 --> 00:07:22.440 And how we choose to walk in that conflict says in our lives whether we're really surrendered to God and how we want to other honor him or we live for our 00:07:22.440 --> 00:07:23.060 own glory. 00:07:24.120 --> 00:07:26.500 And I know, I know in saying that it can be hard. 00:07:28.160 --> 00:07:35.200 But what David is doing in these Psalms is to help us understand in the midst of his own pain he's using this opportunity through the conflict he's going through to 00:07:35.280 --> 00:07:40.920 teach us how to walk in that because in the midst of darkness God's light shines even brighter. 00:07:43.360 --> 00:07:44.940 And what you do in those moments are important. 00:07:46.660 --> 00:07:48.600 In fact I would say it's most important. 00:07:50.480 --> 00:07:57.940 See, by writing these psalms, Psalm chapter three and chapter four, both of them dealing with the same topic, you think about in Israel's day they 00:07:57.940 --> 00:07:59.710 would worship, both in the morning and the evening. 00:08:00.080 --> 00:08:07.580 So they would take this psalm, chapter three likely, read it in the morning, chapter four likely, read it in the evening and focus on 00:08:07.580 --> 00:08:15.260 the thought that's behind these chapters because God knows relationships are difficult for us. 00:08:16.000 --> 00:08:21.160 Sometimes there's the way we want to respond and then there's the way God calls us to respond. 00:08:22.840 --> 00:08:30.020 Two psalms on the same topic back to back indicates to us that to move through relational wounds in our life, 00:08:30.120 --> 00:08:31.020 it takes time. 00:08:35.080 --> 00:08:40.390 And to do that in a way that's godly we really need the Lord, so you need two psalms to focus on it. 00:08:42.240 --> 00:08:44.800 But it takes time to process through that. 00:08:44.860 --> 00:08:49.940 In fact, the deeper the friendship, the deeper the wounds we feel when things don't pan out. 00:08:51.680 --> 00:08:59.140 In fact if I wanted to use just in the life of David here as he's writing this psalm, what it means 00:08:59.140 --> 00:09:02.800 for him and writing these words to encourage you in your own life in the conflict. 00:09:03.700 --> 00:09:07.540 David is going through a moment where his own son is standing against him. 00:09:09.100 --> 00:09:13.320 You remember the story in II Samuel chapter 15. 00:09:13.440 --> 00:09:17.240 Just a couple chapters previous to this David had a public fall before people. 00:09:17.240 --> 00:09:18.300 He sinned with Bathsheba. 00:09:19.120 --> 00:09:20.660 He repents, God restores him. 00:09:20.920 --> 00:09:21.900 Not good enough for Absalom. 00:09:23.300 --> 00:09:25.130 And so what's Absalom do in chapter 15? 00:09:25.520 --> 00:09:35.040 He goes before where the king dwells and he turns the hearts of Israel away from King David and toward him, "I'm a better king." And 00:09:35.040 --> 00:09:36.480 he seeks to win the hearts of people. 00:09:36.480 --> 00:09:43.740 In fact, in describing II Samuel 15 it says this, "Then a messenger came to David saying, 'The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom.' David 00:09:43.740 --> 00:09:50.480 said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, 'Arise and let us flee for otherwise none of us will escape from Absalom. 00:09:51.020 --> 00:09:59.920 Go in haste or he will overtake us quickly and bring down calamity on us and stirke the city with the edge of the sword.'" David 00:09:59.920 --> 00:10:01.160 sees the urgency of this moment. 00:10:01.200 --> 00:10:08.750 Not only is his life being ripped at and pulled by seeing his own son betray him, but he's now concerned for the people that are loyal to him. 00:10:10.000 --> 00:10:13.700 And David in these moments are tucking, telling run for the safety of his people. 00:10:15.100 --> 00:10:17.120 Relational conflict hurts. 00:10:17.120 --> 00:10:19.100 And the deeper the friendship the deeper the wounds. 00:10:20.120 --> 00:10:27.360 And so when you read into Psalm chapter four, David opens up in these first couple of verses, reflecting on what's 00:10:27.360 --> 00:10:30.480 happening in his own life because of the pain in his relationship with Absalom. 00:10:30.480 --> 00:10:31.670 Look at these first few verses. 00:10:31.720 --> 00:10:37.260 It says to God, "Answer me when I call." You've been there right? 00:10:39.460 --> 00:10:39.980 That pain. 00:10:40.360 --> 00:10:41.300 I mean, even if you're wrong. 00:10:43.320 --> 00:10:44.380 "God there's nothing that can... 00:10:44.580 --> 00:10:51.960 I don't even have the faith to see how you can traverse the with me or heal this moment or find reconciliation in 00:10:51.960 --> 00:10:57.640 relationships but what I know right now God is I need you to answer when I call. 00:10:59.500 --> 00:11:02.600 Oh God of my righteousness." I love that label. 00:11:04.460 --> 00:11:11.050 He's saying rather than fight in defense of himself he's letting God be his righteousness. 00:11:12.540 --> 00:11:13.140 "God hear me. 00:11:14.180 --> 00:11:15.610 God, you be my justification. 00:11:17.580 --> 00:11:19.820 You have relieved me in my distress. 00:11:20.200 --> 00:11:27.300 Be gracious to me and hear my prayer." What David is saying is, "God, I've walked with you in life and I've seen how you've answered in the distress that I've 00:11:27.300 --> 00:11:27.760 faced. 00:11:28.980 --> 00:11:36.220 So again God I'm asking please be gracious to me and hear my prayer." And verse two, "O sons of men, how long will my honor 00:11:36.220 --> 00:11:37.140 become a reproach. 00:11:37.360 --> 00:11:40.670 How long will you love what is worthless and aim and deception. 00:11:42.040 --> 00:11:42.220 Selah. 00:11:43.420 --> 00:11:51.480 Selah." What David is saying in that last word is, "I'm going to rest here for a moment." The 00:11:51.560 --> 00:11:52.780 weightiness of this thought. 00:11:55.340 --> 00:11:59.160 David is recognizing in verse two the results of Absalom as a leader. 00:12:01.260 --> 00:12:08.120 He's seeing how the leadership of Absalom has now turned hearts of Israelites against him. 00:12:08.780 --> 00:12:18.180 And he asks the question, "How long will they love what is worthless and aim at this deception." You 00:12:18.200 --> 00:12:25.240 think about leadership, it's never a good thing when a people group have a bad leader 00:12:25.240 --> 00:12:26.260 to follow. 00:12:27.560 --> 00:12:33.080 You think even in Israel's history, after David comes the civil war and the tribes split. 00:12:33.480 --> 00:12:37.300 There's never a godly king to lead Israel and Israel never pursues godliness. 00:12:39.020 --> 00:12:43.880 It reminds me of the thought that in organizations they're only as healthy as the leaders that lead them. 00:12:45.260 --> 00:12:52.440 It's why the Bible encourages us, even in the church, when Paul goes around and plants church, he calls the church to appoint elders to lead 00:12:52.440 --> 00:12:54.940 the church and he gives these couple of qualifications for elders. 00:12:55.600 --> 00:13:02.720 In chapter three verse two, "There are to be above reproach." That phrase above approach becomes the overarching statement for all 00:13:02.720 --> 00:13:09.760 of leadership appointed within the church, meaning while all of the other qualities are important this person needs to be above 00:13:09.760 --> 00:13:12.380 approach in his testimony before the believing and unbelieving world. 00:13:15.420 --> 00:13:22.600 Those that don't follow Jesus and those that follow Jesus, the people that lead have a good testimony in the lives of people 00:13:22.600 --> 00:13:23.570 around them. 00:13:24.620 --> 00:13:29.040 They may not agree with what they follow but they know that person cares about them, right. 00:13:29.160 --> 00:13:29.820 They're above reproach. 00:13:30.820 --> 00:13:37.860 And then it says in verse six that they're not new convert, meaning they need to demonstrate a life that follows God that's 00:13:37.860 --> 00:13:42.460 been proven in adversity and comes out following the Lord. 00:13:42.520 --> 00:13:49.720 Now when you look at a psalm like this, it's easy to see the life of Absalom and think, "Man, 00:13:49.740 --> 00:13:50.420 what an enemy. 00:13:50.560 --> 00:13:54.930 There's the good guy David, and there's the enemy Absalom." And hiss at Absalom. 00:13:55.060 --> 00:13:55.620 "Boo. 00:13:55.860 --> 00:13:57.060 Yay David," right. 00:13:59.780 --> 00:14:03.500 Because I want us to remember, it's easy to become Absalom. 00:14:06.540 --> 00:14:07.420 It's easy to be an Absalom. 00:14:09.280 --> 00:14:11.640 I mean you think about Absalom's justifications in these moments. 00:14:12.980 --> 00:14:15.520 If we talked to Absalom he could've rationalized this, right. 00:14:16.820 --> 00:14:22.360 I said this with you a little bit last week, that Absalom, he could've said, "You know, my father, he fell before everyone. 00:14:22.360 --> 00:14:24.010 Look at him, he's a disgrace. 00:14:24.640 --> 00:14:25.550 He's not a good leader. 00:14:25.680 --> 00:14:27.110 He's proven himself not trustworthy. 00:14:27.740 --> 00:14:34.340 And therefore, I'm better." That doesn't demonstrate the character that's better, by the way he goes about things. 00:14:36.280 --> 00:14:38.300 But he then pursues to win the hearts of people. 00:14:38.340 --> 00:14:42.840 And he justifies his action by looking at the recent calamity of his father. 00:14:45.520 --> 00:14:46.480 Guys, it's easy to be an Absalom. 00:14:48.140 --> 00:14:49.910 Old Testament we call them Absaloms. 00:14:49.940 --> 00:14:51.680 In the New Testament we call them wolves. 00:14:51.800 --> 00:14:55.260 Jesus referred to them as wolves in Matthew chapter 27 and Matthew chapter 10. 00:14:55.660 --> 00:14:58.660 He describes the wolves as wolves in sheep's clothing. 00:14:59.820 --> 00:15:03.280 And we said this about a wolf, look, a wolf never thinks they're a wolf. 00:15:03.440 --> 00:15:06.920 People do not go around be like, "Look, I am a toxic person to be around. 00:15:06.920 --> 00:15:07.540 I am a wolf. 00:15:07.540 --> 00:15:08.990 Don't get near me." That's not how people respond. 00:15:09.280 --> 00:15:12.540 People always feel justified in the way they react to the things that happen to them. 00:15:13.740 --> 00:15:14.740 I can justify. 00:15:14.760 --> 00:15:15.940 Absalom can justify. 00:15:15.980 --> 00:15:20.360 I can get to a bad place because of things happen to me and I can justify my behavior. 00:15:21.740 --> 00:15:28.980 "Well they did this therefore I can do this." But no one walks around the world saying, "Look, I'm a wolf." 00:15:28.980 --> 00:15:31.930 Wolves never see themselves as wolves. 00:15:33.580 --> 00:15:35.220 They see themselves as misunderstood sheep. 00:15:37.480 --> 00:15:41.700 If you could just see it from my point of view, right. 00:15:41.700 --> 00:15:48.800 The thing about a wolf, wolves are more concerned with what people think of them than 00:15:48.800 --> 00:15:49.140 of Jesus. 00:15:50.960 --> 00:15:52.760 And this is why it's easy for us to become an Absalom. 00:15:54.040 --> 00:16:01.700 If in your life right now you're more concerned about what people think about you than of Jesus, when difficulty comes against you, you're 00:16:01.700 --> 00:16:09.020 going to feel justified to respond like Absalom and win the hearts of people rather than be concerned with what God wants in the moment. 00:16:10.960 --> 00:16:11.180 It's easy. 00:16:13.420 --> 00:16:14.120 It's easy to get there. 00:16:16.460 --> 00:16:23.480 But David is showing us in these psalms why these psalms are so important for our lives because just to 00:16:23.480 --> 00:16:30.800 know the truth is one thing but to live it out, to live it out takes this faith 00:16:30.800 --> 00:16:37.940 and seeing what God desires is greater than what you can do for yourself and trusting in that, knowing 00:16:37.940 --> 00:16:42.780 that when we experience relationships in this world there comes conflict with that. 00:16:42.780 --> 00:16:45.610 And what you do in that conflict matters. 00:16:48.400 --> 00:16:53.520 And so when you look at these psalms, Psalm chapter three, chapter four, they start very similar. 00:16:54.860 --> 00:17:01.000 Chapter three, first couple of verses David explains his position, the hardship he's facing, getting us to understand the path that he's walking. 00:17:02.340 --> 00:17:10.000 In chapter four he starts the same way, "Look, this is where I'm at God," calling out in distress, looking at the people who are against me and this 00:17:10.000 --> 00:17:14.480 type of experience can provoke you to react, right. 00:17:16.280 --> 00:17:18.480 But here's where the difference comes in chapter three and chapter four. 00:17:18.560 --> 00:17:19.460 This is what he says in chapter three. 00:17:21.040 --> 00:17:28.700 He says, "But you O Lord are a shield about me, my glory, and 00:17:28.700 --> 00:17:33.500 the one who lifts my head." So he's contrasting these two positions right now. 00:17:33.500 --> 00:17:36.020 He's being provoked because of what's happened. 00:17:36.020 --> 00:17:37.700 He could stand up and defend his honor. 00:17:37.960 --> 00:17:45.140 He could stand up for himself as king, or there's another path for 00:17:45.140 --> 00:17:45.920 which he's called. 00:17:47.540 --> 00:17:49.760 He contrasts this with the idea of but. 00:17:50.960 --> 00:17:54.540 But you O Lord, you're a shield about me. 00:17:56.140 --> 00:18:03.140 Now I've explained last week what this phrase means, but the concept is that it is a truth being 00:18:03.140 --> 00:18:05.840 proclaimed on the identity of God so this is why he can trust. 00:18:06.660 --> 00:18:09.900 What Psalm chapter three is a truth to believe. 00:18:12.020 --> 00:18:17.600 But what Psalm chapter four becomes then is the path to which obey. 00:18:20.080 --> 00:18:26.430 Chapter three explains to us all through here the truth of who God is in light of the circumstances that we go through. 00:18:27.860 --> 00:18:34.070 And then chapter four becomes the answer of how do we know we're living in light of that God because of the conflict we've gone through. 00:18:36.380 --> 00:18:45.080 What does it mean to follow God in adversity, especially in relational adversity? 00:18:45.160 --> 00:18:51.440 And so David begins to outline in chapter four what that would look like starting in verse four. 00:18:51.500 --> 00:18:53.410 These are the actions of our lives. 00:18:53.580 --> 00:18:57.360 A truth to believe always leads to a path to obey. 00:18:59.000 --> 00:19:00.960 In fact what you truly believe you will obey. 00:19:02.760 --> 00:19:04.600 Truth to believe leads to a path to obey. 00:19:04.820 --> 00:19:11.340 Now when we talk about that in terms of Christianity, look, I don't want to overcomplicate that. 00:19:11.340 --> 00:19:13.180 Sometimes you go into religious circles and they start talking about obedience and they list all these rules. 00:19:13.220 --> 00:19:14.280 In Christianity it's very simplistic. 00:19:15.720 --> 00:19:16.140 Love God. 00:19:16.140 --> 00:19:16.360 Love others. 00:19:18.400 --> 00:19:25.420 Jesus created you as a relational being with all that you are Jesus said greatest commandments, love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and 00:19:25.420 --> 00:19:25.520 strength. 00:19:25.840 --> 00:19:40.220 And can I tell you, if that isn't our heart, we 00:19:40.220 --> 00:19:40.380 will never love people the way God calls us to love people. 00:19:40.380 --> 00:19:40.380 Love God. 00:19:40.380 --> 00:19:40.380 Love people. 00:19:40.380 --> 00:19:40.380 If there's a truth to believe there is a path to obey. 00:19:40.380 --> 00:19:45.620 And so in chapter four it becomes a reflection of what that looks like to live in light of this God who is our shield. 00:19:45.640 --> 00:19:52.840 And so this is what he says in verse three, "But know that the Lord has set apart the godly man for himself." "But know this," 00:19:53.000 --> 00:19:57.290 he's saying, "You're feeling the pressure by circumstances. 00:19:57.620 --> 00:19:58.640 It's provoking you. 00:19:58.920 --> 00:20:06.060 But there is an alternative and there is something greater that God wants to do and do you trust this?" This is a step of faith. 00:20:07.320 --> 00:20:14.440 And I would say in our lives, if there's one thing to be thankful for in the adversity that we face in living out the truth 00:20:14.440 --> 00:20:17.800 that we believe, is it shows us if we really believe it. 00:20:19.040 --> 00:20:21.870 Or at least it demonstrates who far our faith will go. 00:20:22.600 --> 00:20:26.260 In fact, James opens up his book in James chapter one that way. 00:20:26.340 --> 00:20:33.380 Now I'll tell you this, when you think about adversity in this world and what I just told you, I'm not telling you to leave here and find a bunch of trouble to get it 00:20:33.380 --> 00:20:34.970 to find out really where your faith rests. 00:20:35.120 --> 00:20:36.780 I'm not telling you that at all, okay. 00:20:36.780 --> 00:20:40.500 Don't go creating conflict or running right into conflict just to demonstrate where your faith rests. 00:20:40.760 --> 00:20:41.150 Don't do that. 00:20:41.880 --> 00:20:44.820 We're not about pursuing conflict for the sake of pursuing conflict. 00:20:45.040 --> 00:20:46.120 That's not what we're about. 00:20:46.120 --> 00:20:49.340 We're about honoring god in all things and when conflict arises doing the same thing. 00:20:50.460 --> 00:20:52.200 We don't want to be any different, Jesus in all things. 00:20:53.620 --> 00:20:54.520 But James says this. 00:20:54.540 --> 00:21:01.840 In James chapter one he says this, "Consider it all joy my brother when you endure various trials, knowing 00:21:01.840 --> 00:21:09.160 that the testing of your faith produces endurance and let endurance have its perfect work." And what James is recognizing this 00:21:09.160 --> 00:21:16.360 is when trouble comes, like we're not running after trouble, but when trouble comes the one thing that we have to be thankful for in the midst of trouble is it demonstrates to our own 00:21:16.360 --> 00:21:17.980 life where our own heart is truly resting. 00:21:20.200 --> 00:21:23.480 In Christ or not. 00:21:23.620 --> 00:21:24.560 Your glory or his. 00:21:26.860 --> 00:21:29.320 React or respond. 00:21:32.440 --> 00:21:33.800 So David is saying, "Look. 00:21:34.160 --> 00:21:34.500 I could've... 00:21:34.700 --> 00:21:35.920 I'm the king. 00:21:36.300 --> 00:21:39.940 I could've turned around with the army that I had left and we could've just gone to battle right then and there. 00:21:40.860 --> 00:21:46.400 But the Lord has set apart the godly man for himself. 00:21:49.160 --> 00:21:51.960 How should a godly individual respond to relational conflict? 00:21:54.540 --> 00:22:01.620 I'll say this, in this psalm it really starts on one thought and it stays on that thought and it just builds that thought, but this is where it begins. 00:22:01.900 --> 00:22:02.880 It starts with this idea. 00:22:03.340 --> 00:22:06.060 Align your heart upward before you respond outward. 00:22:07.720 --> 00:22:09.860 Now that just makes a lot of common sense, doesn't it. 00:22:09.960 --> 00:22:11.980 Align your heart upward before you respond outward. 00:22:12.320 --> 00:22:19.660 You can read that and be like, "Yeah, that makes sense," but I want to tell us, just remind us, and you know this, that when difficult things happen in relationship, that 00:22:19.660 --> 00:22:20.790 is not your knee jerk reaction. 00:22:23.440 --> 00:22:23.920 You know why? 00:22:25.820 --> 00:22:28.840 Because oftentimes when we're offended we're the most important person to us. 00:22:30.100 --> 00:22:30.920 And you know what we want to do? 00:22:32.260 --> 00:22:35.860 Put that person in their place, but let them know how important I am. 00:22:37.520 --> 00:22:43.970 And what we end up doing is we end up modifying their behavior right, either in anger or despair or manipulation, we come into that room like a rage. 00:22:45.600 --> 00:22:48.100 "I'm going to tell you something." And then... 00:22:48.320 --> 00:22:48.760 Conflict begins. 00:22:51.700 --> 00:22:52.120 And what happens? 00:22:54.440 --> 00:22:56.330 Our lives become distanced from their heart. 00:22:58.520 --> 00:23:02.830 The very ministry that God called us to in the pursuit of people we have now moved ourselves away from. 00:23:04.200 --> 00:23:11.260 And the reason we start with aligning our God rather than simply starting with the relationship before us is that what God 00:23:11.260 --> 00:23:14.050 wants to do in that moment is greater than anything we can fabricate ourselves. 00:23:16.160 --> 00:23:17.670 There's a faith moment here. 00:23:19.260 --> 00:23:26.000 And David starts this psalm by recognizing that, "But know that the Lord has set apart the godly man for himself." There is a different path. 00:23:26.420 --> 00:23:29.880 God calls me on in these moments from what I'm trusting in. 00:23:30.140 --> 00:23:37.340 And if I depend on me rather than God, things can get nasty because what I want to do is modify their behavior to let them know that how 00:23:37.340 --> 00:23:38.080 great I am. 00:23:39.920 --> 00:23:45.030 But what Jesus wants to make known is how great he is. 00:23:46.860 --> 00:23:49.830 And when my eyes are on me my eyes are not on the Lord. 00:23:51.380 --> 00:23:58.460 And so he's recognizing in this psalm where his own heart, David's own heart has gone so that we can walk with him knowing that our lives are going to... 00:23:58.580 --> 00:23:59.600 It's going to face adversity. 00:24:00.180 --> 00:24:07.300 But he says this in verse three, "I have been set apart for the Lord." This idea, this reflection 00:24:07.300 --> 00:24:09.600 is that God has a different plan. 00:24:09.900 --> 00:24:14.720 And when God has set me apart, God is completely aware of where I am. 00:24:16.040 --> 00:24:23.260 And I would rather live in the middle of his will, though conflict be around me, than take it up and live on my own because when I do that I create 00:24:23.310 --> 00:24:26.400 relational problem on top of the conflict that's already arise. 00:24:28.620 --> 00:24:30.260 The question is, do you believe it? 00:24:32.020 --> 00:24:33.640 In fact, he goes on and says this. 00:24:33.680 --> 00:24:40.740 "The Lord hears when I call." When you read the psalms, and we've said this a few times, but remember the psalms are in parallel form, which means that 00:24:40.740 --> 00:24:44.300 the first line of a verse tends to parallel the second line of the verse. 00:24:44.300 --> 00:24:47.740 And if you want a better idea of what the first line is saying, just read the second thought. 00:24:49.660 --> 00:24:52.560 Sometimes it's antithetical and sometimes it enhances what the first thought is. 00:24:52.940 --> 00:24:55.270 And so just let me ask you the question or for me inwardly. 00:24:56.240 --> 00:25:00.040 Am I really giving my heart before the Lord knowing that he has set me apart? 00:25:01.720 --> 00:25:03.020 I think we can see the answer here. 00:25:04.540 --> 00:25:08.500 "The Lord hears me when I call." The answer is, am I praying? 00:25:12.070 --> 00:25:14.700 Do I genuinely seek God in that conflict? 00:25:17.440 --> 00:25:24.460 The way to know if your heart is with the Lord in the midst of the conflict that you're facing is demonstrated by how you seek God in prayer 00:25:24.460 --> 00:25:25.640 through the conflict that you go through. 00:25:28.220 --> 00:25:35.240 I mean you have the opportunity to bend the ear of the king, and if you desire what the king wills in this world then you'll come before the king 00:25:35.240 --> 00:25:36.980 in the midst of the adversity that you face. 00:25:40.100 --> 00:25:42.200 And you understand that God has set you apart. 00:25:42.240 --> 00:25:42.680 Look what it says. 00:25:44.060 --> 00:25:50.370 "He has set apart the godly for himself." Not my will, but his will. 00:25:52.420 --> 00:25:53.560 So when I come before the king... 00:25:53.560 --> 00:25:57.820 Sometimes when we talk about prayer I think that we sometimes can go to prayer in an ungodly way. 00:25:57.900 --> 00:25:59.200 I think that God cares about where you are. 00:25:59.260 --> 00:26:00.700 I think that's fine to pray that before God. 00:26:01.000 --> 00:26:03.600 But sometimes we only use prayer for that reason. 00:26:03.620 --> 00:26:10.420 We come to God like he's here to serve us as if we're the king, he's the puppet and the only time I pray is when I want something. 00:26:10.600 --> 00:26:12.860 So I just go to him and I tell him what I want and I look for him to do that. 00:26:13.240 --> 00:26:20.200 But what he's saying rather is that when God set you apart, you get to bend the ear of the king, but what God desires to do is what he has planned for himself with you. 00:26:21.620 --> 00:26:25.530 Rest assured, what God desires for your life is better than anything you can create for yourself. 00:26:27.060 --> 00:26:33.420 And so when we're in team with the will of that king, our prayer becomes to seeks his face and his desire in those moments. 00:26:34.820 --> 00:26:36.560 And so we pray seeking God. 00:26:36.560 --> 00:26:38.480 In fact, I John 5:4 says it like this. 00:26:38.500 --> 00:26:45.500 "If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us." I like 00:26:45.500 --> 00:26:48.220 to think of prayer this way, that prayer is standing in the gap. 00:26:50.480 --> 00:26:57.620 Prayer is about recognizing the goodness of heaven and the struggle of earth, and that God has 00:26:57.620 --> 00:27:00.330 you in this place on this world to be a light for him. 00:27:01.000 --> 00:27:08.440 And you bend the ear of the king to the needs of this world that you can see his glory made known, his 00:27:08.440 --> 00:27:08.540 will. 00:27:10.920 --> 00:27:17.940 And so the heart of the believer tuned into God in the midst of conflict, what he desires is before he seeks the 00:27:17.940 --> 00:27:24.650 relationship with the other person, he aligns his heart with the Lord before he seeks that relationship with other. 00:27:25.920 --> 00:27:29.360 And continuing that thought, he shows then how that progresses in the life of a believer. 00:27:29.360 --> 00:27:31.960 He says this in verse four he says, "Tremble and do not sin. 00:27:32.260 --> 00:27:35.360 Meditate in your heart upon your bed and be still. 00:27:35.380 --> 00:27:35.600 Selah. 00:27:37.100 --> 00:27:39.620 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness and trust in the Lord. 00:27:40.020 --> 00:27:47.020 Many are saying, 'Who will show us any good.' Lift up the light of your countenance upon us O Lord." This 00:27:47.020 --> 00:27:50.340 idea of tremble, in the King Jame I think it's translated a few ways. 00:27:50.420 --> 00:27:54.100 In fact the original language, this word can be translated all sorts of ways. 00:27:54.420 --> 00:27:59.060 In the King James when this word's translated it mostly is translated as the word moved or provoked. 00:27:59.160 --> 00:28:01.320 Sometimes it's translated as revere or tremble. 00:28:02.560 --> 00:28:09.160 But what he's recognizing is when conflict arises you are being provoked within you to respond in some way. 00:28:09.680 --> 00:28:10.900 You will revere something. 00:28:13.240 --> 00:28:13.700 You honor something. 00:28:15.200 --> 00:28:17.240 You'll be provoked to reply in some way. 00:28:19.160 --> 00:28:20.390 It could be that relationship. 00:28:20.940 --> 00:28:26.720 That could your number one priority, for them to look good at you, or for you to please them. 00:28:28.840 --> 00:28:32.420 What God is saying here through David is that you're going to be provoked. 00:28:33.800 --> 00:28:40.300 But rather than be provoked and sin, let your heart be provoked in him. 00:28:41.480 --> 00:28:43.260 And sometimes we don't know how to respond. 00:28:45.640 --> 00:28:48.060 Sometimes we feel the urge to respond quickly. 00:28:50.320 --> 00:28:56.740 But rather than just react in the moment what he says in this verse is meditate in your heart upon your bed. 00:28:58.200 --> 00:28:58.500 Be still. 00:29:01.700 --> 00:29:02.880 Check the motive of your heart. 00:29:05.840 --> 00:29:07.340 It's easy to become an Absalom. 00:29:09.820 --> 00:29:11.980 God loves, or not God, excuse me. 00:29:11.980 --> 00:29:19.100 Satan loves disunity, but God is glorified when we 00:29:19.100 --> 00:29:22.640 fight for each other, not against each other. 00:29:25.040 --> 00:29:30.500 Meditate in your heart upon the king, upon how to honor him. 00:29:31.940 --> 00:29:32.760 Look, we know it's not easy. 00:29:32.880 --> 00:29:39.480 Sometimes it may look like this, "God, I don't even have the faith within me to see how this reconciliation can happen. 00:29:41.540 --> 00:29:42.920 But God, you're bigger than that. 00:29:44.120 --> 00:29:45.260 And I know it can, it can. 00:29:45.420 --> 00:29:45.670 You know how? 00:29:46.860 --> 00:29:51.140 Because he's reconciled his life with me and the darkness of my own sin. 00:29:51.140 --> 00:29:58.200 And if God can work that miracle transforming my life, it's so much easier for him to just work in this conflict that I'm experiencing 00:29:58.200 --> 00:29:59.120 with someone else. 00:29:59.200 --> 00:30:05.880 I was in complete death, alienated from God, and we just have a tension in our relationship. 00:30:06.980 --> 00:30:08.560 And so meditating in your heart. 00:30:08.600 --> 00:30:09.440 So not only does it... 00:30:09.460 --> 00:30:14.240 We surrender to God but we continue to seek and refine our lives for the purity of what it means to pursue him. 00:30:14.300 --> 00:30:15.860 And this is what he says the result in him. 00:30:15.980 --> 00:30:21.850 Verse five, "Offering the sacrifices of righteousness and trusting in the Lord." That's what you get at the end of the day. 00:30:23.800 --> 00:30:30.860 Like when your heart becomes Jesus and his life being made known in your life, when you wake up the next day you're not lowering your head in shame, 00:30:30.880 --> 00:30:34.980 though someone else may have shown their rear end to you haven't responded in that way. 00:30:34.980 --> 00:30:36.380 You didn't throw mud in return. 00:30:36.620 --> 00:30:41.900 And so when it comes before worship before God, you lift up holy hands before him and sing, "God, just be glorified. 00:30:43.880 --> 00:30:51.020 You are my righteousness." Now I know I your life and relationships, you've blown 00:30:51.020 --> 00:30:52.360 it more than once, right. 00:30:52.360 --> 00:30:55.040 So it's good to know God always gives you grace. 00:30:56.860 --> 00:31:02.200 Man, what we want before the Lord is a pure heart in that worship, and so trusting in the Lord. 00:31:02.200 --> 00:31:09.220 And then he says verse six, "Many are saying, 'Who will show us any good?' Lift up the light of your countenance upon us 00:31:09.220 --> 00:31:15.440 O Lord." I love the honesty of this verse. 00:31:17.520 --> 00:31:24.620 What David is saying is, "God we don't have it figured out, but 00:31:24.700 --> 00:31:29.420 that's okay because you're big enough to handle it." It's okay to question God. 00:31:31.580 --> 00:31:33.660 It's okay to feel like you're moving forward in the fog. 00:31:35.940 --> 00:31:38.740 In our lack of clarity God clearly sees. 00:31:40.600 --> 00:31:42.080 God moves things that we can't understand. 00:31:44.060 --> 00:31:46.020 God reconciles in ways beyond our imagination. 00:31:48.480 --> 00:31:53.420 What he's saying in this verse is, "God, they're coming and they're asking this question. 00:31:55.380 --> 00:32:02.720 They're seeking good in these moments." And he's just calling on God to continue to be that source, the answer for them. 00:32:03.600 --> 00:32:10.520 And when you go through conflict, rather than just react it's far better to meditate in your heart at night to see your heart right before the Lord. 00:32:12.760 --> 00:32:15.240 And then just be honest with God. 00:32:15.660 --> 00:32:17.720 Continue to seek to revere him in the midst of the mess. 00:32:19.220 --> 00:32:21.160 Sometimes those things take time to work out. 00:32:21.240 --> 00:32:28.280 In fact, that's why we said there are two psalms here, because it's showing us relationships are important, and moving in those relationships 00:32:28.280 --> 00:32:34.440 sometimes it just takes time to reconcile and work things out, especially when you feel like trust has been broken or at least harmed. 00:32:34.460 --> 00:32:41.720 It takes time to build those things back and so just walking with the integrity of your character becomes a crucial piece in seeing that happen 00:32:41.720 --> 00:32:42.180 in your life. 00:32:44.160 --> 00:32:48.620 And then he goes on, verse seven, he says this crazy word. 00:32:49.320 --> 00:32:51.960 I would say this, let me just phrase it and I'm going to explain it. 00:32:52.920 --> 00:32:55.720 A godly individual aligns their heart with the Lord. 00:32:56.820 --> 00:33:01.040 The godly individual continues to seek how to revere the Lord though they may walk in that mystery. 00:33:03.060 --> 00:33:10.060 And a godly individual working through this conflict looks towards a heavenly value system rather than an earthly 00:33:10.060 --> 00:33:11.250 value system. 00:33:12.360 --> 00:33:19.460 And in verse seven you see that, "You have put gladness in my heart, more than when their grain 00:33:19.460 --> 00:33:23.980 and new wine abound." Now think about this if you're David. 00:33:25.400 --> 00:33:27.940 I mean his own son wound him. 00:33:29.560 --> 00:33:33.220 And yet in these final verses he talks about gladness in his own heart. 00:33:34.720 --> 00:33:37.720 And then he goes and compares it to grain and new wine. 00:33:38.780 --> 00:33:44.200 I mean it's like saying in our day, it's the grain brings the money and the wine brings the party, right. 00:33:44.240 --> 00:33:46.780 So it's like it's Friday payday. 00:33:46.880 --> 00:33:49.280 It's like that is celebration day. 00:33:49.580 --> 00:33:51.490 But he's not just describing it as payday. 00:33:51.860 --> 00:33:55.520 He's describing it as the payday with the biggest bonus you've ever received in your life. 00:33:55.620 --> 00:33:56.020 It's abounding. 00:33:56.580 --> 00:34:00.550 Like I'm pretty sure if there's ever a time to be happy I could think about being happier. 00:34:00.740 --> 00:34:04.820 And then he's comparing it to, "Oh, and I'm more glad than that." Are you really? 00:34:08.360 --> 00:34:10.719 How does one get to a place like that? 00:34:12.020 --> 00:34:12.960 Were in the midst of this conflict. 00:34:13.520 --> 00:34:19.480 Your heart is abounding in gladness more than the payday where you get the great bonus. 00:34:20.540 --> 00:34:24.120 This verse reminds me a lot of a similar verse in Act chapter five. 00:34:25.800 --> 00:34:28.600 Acts chapter five the apostles are going forth proclaiming Christ. 00:34:28.699 --> 00:34:29.920 They've been told not to do this. 00:34:29.920 --> 00:34:31.560 They've been thrown in jail because of this. 00:34:32.040 --> 00:34:36.280 And they say to the leadership in Israel at this time that it's better we obey God than man. 00:34:36.280 --> 00:34:38.199 They go out and they continue to proclaim the Lord. 00:34:38.460 --> 00:34:40.820 And now they're brought before the leaders of Israel. 00:34:41.800 --> 00:34:43.520 And they're actually discussing killing them. 00:34:44.800 --> 00:34:50.840 And one of the leaders stands up and says, "We probably shouldn't kil them just in case they might be right." And this is what they concluded in verse 40, they say this. 00:34:51.219 --> 00:34:58.480 "After calling the apostles in they flogged them, and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus and then released 00:34:58.480 --> 00:34:58.620 them. 00:34:59.620 --> 00:35:05.760 So they went on their way, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for his name. 00:35:07.960 --> 00:35:10.300 That's like a double take verse there for a minute, isn't it? 00:35:10.900 --> 00:35:13.840 Like you got beat and you are happy. 00:35:14.380 --> 00:35:21.320 Could you imagine if you were in that circumstance and you just left your beating and now you come before your pile of friends. 00:35:21.360 --> 00:35:22.820 And what's the first thing going to be out of your mouth? 00:35:24.020 --> 00:35:31.320 Is it going to be, "Yippee," or is it going to be, "Woe is me." I mean I could say, "Look at me, anybody 00:35:31.320 --> 00:35:32.840 got some rubbing alcohol? 00:35:32.840 --> 00:35:35.610 Look at the wound." But these guys are rejoicing. 00:35:35.880 --> 00:35:37.800 Why in the world are they rejoicing? 00:35:38.100 --> 00:35:40.380 Is this really a moment to be rejoicing over? 00:35:41.540 --> 00:35:42.320 What would they do that? 00:35:44.720 --> 00:35:47.170 I think it's the same reason David's rejoicing in verse seven. 00:35:49.340 --> 00:35:51.680 And that they'd be reoriented in their value system. 00:35:54.260 --> 00:36:01.460 So what's happening in verse seven of Psalm 4 is the individuals that are described here are just looking for the next great thing in life. 00:36:01.960 --> 00:36:06.780 Whatever they can do to get ahead, whatever they can do to make a buck, whatever they can do to look better than the Joneses beside them. 00:36:07.240 --> 00:36:08.690 That's what their pursuit is for their life. 00:36:09.180 --> 00:36:16.260 But David has an entirely different value system in his life because he's not thinking about earthly kingdom and temporary pleasure, he's 00:36:16.260 --> 00:36:20.530 thinking about eternal kingdom and eternal pleasure before his king. 00:36:22.340 --> 00:36:26.710 David and the apostles both rejoiced because this is what the moment did for them. 00:36:28.600 --> 00:36:35.620 When facing shame, when facing loss of relationship, loss of possession, 00:36:36.860 --> 00:36:42.920 jail, and even the thought of death, what do they choose? 00:36:44.980 --> 00:36:45.880 They choose Jesus. 00:36:48.660 --> 00:36:50.710 They choose to honor the life before... 00:36:52.660 --> 00:36:54.380 Excuse me, honor the Lord before their life. 00:36:56.860 --> 00:37:06.080 And so for them they leave rejoicing because they know in the moment when conflict arise and the pressure came against them, what 00:37:06.080 --> 00:37:12.760 was demonstrated in love above all is their love for God beyond anything this world could offer. 00:37:14.800 --> 00:37:20.200 They had been pressed as far as the soul could be pressed to walk in the flesh. 00:37:21.100 --> 00:37:24.800 And they choose Jesus. 00:37:25.060 --> 00:37:30.350 What a beautiful moment that is for the Lord's people. 00:37:32.180 --> 00:37:34.140 You think about your own life when you face conflict. 00:37:35.560 --> 00:37:41.100 Other people may not know what your heart chooses in those moments, but God does. 00:37:43.180 --> 00:37:48.120 And you may not be written about the way the apostles are written about, but God sees you. 00:37:49.800 --> 00:37:57.000 And if your life is lived for an audience of one, no greater joy should come within your soul than to stand for him above 00:37:57.000 --> 00:38:00.490 anything else this world can throw at you. 00:38:01.700 --> 00:38:08.760 And the walk and the thought that his righteousness over me is more important than the wine and the 00:38:08.820 --> 00:38:10.500 grain that this world has to offer. 00:38:12.920 --> 00:38:14.690 And in that their soul rejoices. 00:38:14.940 --> 00:38:16.560 And then verse eight it ends like this. 00:38:18.560 --> 00:38:25.680 "In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for you alone 00:38:25.680 --> 00:38:32.700 O Lord make me to dwell in safety." At the end of the day, what does their 00:38:32.700 --> 00:38:33.240 soul get? 00:38:35.320 --> 00:38:35.840 Peace. 00:38:38.260 --> 00:38:45.340 Look, Psalm three and Psalm four in talking about relational conflict doesn't tell you how to manipulate the heart of the individual that you 00:38:45.440 --> 00:38:46.070 disagree with. 00:38:48.340 --> 00:38:51.040 In fact, that's not possible in a healthy way. 00:38:53.280 --> 00:39:01.180 Rather what it does tell you is how to walk in a way that keeps your head held high, that at the end of the day though other people may 00:39:01.180 --> 00:39:08.860 act in a way that doesn't honor God, your soul rests in peace because to you Jesus 00:39:08.920 --> 00:39:09.260 is everything. 00:39:11.500 --> 00:39:18.740 When you look at Psalm chapter four verse seven and Psalm chapter four verse eight, I think we can very plainly ask and say yes to this, 00:39:18.800 --> 00:39:23.520 but doesn't your soul long for joy and peace? 00:39:26.330 --> 00:39:28.600 To give your life before the Lord. 00:39:30.000 --> 00:39:32.220 Success guys, isn't about avoiding conflict. 00:39:35.040 --> 00:39:37.720 It's about how you choose to respond when conflict arises. 00:39:40.600 --> 00:39:44.940 That conflict demonstrates where your heart really rests. 00:39:46.080 --> 00:39:49.880 I know we're not perfect, and God gives us grace. 00:39:52.240 --> 00:39:59.850 What God calls us to in this world, our lives on this path, and I think these psalms exist because David knows we want to react in flesh, 00:39:59.940 --> 00:40:01.670 and we do react in flesh. 00:40:03.180 --> 00:40:04.100 But God is for us. 00:40:05.680 --> 00:40:12.820 God is for us and so when you go through conflict, striving to see Christ honored, dying to self and letting Jesus be your shield, rather than reacting in the flesh, 00:40:12.940 --> 00:40:20.000 responding by aligning your heart with God, revering him and meditating your heart at night, and in so doing, you worship purely 00:40:20.000 --> 00:40:21.400 and bless others. 00:40:21.400 --> 00:40:26.690 And in the end you can rejoice knowing that the value in your hart is for God alone. 00:40:26.860 --> 00:40:30.560 And therefore your soul finds peace in him. 00:40:33.110 --> 00:40:34.600 It's one thing to know truth. 00:40:36.520 --> 00:40:42.650 It's something different to obey it, because what you truly believe you will obey. 00:40:44.640 --> 00:40:47.980 We're on a journey together and it's messy. 00:40:49.860 --> 00:40:56.220 The only way that God's called us to live it successfully begins with dying to self and trusting in him. 00:40:57.420 --> 00:41:04.500 Whether it begins at this very moment when you recognize what Jesus has done for you by dying on the cross or you've walked with Jesus all of 00:41:04.500 --> 00:41:11.660 your life, every day, to see the success that's described in this psalm requires you to lay your 00:41:11.660 --> 00:41:15.940 soul down, because when you fight for you, it destroys relationships. 00:41:17.860 --> 00:41:25.040 But when you allow God to fight for you, it builds up the body of Christ, the Lord is glorified and 00:41:25.040 --> 00:41:26.690 you find joy and peace for your soul.