He Gave Gifts (Psalm 68:15-35; Ephesians 4:7-14)
/Jesus is a King like no other—he rescues the dead, befriends his enemies, and gives gifts to those he conquers.
Read MoreJesus is a King like no other—he rescues the dead, befriends his enemies, and gives gifts to those he conquers.
Read MoreIn God’s eyes, we are all widows and orphans—and that is a good thing, because God cares for widows and orphans.
Read MoreOne of the greatest tools of evangelism is having total peace in the God of blessing.
Read MoreGod allows affliction to purify his children.
Read MoreAwe and wonder for God’s creation, providential care, and redemption should lead to joy and humble service of others.
Read MoreGod patiently endures the attacks of the wicked so that it is clear that He is the one who brings justice, but also to afford them time to repent.
Read MoreGod’s love is more valuable than life itself—this is a lesson that we learn in the wilderness.
Read MoreFaith in Jesus is all or nothing—we place our faith in Him alone or not at all.
Read MoreWhen your heart is faint and you feel distant from God, He comes to you in the person of Jesus Christ.
Read MoreWhen you turn from God, he raises his banner of forgiveness.
Read MoreThe love of God gives us confidence that He will punish evil.
Read MoreThose who desire truth, must find it in the Lord.
Read MoreGod is worthy of your fear and, therefore, your confidence and worship.
Read MoreWhen you are afraid, you can trust in the God who hears you and will deliver you.
I. GOD ALLOWS HIS CHILDREN TO WALK THROUGH THE WILDERNESS (VV. 1-7)
A. The Wilderness is the Place of Suffering (vv. 1-7)
B. The Wilderness is the Place of Dependence (Numbers 13-14; Romans 8)
C. The Wilderness is the Place of Instruction (Deuteronomy 8:3)
II. GOD HEARS HIS CHILDREN WEEPING IN THE WILDERNESS (VV. 8-11)
A. Your Weeping does not Fall on Deaf Ears (vv. 8-11)
B. Your Weeping is not a Lack of Faith (John 11:36)
III. GOD WALKS WITH HIS CHILDREN THROUGH THE WILDERNESS (VV. 12-13)
A. God is With You (vv. 12-13; Romans 8:9-11)
B. God is For You (vv. 12-13; Romans 8:31-39)
C. God Provides for You in the Wilderness (Deuteronomy 8:3; Psalm 23:5)
When all the world lets us down, we can take refuge in God, who never will.
I. TAKE REFUGE IN GOD WHEN FRIENDS FORSAKE YOU (VV. 1-23)
A. The Danger of Placing our Trust in Men (vv. 4-16)
B. Beware Counsel that You Want to Hear (Proverbs 27:6; cf. Genesis 3:1-7)
C. Turn to the Only One Who Can Help (vv. 1-3, 17-23)
II. TAKE REFUGE IN HIM WHO WAS FORSAKEN FOR YOU (LUKE 22:47-48; HEBREWS 4:14-16)
A. Jesus Knows what it is to be Betrayed by a Close Friend (Luke 22:47-48)
B. Jesus is Able to Sympathize (Hebrews 4:14-16)
C. Jesus will Never Leave You, Nor Forsake You (Hebrews 13:5-6; 2 Timothy 2:11-13)
III. TAKE REFUGE IN GOD WHEN YOU ARE A FRAUD (JOHN 13:36-38; 21:1-17)
A. When the Fraud is in the Mirror (John 13:36-38; 21:1-17; Proverbs 24:16)
B. A Meal Shared with Frauds
Faith in the midst of trials means trusting that God will set all things right, even if that means through death and resurrection.
I. FAITH TESTED (VV. 1-3)
A. David Among the Ziphites (1 Samuel 23:13-25)
B. The Inner and Outer Struggles of Affliction
C. Crying Out for Deliverance (vv. 1-3; Exodus 20:2; 34:5-7)
II. FAITH CONFESSED (VV. 4-5)
A. What God Has (and Hasn’t) Promised (v. 5)
B. The Difference Faces of Deliverance
C. Why God Allows Suffering and Affliction
III. FAITH EXERCISED (VV. 6-7)
A. An Offering of Praise (vv. 6-7)
B. Preparing for Affliction (in Worship)
C. You Are What You Eat
The bad news is that man’s moral condition is universally ugly, but the good news is that God has sent help from heaven in Jesus Christ to grant us salvation.
I. THE UGLY (REALITY) (VV. 1-3)
A. The Popular View of Humanity
B. God’s View of Man (vv. 1-3)
C. To Err is Human… or Is It?
II. THE BAD (NEWS) (VV. 4-5; ROMANS 3:9-20)
A. We Are in Need (of Salvation) (vv. 4-5; Romans 3:9-20)
B. We Cannot Save Ourselves (or Each Other)
III. THE GOOD (NEWS) (V. 6)
A. The Prayer (v. 6; cf. Romans 3:21-26)
B. The Invitation (to Joy)
C. Help has Come (and is Coming Again!)
Both pride and love can drive us to do things that don’t make sense, but in very different ways.
I. WHEN YOU ARE YOUR OWN REFUGE (VV. 1-5, 7; 1 SAMUEL 21:1-9; 22:9-19)
A. King Saul’s Obsession
B. Doeg’s Deceit
C. Why? (v. 1)
II. WHEN GOD IS YOUR REFUGE (VV. 6-9)
A. Making God His Refuge (v. 7)
B. Trusting the Steadfast Love of God (vv. 8-9; 1 Samuel 22:20-23)
III. THREE (OR FOUR) IMPORTANT WHY’S (V. 1)
A. Why Choose Evil Over Mercy and Grace? (v. 1)
B. Why Offer Grace to Those Who Afflict You? (v. 1)
C. The Great Why (John 3:16)
D. Why We Eat (v. 8)
Those who admit that they are spiritually broken and ask for mercy find cleansing and are made whole.
I. SIN DESTROYS LIVES AND RELATIONSHIPS (VV. 4, 8-11)
A. The Price of Sin (Leviticus 20:10; 24:17; Num 35:20-22, 30-31; Deuteronomy 19:11)
B. Broken Relationships and Hidden Faces (vv. 4, 8-11)
C. The Lost Son (2 Samuel 12:13-17)
II. REPENTANCE EXPOSES ALL AND HIDES NOTHING (VV. 1-17)
A. I Am Wholly Sinful (v. 5)
B. I Will Not Hide it from Myself, God, or Others (vv. 3-6, 13-17)
C. I Need to Be Washed and Reconciled (vv. 1-2, 7-12)
D. Make Me Wholly New (v. 10; 2 Corinthians 5:7)
III. RECONCILIATION COMES THROUGH DEATH (VV. 7-10, 18-19)
A. Purge Me with Hyssop (v. 7)
B. Only the Broken are Made New (vv. 8-9, 17-19)
C. The Given Son (v. 7)
God cannot be bought or bargained with and wants only one thing from us, sincere dependence upon his mercy and grace.
I. GOD CANNOT BE BOUGHT (VV. 1-13)
A. Bargaining with God
B. Modern Examples
II. GOD IS NOT FOOLED BY HYPOCRITICAL SPEECH (VV. 16-21)
A. The Art of “God-Talk” (vv. 16-20)
B. When God Breaks His Silence (vv. 3-4, 21)
III. GOD OFFERS MERCY AND GRACE TO THE HUMBLE AND GRATEFUL (VV. 14-15, 22-23; ROMANS 2:1-5)
A. Naked and Ashamed
B. Quid pro nihilo? (vv. 14-15)
C. When God is Silent (vv. 3, 21-23; Romans 2:1-5)
D. Receiving without Giving
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