Psalm 103 | The Great Awareness Church

There's nowhere else I'd rather be than right here um with you guys on on Father's Day. So, that's awesome. And I've got all my six kids here. Um yeah, you made it.

So, um we're here, man. I'm really pumped. Today, we're going to talk about God, man. God led me to Psalm 103.

It's very interesting. I'm just going to break down this Psalm for you guys today. There's no agenda here. What I'm going to do is read it first, so Carrie Ann, you just got to put it on there.

I'm going to read the whole Psalm first, and then I'm going to go back and break it down for us, okay? So, Psalm 103, "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. Excuse me.

The Lord executes righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the children of Israel. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us, nor will he keep his anger forever.

He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are, and you're doing good. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far as he removed our transgressions from us.

As a father pity's his children, so the Lord pity's those who fear him. For he knows our frame, he remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass, as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and his place remembers it no more.

But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children. To such as keep his covenant and in those who remember his commandments to do them. The Lord has established his throne in heaven and his kingdom rules over all. Bless the Lord, you his angels, who excel in strength, who do his word, heeding the voice of his word.

Bless the Lord, all you his hosts, you ministers of his, who do his pleasure. Bless the Lord, all his works in all the places of his dominion. Bless the Lord, oh my soul. So, it's a beautiful Psalm, right?

Isn't that nice? Now, most people read the Bible kind of that way. They read through it as it goes, like you're reading a book, okay? What I want to do is kind of dive into this thing a little bit more in-depth to show you more more you know, deep dive into studying your Bible, so you get a real feel for for all of it.

And so, one thing you notice is that phrase, "Bless the Lord," happens over and over again. Bless the Lord, oh my soul. Bless the Lord, oh my soul. It's like six or seven times he says that.

So, the first thing I do, okay? Is I pull out my Strong's Concordance, okay? If there's a certain word that's repeated over and over again, okay? That means it's an important word, okay?

Um Psalm 1 1 through 3 says that blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of the sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, which is the the Bible, okay? Back then, when David was writing this, all they had was the um the original first five books, which they called the law. But that was their Bible, okay?

So, this is saying who delights in the Bible. And on his law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its season, its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither, and whatever he does shall prosper. So, when you meditate on the word of the Lord, you can prosper, okay?

Um Psalm 119, I kind of jumped ahead for a minute, but Psalm 119 97 through 100 says, "Oh, how I love your law, your word, your book. It is my meditation all the day. You, through your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation.

I understand more than the ancients because of your precepts." So, reading the the Bible and really meditating on it makes you wiser than your enemies, okay? It allows you to to prosper. Um, 2 Timothy 3:10 says that all scripture is given by inspiration of God.

God has breathed on this book, okay? And it's profitable for reproof, correction, for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. So, back to the blessed the Lord, the Strong's Concordance, which they probably have an app for it now, I don't know, but I always go to this thing. And of course, it's so small, I have to put on my my glasses, but this is every word in the Bible, okay?

And then it's original Hebrew if it's the Old Testament or it's original Greek if it's the New Testament, right? So, it's really fun to choose words. And so, when you look up that word bless, okay? Bless the Lord, it the original Hebrew for that word is barak, and I'm probably butchering that, but that's that's what it is.

And it means to kneel. To kneel. So, we think of bless the Lord like God bless you or, you know, uh, you know, how I'm I'm blessed and highly favored. It's much deeper than that.

It speaks of deep adoration and praise and awe, okay? When you read it that way, it it takes on a different light. Kneel to the Lord, oh my soul. This is verse one, and all that is within me, kneel to his holy name.

Adore him. Praise him, okay? Uh, it it's it speaks of worship. You're on your knees.

He's significant, all right? David was writing this later in his life and he was showing the posture of our heart, the way it needs to be. Remember, David was a man after God's own heart, right? And so, the posture of our heart should be very worshipful and very when we're going into his word, it's like we're this isn't just some ordinary reading.

This is like this is the word of God, you know, and he can speak to us. It's rich, right? Just one word, you look up the original Hebrew and it changes everything, okay? Now, you could do that with every one of these lines.

We're not going to do that. Um I want to go into more um some other facets of studying his word that make it really fun, okay? Um so, verse two So, meditate on his word. Verse two, bless the Lord all my soul, kneel to the Lord all my soul, forget not all his benefits.

And then he says, "Who for These are the benefits now. He forgives all your iniquities." Okay? We talked last week about when you become saved, you're a new creation.

Your past is gone. Okay? Your past is gone. You are now a new creation.

And why? Because he forgives all his iniquities. Now, here's what's cool. Why are our iniquities forgiven?

Because of who? What Because of Jesus, right? On the cross. This was written almost a thousand years before Jesus came.

Isn't that hot? So, it's it's it's almost a prophecy of what's coming with Jesus. David is speaking to the future actually person that comes from his lineage, okay? Um actually, and he forgives all our iniquities.

So, if you're still clinging to that past, remember if If still beating yourself over the way you used to be, if you're you're you're confused about something, you're not forgiving yourself, you got to release it. Why? Because he has forgiven all your iniquities. That's hot, okay?

But But the next one, who heals all your diseases. Has anyone prayed for someone who was sick or whatever and they got healthy and they healed? Anyone? Raise your hand if you did.

Pretty much the whole place, okay? I myself have, too. All right? I've prayed for people.

Um So, God does answer prayer, right? But sometimes he may not. Um I I, you know, from last week the hamstring tear uh from from that I blame my mom for. Um the uh But uh I prayed for God to heal that knee, okay?

And it uh it didn't heal. All right? And then um I you know, and so I was talking to God about this, all right? Um you can ask questions of God.

Now Now, you have to be respectful when you do, okay? You're This isn't you're you're talking to dude who literally brought you into this world and can take you out. You know, every dad says that, right? On Father's Day, you know, I brought you into this world and I can take you out.

But God really can. Like he can just say, "All right, you're done breathing." And you've brea- breathed your last last breath. Why?

Because he said so. So, he really can do that. But But he's also a God who wants a relationship with us, okay? He's Abba, Father.

And when you have a relationship, you can have questions, you know, respectfully. Paul did that in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10. He asked God, he prayed for God to remove a thorn in his flesh, okay? Um if you read it, "And lest I should be exalted above measure.

Now, Paul after his conversion went to Arabia and Damascus, and he actually got taught by Jesus personally for 3 years. A lot of people don't realize that before he came and started his real ministry, okay? So, Paul was trained just like the disciples were, and Paul knew God into knew Jesus intimately, okay? And the early disciples were used to just saying, you know, pick up your mat and walk.

They were used to God answering things directly powerfully, okay? So, Paul's here asking for this thorn to be removed. And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.

So, he pleaded, he asked God forgive him. The next day, still there. He asked him for to to to remove it. Next day, still there.

And God answers him. He's wondering why. God answers him, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness." And when he realized that, he said, "Therefore, I will gladly boast in my infirmities because when I'm weak, God is strong, okay?"

So, as I'm asking him that though, that really didn't resonate with me. That's not I didn't feel like that was why my question wasn't answered, you know? Um and then last week, I went to Glory City Church, okay? Um This is the church that you guys may have heard I've shared this story before.

Back in back a year ago actually, I'm trying to start this church. My uh web person just quit. I still didn't have a music guy. I'm supposed to launch in like 6 weeks.

I go to a service uh uh a church service. Um it was the the just the satellite of Free Chapel in Gwinnett, okay? Which was still bigger than a thousand people and and it was just orchestrated and, you know, everything. And I'm like and I left there with a I had a meltdown.

I left there like what do they need another voice for? I actually said that in my mind. What do they need another voice for? And I was I was melting down.

But, Daniel had invited me many times to this church on a Sunday night and I went and I agreed to go this time. So, I go there and the pastor stops in the middle of the service and looks at me and says, "You, you, you in the blue." And I said, "Yes." He said, "What's your name?"

I said, "Brian." He said, "Here's what I see." Now, this is wild because I got licensed to preach in 2005 and this was 2025. This was last year, so it'd been 20 years.

And this guy had never met me. He goes "God's been pouring This is what I see. God's been pouring into you for 20 years, okay? It's time for you to pour it out.

And you may think there's not a need for your voice. Like I had that fear just that day." He was speaking the direct thing. That was obviously God, you know?

"You may think you there's not a need for the your voice and there is and you will be a father to many." Which at the time I didn't get, okay? But, that But, now I know a pastor is kind of like a father, kind of, right? And so, I just And I had no idea of that role.

I I was I'm still This is my first Father's Day preaching, by the way. All right? And I'm like So, like new. This is all new to me.

So, I'd been wanting to thank that guy because so many times I was ready to quit and and I read his prophecy and I just knew that God had me here because the devil will attack you, you know? And he no matter how strong you are, the devil's going to attack you. So, last Sunday night I went to Glory City and the pastor I go I was able to bless him by telling him about all that he'd done with his with his prophecy. But, then he asked if anyone wanted to be prayed over stuff.

So, I went up with with other people for him to pray over me. So, now two of us with two more gathered together, we were praying over my knee. And the knee still didn't heal. And the next morning, I'm like, "God, I don't get it, you know?

Why isn't this You've answered my prayers before. You have healed other things that I've asked for for other people, you know? Why is this one?" And if you remember this Monday morning, this past Monday morning, it was like 70° sunny.

So, I had the top down on my convertible. I had Christian music playing. I'm cruising into the office. And God brought to my mind 2 Samuel 12.

2 Samuel 12 was David um praying and fasting for 7 days hoping that his child wouldn't die, okay? Um and on the seventh day his child does die. And when his child dies, he just his people had tried to interrupt him during the week when he was fasting and praying and he and he and he wouldn't let him. Like he was he freaked out on them.

So, here it was the child died and he gets up, takes a shower, and he goes back to work. And the people came up to him and he's like, "We don't understand. For 7 days you you were weeping and fasting and praying and now um your child's dead and you're you're not mourning. You're just going right back to work, okay?"

And he said, David said, and I'm paraphrasing, but he said, "I thought maybe God would give me grace, you know? Um and and save my baby. Um but his answer is no. And so, there's nothing I I can't bring the baby back.

I can go to him, but he can't come to me. And I will, you know, it's so we went back to work." And it just overwhelmed me in that moment. God impressed on me in that moment.

He said no. God said no. No means no. No is a complete sentence.

And sometimes dad can just say no. And so my prayer about my knee answer's no. Not only that, I felt him saying toughen up, buttercup. You know, it's a it's a it's a hamstring.

You're not You're not This isn't stage four cancer. Okay? Get back to work. Quit quit whining and get your head back in the game.

And so I'm like And on comes this song, How Great Is Our God, which you probably know. And I just found myself just praising the Lord. Just so thankful that there's someone who's bigger than me and greater than me, who can every once in a while slap me upside the head when I need it. Okay?

And and um but also loves me and cares about me and will answer my prayers sometimes, but sometimes doesn't, you know? And it's okay. And now God may not share that same answer with you when you ask him questions. He may heal some of the things.

He may not. The The point is God is the boss and he can he can say yes, he can say no. Or he doesn't even have to give you an explanation. Okay?

He could have not given me an explanation, but he chose to give me an explanation. And that explanation was no. So and I have been there where the kids have asked for stuff and I'm like, no. Okay?

So very very much a a uh a neat journey. So let's move on. Verse four. He redeems your life from destruction.

Okay? Um That's hell. Who saves you from hell? Jesus right?

Again written almost a thousand years before Jesus came, he's writing about how God, Jesus, you know, save destruction, saves our life from hell. He crowns you the next verse, he crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercies. Who satisfies your mouth with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagles. Probably 90% of our lives is great.

It really is, if you think about it. Um it's you're healthy, pretty much, okay? You have friends, you're breathing, you're here, you can see, you can talk, you you you you can drink good coffee. Um and so you've got a roof overhead, friends, okay?

There's there's people that are probably on, you know, hospice and whatever that would kill to have your life. And yet we find ourselves so often focusing on the 10% that's not good. Because in everyone's life is as as much as I can say 90% of your life is good, I can also say for sure 10% of your life isn't. There's something that's annoying, there's something that's not right, there's some relationship that's not right, there's some pain in your you know, there there's just there's just the 10%.

The key to happiness is focusing on the 90% because God does satisfy our mouth with good things and he's and and if we do focus on that, our youth will be renewed like the eagles, okay? Um so those five verses that was just five verses, those five verses I have written down and I come back to them often because they're so powerful when you break them down slowly, okay? They're deep when you drink it in.

If you if you really start dwelling and thinking about all of these things, you saw me go off on a on a different tangent a little bit when we were talking about um healing your iniquities, right? Because or um healing your diseases because that's just what popped up. You may be reading the word of God and slowly meditating on it and some phrase pops to your mind and now you start going deeper on that. You can cross-reference and you can start going deeper, okay?

It's so much fun and God then reveals sometimes stuff that he wants you to do. Okay? So so the next four verses we're going to we're going to speed up a smidge. Verses 6 through 10.

The Lord executes his righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. Made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the children of Israel. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us, however, nor will he keep his anger forever.

He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities, okay? Um As I read this, I think there is a time when he comes again, okay? There is. And and un- unlike what most people think, when he comes again, he he sets everything right.

Okay? He vanquishes his enemies and he sets everything right. And he sets up, the Bible says, a millennial reign on this planet, okay? For a thousand years.

So when I talk to Christians a lot of times at my networking functions or whatever and I and they look at the things around that's happening in the world right now, a lot of them will say, "Yeah, you know, um yeah, you know, Jesus is coming soon." You know, I hear that quite a bit. But my question is, what does that mean to you? Okay?

Are you really getting ready? Okay? Um do you have supplies in case the electrical goes down? Um my car didn't start or the electrical whatever, I could ride my bike up here.

All right? Um so you know, if everything goes to pot and all the electric's down and everything else, if you come up here Sunday morning, if you find a way to get up here Sunday morning at 10:30, I'm going to be in that parking lot, okay? I'm going to ride my bike up here and I'm going to hold a sermon in that parking lot. Just count on it cuz God has told me I need to stand here and be in this place during this time.

All right? Um God's given me a mission for that time. Um and I and I do think it's coming soon. And and I do think that the purpose of this church is really to prepare you guys.

So like right now I'm going through, you know, studying the scripture and getting deeper into it so that your relationship with Jesus gets deeper because that's the biggest thing that matters is your relationship with Jesus. That's what's getting ready for the end times is. And here's the beauty. If I'm wrong, there's no downside to building your relationship with Jesus, right?

So there really is no reason not to do it, all right? And and and so he's saying here, uh but he has been merciful. He has been gracious to us, okay? So let's keep moving um cuz that's only been the first 10 verses.

But when you go to study scripture, you can take it line by line. Literally, each one of these lines, especially those first five, could be a sermon all by themselves, right? You could really break it down and go deep. Um but but the biggest thing is be be be meditating on it and maybe even using your imagination.

I I Maybe you're reading the Sermon on the Mount. Imagine that you're there, okay, listening to Jesus. And and and that can bring in a different vibe, okay? Um I look up key verses, but I also want to think and meditate on what God is telling me because this Bible will speak to you, okay?

You'll be reading something and it's just going to pop out at you. So, verses 11 through 14, "For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." You've heard that a lot.

He as far as the east is from the west, right? That's a big common phrase. It comes from right here. Um as a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear him, for he knows our frame, he remembers that we are dust.

When I come to verse 12 and I start thinking about it, okay? It's a powerful truth. And again, it's it's it's looking forward to the cross but our sins have been forgiven and they are as far as the east is from the west, okay? And so, when you use your imagination, is there something right now, guys, in your life that you're still clinging to?

Is there something in your past that you're not letting go of? Is there a negative uh self-image that you're still clinging to in your past? Close your eyes and think, okay? What What What if this verse east is from the west?

Imagine that that past is a ball, okay? It's just a ball and and and imagine that that past is in that ball, and then Jesus is coming in a white robe and he grabs that ball like to him it's just the size of a basketball, no matter how big it is, right? And he be And he begins to to move his arms out, okay?

The ball's over here in this hand, and he stretches it out so far as the east is from the west, his great long arms is from China to here, and then he throws that thing off into the ether and it's gone forever, okay? And you walk up free. You You're You're It's gone, okay? You can do that.

It's gone. You don't have to carry it any longer. You can move into that freedom because his mercy is great, okay? Um he says he knows how hard it is, okay?

It says, "As a father pity his children, so the Lord pity those who fear him, for he knows our frame." Jesus literally came to earth, okay? And he was fully human. And he was fully God.

So, he knows what it's like, probably more than us, to have people clinging after him, right? To have people pushing him and doing things and trying to annoy him, you know? And and being attacked by people. He knows what it's like to deal with angry people, the Pharisees yelling at him.

He's got He knows what it's like to to deal with clingy needy people, okay? Um he knows what it's like to be tired. There are examples where he was so bone tired he was falling asleep in a He was dead asleep in a boat in the middle of a huge storm. He was just that tired, okay?

So, he knows our frame. He knows how tough it is to be human on this planet, cuz it is. It can be tough to be us sometimes, okay? It's not all rainbows and kittens.

He knows our frame, but he has mercy for us. You are forgiven. You're a new creation. God has this.

You can trust him. Whatever your situation is, whatever you're dealing with right now, God can handle it. He can be trusted. 30 years I've been a Christian, and for 30 years I've been testing it, and always, always he brings it works out, okay?

All six of my kids are here and I'm preaching and we're going to to lunch afterwards, okay? And yet all of them are the product of divorce, which had disruption in their lives, okay? And God's worked it out so that here we are. And it's so beautiful, and it's a beautiful thing.

It wasn't me, it was God working in the situation. He works all things for good. Even if right now you're sitting there and and it doesn't seem like it can work out for the good, like the situation is just so tough right now that it's whatever you're dealing with, man, God will work it out for the good. I promise you.

Romans 8:28, which I just not up there, he works all things for good, okay? For those who love him and are called according to his purpose. Verse 15 and 16. As for man, his days are like grass, as a flower of the field, so he flourishes.

For the wind passes over it and it is gone. Um What is he saying there as you think about it? Man, life is short, right? Life is short because it is.

We're here today and we're gone quickly. All right? When I was talking about possibly the end times coming, you you could die later this afternoon. You right?

It can happen in a car accident. Um or or I mean, I guess anything can happen, right? So you don't know when your last day is, so you should live your life as if this is your last day. You've heard people say it all the time, but no one does it.

Live with the end in mind. When people are in your life and they matter to you, don't don't put off telling them you love them. All right? At the end of every text, at the end of every conversation with my kids, I always say I love you.

Okay? Most of the time they say it back. And um but you should always do that because you don't know when the last day is, okay? And you could be reading a Psalm one morning and and a verse comes to you, okay?

And and and God grabs hold of you and says, "You need to make up with Aunt Betty, okay?" And I'm telling you what you need to do is on that day, write it down and go and and reconcile with Aunt Betty cuz you don't know, something's up, okay? If God tells you to do that. I when I pray in the morning, I have a little yellow sticky.

These little yellow stickies that I use, I got a yellow sticky pad at home. I got one in my room, I got one near where I pray. And if God prompts something in there, you know, text Caitlin, you know, thank somebody, he'll just tell me different things to do. And I just jot them down.

And then that day, I just do them. So, it it and it could be simple as just saying hi to someone you haven't spoken to or checking in on a friend or or whatever it is, okay? It can be simple, but God presses down and tells you something. He gives you specific instructions.

The best thing to do is just do it. That person may not be here tomorrow. You don't know, okay? But but the fact that the God of the universe can speak through this book and give you clear direction on things you should do, that's amazing to me.

Like it's amazing to me. He's got so much going on. And he cares enough about each individual ones to to do things like that. That's just that's just awesome, okay?

So, you don't know what's coming up, but he does. So, trust and obey. Do you see how the scripture can talk to you? Do you see how that works?

How that can happen? Don't just read through this thing quickly. Take your time. Ruminate on it.

Meditate on it, okay? The God of the universe is talking to you. That's a good word, man. Spend time in his word.

All right, verse 17. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him and his righteousness to his children's children. Earlier he said the Lord pity those who fear him. Now, in the Bible there's 365 times where it says do not fear.

But they're not They're talking about fear of man, which is a snare. They're not talking about fear of the Lord. But when you hear people talk about the fear of the Lord, they always say it's a reverential fear. All right, which is true.

But what does that mean? What does a reverential fear mean? Define it. Okay?

I think we need more of the fear of the Lord in America. Okay? I think America has been sold a god who's all about them, all about blessing them, all a cosmic Santa Claus, and someone who will always forgive everything you do, no matter what, and never try to correct you. Okay?

And that's just not what a good father does. All right? And we And And people don't realize that God can discipline you. This I've heard preachers preach that he doesn't discipline you anymore.

I've heard it. I've heard it. He says, "Why would he he go to the cross and do that and and save you from these things and then punish you for them?" He's not punishing your past.

He's not punishing anything. But you may be about to do something stupid, and he's correcting you before you do that stupid thing. That's what a good father does. Proverbs 3:12 says this, "For whom the Lord loves, he corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights."

All my kids are here. They all know what's like to be spanked, to be have their their phones taken away. Whatever. As they get older, the taking away the phones even better.

Um but they all know, right? Because the fa- And it says here, "Whom the Lord loves, he corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights." He delights in you. So, he may discipline you.

Now, people will say that's Old Testament, that doesn't count. The God of you know, that's different. God's different today. The Bible says Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever, okay?

God hasn't changed. There's not an Old Testament God and then a New Testament God, all right? It's God, all right? He's the same God.

Hebrews 12:6, all right? Hebrews is the New Testament, says this, "For whom the Lord loves, he chastens." So, so Proverbs said it one way, Hebrews is even more tough, I guess, okay? Amp it up in the New Testament.

"For whom the Lord loves, he chastens and scourges every son whom he receives." Scourging is like whipping what what happened with Jesus at the cross okay? I will always drive even if I'm a long drive to Florida, I will always drive less than 15 mph over the speed limit, okay? Why?

Because the penalty for over 15 is so much greater than it is under 15. It's more points, it's more money, it's more whatever, okay? It's not worth it, all right? If you're sitting there and you're watching porn and you think no one's watching and and and you know, then when you're done, you feel bad about it, you ask God to apologize, you know, you wink at him, and then you, you know, a couple days later you do it again, you do it again.

You don't think God's sitting there up there winking back at you, like, "Ah, son. Just go ahead, you know, I'm it's It's that you're looking at my daughter that way, you know? And and no. All right?

And he may correct that eventually. How? That's up to him. But you should understand that God can correct you.

That's not something that's taught in the church today, but he can. Doesn't mean he's going to harm you on purpose to hurt you, but things may happen okay? That he will use to correct you. Okay?

He just will. That is how it works. I don't care if no other preacher's preaching in America, that is the truth. It says it right here.

Hebrews 12:6. If it says it here, it has to be true, right? It has to be. So you can't say God doesn't discipline when the Bible says he does.

So, we've done a great disservice making God all rainbows and kittens, okay? God can discipline you. He loves you. Hence, he will or he may discipline you.

If he doesn't, man, praise the Lord. He's showing mercy because he is merciful. All right? But there may be a day where he's like, "Dude, you're not learning.

You're not getting it. All right? I'm bringing it." Um verse 18.

Let's bring this home now, okay? Um So for 17, it's righteousness to children's children. Verse 18. To such as keep his covenant and to those who remember his commandments to do them.

The Lord has established his throne in heaven and his kingdom rules over all. Bless the Lord. Remember this is this is uh Well, let let's verse 18. It says, "Those who remember his commandments to obey them."

Obey the Lord, right? That's what this thing is telling you. Obey the Lord. That's always the smartest play.

As we sit here studying today, what is the Lord laying on your heart? Where is there something that he's telling you to do that you can just need to obey him? Maybe you've been putting it off. You don't really want to do it, but you know God's telling you to do it.

I'm telling you today, let's let's let's get that knock that out today, okay? Cuz it's important. Um where do you need to obey him today? All right.

Verse 19 through 22. It says, "Bless the Lord. Bless the Lord. Bless the Lord."

I'm going to use the word kneel in that place, okay? "Kneel to the Lord, you his angels, who excel in strength, who do his word, heeding the voice of his word. Kneel to the Lord, all you his hosts, you ministers of his who do his pleasure. Kneel to the Lord, all his works in all places of his dominion.

Kneel to the Lord, oh my soul." Okay? It it just speaks of power, okay? God is all powerful.

And as Juan comes up here, okay? We're about to do a response time, and I want to you to ponder during this response time, where is God speaking to you today, okay? I'd like to challenge you to also try to study the word a little more than just reading it, okay? Because there's so much meat in it, and God will speak to you through that word.

But ponder, where is God speaking to you today? What area do you need to obey him in? What sin or lie are you still clinging to? Okay?

Lay it down. Lay it down right here. As far as the east is from the west, put it down, okay? It's gone.

It's done. You don't have to you're not that person anymore. You've been saved. You've been saved.

It's time to do business with God. The altar is open. Don't hide any sin any longer, okay? Bring it up here if you need to lay it down.

Lay it down and rise up clean. Don't don't disobey him any longer. It's time to lay it down and it's time to obey. Okay?

Let's Let's pray. Heavenly Father, Lord, I thank you. I thank you for just your word, Lord, for the powerful just simple Psalms, uh you know, uh prophecies of you thousand years before you you even came. Uh this whole Bible points to you, Lord, and and uh you are a good God.

You are a gracious God. You're also a mighty God. And um Lord, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. So, your Bible says it and and I just pray now, Lord, that if someone is clinging to a past that doesn't doesn't even exist anymore cuz they've been saved, that they cast it away.

They cast it down today, Lord. If someone doesn't know you, if they haven't asked you in their heart, I I pray that that happens today Lord. Um And for those that are that are uh knowing they're doing something they shouldn't be doing, I I just ask that you you bring it down. Just understand, God sees everything.

And um he's a merciful God, but he's also mighty, and he loves you, and he wants the best for you, and he is going to correct. And I just pray now, Lord, that your spirit fills the place, that your power is evident, that your wisdom is evident, and that the love that I have for you, that we have for you, Lord, is is manifested in our song and in our worship in Jesus' name. Amen.